California Story Fund
The Legacy Continues: Youth Activism Today
Community Works
Berkeley
Project Director: Naomi Katz
Ninth grade students in Oakland document the stories of young Bay Area activists
Tshaka Barrows and Ophelia Williams are codirectors of the Community Justice Network for Youth, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to nurturing community-based programs that serve youth of color in the juvenile justice system. Both under age 30, Barrows and Williams, shareed their stories with ninth grade students at Life Academy in Oakland as part of this project honoring young activists whose work makes a difference in the community.
The activists shared their stories with students in English and history classes at the Oakland school. In response to what they heard, the students produced poems, stories, drawings and photographs. In addition, the interviews were filmed, and the students worked with project facilitators to develop short film vignettes. The project culminated in a traveling museum exhibit featuring the students' work, excerpts from the interviews, and photos and biographies of the activists.
Project Director Naomi Katz said, "In addition to preserving the stories of these extraordinary young individuals, we hope that this exhibit inspired other young people to become politically engaged and work for change in their communities."