Celebrating Youth - My New Heroes!

Back in the 60's as a kid myself, I was initiated to the power of young people. I went to Selma, Alabama, reacting to horrifying racism and violence. There I stood on the street with local Black children, 13, 14 and 15 years old. I stood and learned from them about mass demonstrations, standing up to power, nonviolence, the importance of songs, music and singing. We shared stories, food and places to rest. We protected each other from hateful deputies and counter demonstrators. Those young people in Selma became my heroes. Their strength and tenacity was a marvel. I would leave and they would stay.

My next encounter was with young people opposed to the War in Vietnam and all of the weapons of war. They were a rag tag group. These were young men and women standing up against a terrible war and our government's involvement in Southeast Asia. They spoke out, acted out and risked arrest.  In between demonstrations they made soup, gave out cloths and befriended people who lived on skid row. Many of these young kids eventually went to jail for refusing to participate in the war or with the draft. They too spoke truth to power. They were innocent and naive but they were certainly strong. In the end, they ended the war and the draft, pretty major tasks. All of them became my heroes.

Here we are, many years later. The times have changed, the actors have changed, some of the issues have changed, but again young people are standing up to be heroes. We've all become acquainted with the high school freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. First we saw them on camera evacuating their school during and after a horrible mass shooting. Then we saw them as the dead were identified and counted. Then they began teaching a nation about courage and strength. They began standing up and speaking out. They began speaking real truth to power. They helped many of us identify the BS we had been accustomed to and they showed people how not to take no for an answer. These kids are angry as they should be. They are refusing to listen to adult non-answers to the problem of guns and violence. They are using their young logic to identify that some things are pretty easy to figure out - weapons of war like AR 15s don't belong on the street, in houses or in schools. They are beginning to hold adults and politicians accountable for silly and hurtful positions about the second amendment and mass shootings.

Yes these kids are articulate, resilient, and heroes. I put my faith in them to bring about change, to step up and do the right thing in memory of their fallen sisters and brothers. They'll not only find the answers, they will help change a broken political system.

One thing that does bother me though, is that their Black brothers and sisters who stepped up over the past few years pointing out the importance of how Black Lives Matter, were not recognized or greeted with the same understanding and support. We need to think about that.