Young Durham is Ready to Lead

From left: Eyerys (Vee) Corley Corley (Youth Listening Project Ambassador), A’lice Frazier (City of Durham Office on Youth, Youth Engagement Manager), Nori McDuffie (Youth Listening Project Ambassador), Jaylen Segers (Youth Listening Project Ambassador), Katie Owusu (Youth Listening Project Ambassador) and Lara Khalil (City of Durham Office on Youth, Director).

Photo by Morgan Crutchfield

City of Durham’s Office on Youth masterminded the Youth Listening Project, which is actively listening to the needs/dreams of Durham’s young people.

Why is it important to have youth representation in government?

 Jaylen: I feel it is important because adding young people into government brings

forth a different perspective than if it was just adults working in those spaces. Also, young people

with no government affiliation easily relate when seeing young people representing the government.

Lara: It’s often missed that young people are community members too, and thus have a stake in

all matters of government. They fully experience the impacts of policy, programs, and services,

and also experience them in unique ways. Their expertise and leadership is essential to shaping

the ways government invests in their health and wellbeing. It’s wise to get those investments

right, since young people are both leaders now, and also will be leaders in the future when

we’re all retired!

A’lice: And let’s not forget that young people have always been catalysts for social change. This

is a truth of our history, but one that is often overlooked. From the Civil Rights Movement and

Chicano Movement of the past, to the Climate Justice Movement of today, young people have

always pushed the government to change and adapt to the needs of its people. So when we say

the government needs the voices and experiences of young people, know that their voices are

powerful. They have changed and continue to change nations.

What makes a leader?

 Eyerys (Vee): Leaders are people who are willing and able to come into the role with unconditional love,

understanding and the ability to listen. They are also people who know when to step up, step

down and uplift the voices of others with lived experiences that need to be

heard- those that have been marginalized. 

Jaylen: A lot of the time we can generalize a leader as a one position type of role, but that does

not always have to be the case. I feel a leader makes space for the team and the community

they are serving. For example, there are so many pieces to a puzzle, but all these pieces have a

role in coming together, fitting and accomplishing the final picture. I believe this is what being a

leader is, allowing others alongside you to lead, while finding other ways to contribute to the

outcome.

From left: Jaylen Segers, Nori McDuffie, Katie Owusu and Eyerys (Vee) Corley.

Photo by Morgan Crutchfield

Lara: Leaders anchor and nurture communities. I can’t see this being possible without Love. Love

is fundamental to the work of leadership. Love is required for building connections and bridges.

For building relationships and family. And loving and being loved can sustain us.

What has been your experience with adultism?

Nori: I can really speak to having experienced adultism on a personal level, just being

dismissed and invalidated. Having to hear the adults in my life to say “Oh, I am older than you, so I

know more than you do” or “kids should be seen not heard”. Just constantly being invalidated

because of my age or “lack of experience”.

A’lice: I just want to lift up what Nori said as so important. This idea that “young people should

be seen and not heard” is the core of adultism. Adultism is so ingrained into our communities

that the opinions of young people are not seen as valid. The basis for this prejudice against

them is simply their youth. That travels with us into every space. If you are taught that at

home, then it goes with you to school, it goes with you as you enter the workforce. And then,

some of us, continue to perpetuate that bias against our own children and other young people in

our lives when we finally become adults and our opinion “finally” matters. 

Katie: I would say that the effects of adultism, for me personally, is that it limits your ability to

step out and speak out as a young person. Like A’lice said, it travels into other spaces with you

and it really hinders your ability to show your full potential and express your ideas. And the

worst part is it’s not your fault because it’s something that’s been ingrained in you that your

voice doesn’t matter. It silences you.

While demographic change due to gentrification continues, how can

newcomers ensure a lasting positive contribution to Durham?

A’lice: You can’t move to a new place in a vacuum. It’s imperative to do the work of learning

a place, its history and its people. So newcomers in Durham have to take time to get to know

and understand Durham’s history, its traditions, its values and its culture and the people who

built it. And respect the legacy of that work. You can’t come to Durham thinking of how it has to

change or be different to suit your needs, but with an eye and curiosity for what exists here

already. And you have to ask yourself, ‘how can I be a benefit to what already exists and the

people who are already here’. 

Katie: There’s this saying, and I don’t know if it fits, that charity begins at home.

What is already here is what needs to be supported. You can’t come to a new place and discard

everything that was there before and try to build fresh. But rather support what was already

there before turning to create new things. This place was built on a community of people

previously, and that’s where you should put your time and resources.

Lara: Gentrifiers have a moral responsibility to fully understand the systems they’re part of that

are displacing and further harming communities of color. They can’t exist in their new

neighborhood passively. This requires lots of homework, humility, and action. As A’lice said,

learn the history and culture of your new neighborhood. How is your presence changing that

culture? How is it destabilizing? How can you ensure you’re not making the neighborhood less

safe by being there? Meet your neighbors, hear and honor their stories, and center their needs.

And get involved in local politics accordingly.

How do we engage young adults in the voting process?

Eyerys (Vee): We should provide better information for young people about the politicians who align with

their beliefs. We should also assist people with disabilities better with voting and make it a

smoother process, especially for those who are physically impaired as well as neurodivergent

folks. It would also be nice if we could continue to lower the voting age.

Jaylen: A good way to engage young adults in the voting process, which was evident

in this past election, is this idea of receiving knowledge. Sharing true, open, and genuine

knowledge about candidates resonates with young people. Rather than forming an opinion based

on the popular point of view, we need to encourage young voters to research what candidates represent.

This made a difference in this past election and I feel this is a good way to engage young people. It also shows

them the importance of process, and the importance of their vote.

Nori: Candidates ought to do a better job instilling trust in young people. Politicians need to stay true to their word,

and to follow through on goals. That builds trust, and is vital to connecting with young people.