Not surprising, given the deep social unrest, increased recognition of injustices, health disparities and many more inequities that our youth have been victims of. Despite the frustration felt by many, it is fantastic to see a 3.4 percent increase in youth voter turnout between the years 2016 and 2020, the highest increase of any age group. In New York City, we also saw the election of the youngest councilmember in history (Chi Ossé – Brooklyn), who is part of the most diverse class of councilmembers ever elected.
It is essential that Let’s continue to find ways to give young people more avenues to exercise their civic strength. One opportunity we rarely talk about is the chance for people as young as 16 years old to join their local community boards. These boards help make important decisions on behalf of communities, from how city dollars are spent in their communities to what gets and doesn’t get built in neighborhoods.
Personally, I don’t I discovered community boards until I was 20 years old and had already become politically engaged and started my career. From a very young age, I saw the need to get active, to help change conditions in my neighborhood and in other communities where I saw a need for change. I’m sorry I didn’t know that community boards were a means of civic engagement when I was a teenager, because maybe I would have joined one and started making my voice heard sooner.
Daniel-José Cyan, aged 22 , a Bushwick resident, student, and recent member of the Brooklyn Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council, agrees with the importance and power of youth engagement, saying, “Young people often have their voices silenced, their voices reduce their contributions and opinions. Youth are not just the future.”
As Brooklyn leaders, we know that the borough’s youth are critical to our borough’s success, especially as we chart a better way out of the desperation and the damage of the last two years. Young people are visionaries, their eyes are open to injustice and they demand change. We cannot succeed in realizing an equitable and opportunity-filled Brooklyn without the voices of our youth and their participation at this time.
Community boards in New York City are currently accepting applications and young people of 20 years old are eligible to apply for an appointment on their boards.
Serving on a board exposes participants to politics and develops and provides
an understanding of the levers of power in government and communities. There is flexibility in participation, making it a great opportunity for busy high school and college students, and best of all, we benefit from the enthusiasm they bring.
Recently, 16 Brooklyn youth joined the advisory board of the Brooklyn Community Foundation’s “Invest in Youth” grant program, helping the foundation award $2.5 million to youth-focused organizations. These young student activists helped guide advisory councils to identify and ensure that the programs their peers needed and wanted were the ones that received grant funding.
Although opportunities exist, so does skepticism and causes doubt. Too many young people don’t believe they can make a difference and make their opinions count. But nothing could be further from the truth. And to all those skeptical but interested, we say: take a step forward, you can make a difference, but only if you get involved.
So, if you are young, now is your chance. Today is your day. Involve. Make your voice heard. Make difference. And build the future you want to see.
Brooklyn Community Board applications are open through March 4, 2022. To apply, visit www.brooklyn-usa.org.
Antonio Reynoso is the Brooklyn Borough President and Dr. Jocelynne Rainey is the President and CEO of the Brooklyn Community Foundation2022