It's an unusual class and I'm glad to be in it -- been bragging about it a lot -- since my colleagues and friends are largely part of the same youth-y community. But old. Here's a link to the instructor's web site (National Slam Poet Champion!). Not only GREAT poetry/art, GREAT information for understanding hiphop (sheesh, it's so much bigger than I though!) and resources. Go there NOW and see his piece on Consent.
Class assignment: Attend a hip hop related event. Write a brief paper. Did that, turned it in. But wanted to take a minute and share some thoughts with my adolescent health friends.
Are we listening?
That whole "youth voice" thing that we hold up as a public health priority? Here ya go. We spend a lot of time and money trying to understand what young people think about their health through focus groups and surveys when in fact young people ARE ALREADY talking about it. Granted, their ideas don't fit in our neatly arranged boxes and surely we will be confounded by the fact that our priorities and HP2020 goals are not at the top of their list. That said, perhaps our community would be surprised. At this single event I heard young people talk about their experiences with
Are we listening?
That whole "youth voice" thing that we hold up as a public health priority? Here ya go. We spend a lot of time and money trying to understand what young people think about their health through focus groups and surveys when in fact young people ARE ALREADY talking about it. Granted, their ideas don't fit in our neatly arranged boxes and surely we will be confounded by the fact that our priorities and HP2020 goals are not at the top of their list. That said, perhaps our community would be surprised. At this single event I heard young people talk about their experiences with
- Eating disorders
- Healthy relationships
- Violence
- Racism: individual, internalized and systemic
- Gender identity and sexual orientation
- Teen pregnancy
- School/education
- Listen, value, fund, endorse, amplify, etc existing places/opportunities where youth voices
- Recognize that our own dictates/methods/expectations get in the way of hearing and including youth perspective. In short, let's fix us. (yeah, yeah, sample size, representation, bias, validated measures.)
Young people sharing their experiences and emotions through spoken word is artistic, brave, beautiful, inspiring, musical, moving, thoughtful, intellectual, purposeful, evocative ... list continues. I was impressed by their mythological and literary references, ability to verbally paint pictures, engage all the senses, link to current events, perform!, see themselves as individuals while part of community, self reflect ... list continues. I was stunned and awed, by their ability and willingness to share their pain. I'm not sure I could be that vulnerable in front of a crowd, frankly. And yeah, the pain was sometimes expressed as sadness or anger or sarcasm.
As the "youth-serving community" (bad label/all I've got) what do we do with that? Do we have a box for pain on the YRBS? Is it a risk or protective factor? Do we write it off as "developmentally appropriate?" Or as the natural outgrowth of the medium? I can analyze it all day long, but hearing it reinforced my belief that WE (public health, old people, society, voters, Minnesota, whatever) are failing them. That they succeed in spite of us. That another "obesity prevention" program or teen pregnancy prevention funding stream = FAIL.
Can we listen?
I'm not sure that some of my family, friends or colleagues would have heard what I heard that night. Me, ten years ago probably wouldn't/couldn't have heard some of it either. I don't say this to judge or get a cookie. While I might hope and believe that old, white, middle class, college educated people (not ALL, to be clear) would be inspired and moved by hearing these young people, it's just as likely that they'd be freaked out and put off. On some level, that's ok -- right? Part of the process, to walk away thinking, what was that all about??? But for folks in that place, what happens next? Do they grow from it or does it reinforce what they walked in with? I'd like to think that the young people's authenticity and vulnerability would break through personal bias, but... (as I re-read, I realize how much I'm inserting my agenda onto these young people's art. Murp.)
Homework:
I went to this because it was homework. I had concerns about fitting in: unfounded. Learned alot (ask me about audience participation AND support, sacrificial poet, technology+poetry, literary references). Was inspired and motivated. How about you?
- Go hear for yourself. Bring an MCHer. Talk about it.
- Fund this! Can't we find a way to include this kind of programming in our public health funding? PYD for sure (watch the video!!) and I'm sure some enterprising and creative adolescent health folks could align it with any/all health topics?
- Fund these poets! Here's a link to the org that sponsored the event I attended. #7upforSocialChange -- I dare you to donate. Do it, send me a receipt and I'll match you (up to $100, that is).
As always: push back. You know I like it.
g/
BTW: "Heartbreak and Hope" is a Gisela Konopka reference. I couldn't stop thinking about how much she would have loved this event and felt hope at knowing an organization like TruArtSpeaks was around. That if she were alive today, she'd be collaborating with them to better understand the role government, systems, schools, social workers, etc ought to play.
