Supporting Youth Activism

Join us for a Day of Action on March 7 (or any day in March that works for you) — and organize with young people in your community. As we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march, it is your time to step forward, just as the young people did then, and say, “Change starts here.” Your voice, your energy and your activism are essential in shaping today’s movements for justice.
Schools should be safe and welcoming for all children—on this point responsible adults agree. But currently, discriminatory laws and censorship policies threaten the well-being of children. LGBTQ+ young people and families are being targeted, along with Black, Indigenous and other people of color and members of historically marginalized groups, whose histories and experiences are being misrepresented and erased.
Creating communities is essential in our efforts toward a more inclusive society because, as Sarah-SoonLing Blackburn, LFJ deputy director of Learning & Engagement notes, “This work is more sustainable when we share it with others.” Whether for educators in spaces where censorship is a reality, young people and others who bear the brunt of oppressive policies and actions, or those who face targeted attempts of erasure, building connections reminds us we are not alone in this work.
As we celebrate Pride Month, supporting LGBTQ+ young people and families is essential. Inclusivity in education plays a critical role for all children, especially in the hostile environment created by discriminatory laws and censorship policies that threaten to erase LGBTQ+ identities and roll back the gains of recent years. Our resource page shares our articles and content on supporting LGBTQ+ people, including information on inclusive education practices and allyship, and provides links to external resources.