“Like someone’s got you”: External supports for youth activists and intersectional justice

ABSTRACT

The necessity of providing specific forms of support to youth activists engaged in the pursuit of racial and intersectional justice is evident, especially given current unsupportive political contexts of anti-protest and anti-Critical Race Theory legislation. Hence, this qualitative research study assigns importance to the firsthand experiences of youth activists, aged 14–18, to identify external supports (outside of themselves, such as in their school and community). Firstly, the study reveals that youth identify a key external support as the actions taken by adults to bolster their activism. These actions include serving as role models for activism, collaborating with young activists in a nonhierarchical manner, establishing connections with individuals and resources, and striving to ensure their safety. Secondly, youth activists detail the supportive role of belonging, directly or distantly, in coalitions and clubs largely outside of the school day. Understanding the experiences of highly engaged yet vulnerable youth who advocate for presently “risky” subjects forms a crucial aspect of promoting their quest for justice and an elusive asset of safety. The findings uphold a more comprehensive understanding of the frequently cited justice-oriented approach and equitable “asset-enhancing” communities.

KEYWORDS:

• Activism
• intersectional justice
• racial justice
• youth assets
• youth civic engagement
• youth-adult partnerships

Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to the youth participants and their adult leaders for their valuable time and substantial support extended towards the completion of this project. Furthermore, the authors extend their appreciation to Drs. Ryan Oto, Dana Mitra, and Joseph Lampton for their invaluable contributions to the refinement of our writing and ideas. Financial assistance provided by Indiana University’s Vice President for Research and the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Affairs through the Racial Justice Funds played a crucial role in enabling the realization of this undertaking.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).