The Hope of Our Future: Youth Leaders In Their Own Words

The recent March for Our Lives nationwide protests against gun violence, led by teenage survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, were some of the largest youth protests since the Vietnam War. But young people have been fueling social change in America for decades, from the civil rights movement and Vietnam War protests to the undocumented youth and Black Lives Matter movements.

Twenty-two million American teens will turn 18 by the 2020 election, giving youth tremendous power during a critical moment in our nation’s history. What will the future look like under their leadership? When we create space for young people, support their advocacy and listen to their voices, they speak truth to power and we all stand to win. That’s why, for this event, we’re handing them the microphones.

Join some of the Bay Area’s brightest young leaders as they discuss the issues they care about, the policies they’re working to change and the tools and strategies they’re using to grow their movements.

NOTES

This panel is proudly sponsored by the Bay Area Leads Fund of the San Francisco Foundation. It is the latest in the foundation’s series on People, Place and Power.

Speakers
Image - Cabrera

Gabriel Cabrera

Transgender LGBTQ+ Community Activist; KQED Youth Takeover Speaker; Casa CHE Program Participant; Junior, Arise High School

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Caitlyn Clark

Teen Poetry Slam Grand Champion; Founder, Intersectional Gender Equity and Feminism Club at Benicia High School; Incoming Freshman, Yale University

Image - Kiere Garrett

Kiere Garrett

HOPE SF Phoenix Champion; MBSK Youth Council Member; Youth Speaker/Organizer; Basketball Player; Junior, City Arts and Tech High School

Image - Cheyenne Gonzalez

Cheyenne Gonzalez

Teen Mental Health Advocate; Youth Organizer, Californians for Justice; Teaching Assistant, Youth Beat; Senior, Oakland High School

Image - Hailemariam

Senait Hailemariam

Production Coordinator, BAYCAT (a Digital Media Nonprofit)—Moderator