Why and how was this curriculum created?

This curriculum was created in the wake of the murder of George Floyd for youth, by youth from Minneapolis who had been participating in local social movements for years. YoUthROC's research question was "How do youth move in social uprising?" As a result, we found it essential for students to learn more about uprisings, activism, social justice, social movements, and our own histories amongst other topics. With Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students at the center, we want youth-powered, culturally relevant workshops to develop kinship and to teach from youth perspectives. Our goal is to build knowledge and practice about collectivism, self-determination, radical movements and analysis, and intellectual and dynamic work. These themes are part of how we sustain and connect with each other to create strategic change.

This curriculum was created to center the experience and voices of BIPOC youth and to help all youth learn about their own communities' experiences around youth in social movements. Lessons were created by mostly local BIPOC youth and include varying experiences, questions, and ideas from BIPOC youth about their very own communities, historically and today.

These lessons are a starting point. We hope other youth continue to create "lessons for social change" about what they know and want to learn!

The Four Themes

Below are YoUthROC themes that frame the curriculum. These four themes are what we know about youth in social movements based on living our lives and researching the past year. Our team read parts of Youth Resistance Research and Theories of Change (Tuck & Yang, 2014). One chapter was "Out for Immigration Justice: Thinking through Social and Political Change" by Daysi Diaz-Strong, Christina Gómez, Maria Luna-Duarte, & Erica R. Meiners. We expanded their themes (below) after researching in our own context.

Collectivism for Growth, Healing, and Change

In social movements, youth grew through collectivism, the sense of being together, to heal and to create change. Social movements are grounded in collective trauma within the ecology of grief, or trauma, and healing. Youth participants expressed a range of emotions within this ecology, including pain, joy, love, and comfort. Social media was a way to extend community during the COVID pandemic. Creating or sharing art together expressed community needs and trauma as well as creating kinship and joy.

Internal and Collective Self-Determination

Self-determination is central to youth in social movements. Self-determination is internal, reflective, and collective, and it guides people on the way to finding our truth and our path. To find their truth, youth began learning about local histories, identifying values and issues within themselves, and demanding accountability (callouts) within greater communities to lead to change. Their path to solving issues included finding or creating collective spaces or through individual actions. Youth navigated their emotions, mental health, and systemic issues which all contributed to sustaining social movements and determining their futures.

Youth are Ready: Radical Movements and Analysis

Youth in social movements are ready to critique power, rebel, and connect with others about their ideas. Radical movements stem from youth's ability to channel emotions, including anger, into action. Young people analyze and vocalize their wants, critiques, and demands for change. Their instincts and social norms to center community and those most marginalized, including young people, amplifies innovation within historical and revolutionary movements.

Intellectual and Dynamic Work

Throughout social movements, youth engaged in cross-cultural conversations. They attributed this process to continual intellectual learning. The dynamic, shifting work associated with social movements was exhausting and necessary. Youth were met with a number of obstacles, including negative adult-youth relationships, racial capitalism, and white supremacy. Youth used their power and relationships to stay flexible, to respond, to research, and to strategize.

These themes were written by Shaunassey Johnson, Amina Smaller, Eva García, Jason To, Jessica Forrester, and Abby Rombalski. Other YoUthROC members included Savannah McCullough, Bailey Hutson, Marwa Mohammed, Karla García, Yasmin Smaller, Nhia Chang, and Mychi Nguyen. More lessons are forthcoming! Artwork created by Victoria Pope, IG: @queenv_arts131.

Lessons are intended to highlight youth voices in multiple ways:

Young people created the lessons.
Examples and creations from youth in social movements fill the lessons (historically and today).
Youth can co/facilitate the lessons.
Young people should talk, question, add, and produce their own creations within the lessons.

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