Youth Forum Gives Teens Opportunity to ‘Speak Out’ on Issues

“St. Louis is lame. Everything is either too far or costs too much.”

That was one of several complaints voiced at the beginning of Tuesday night’s Youth Speak-Out Forum at the Heman Park Community Center in University City. Organizers Jami Cox and Asia Garrison of the Youth Initiative Planning Committee hosted the event to help establish dialogue between the region’s youth and adults.

“Youth are an important community investment,” said Cox. “How we are nurtured, and listened to with respect and caring attitudes is a major concern among youth.”

Garrison said the group's aim is to “remove boundaries” and “lose labels” caused by geographic boundaries. She said and forums such as Tuesday night’s gathering would help address concerns that youth in the St. Louis region have.

About 50 people showed up for the event - a mixture of roundtable discussions and an open microphone for comments. In the first exrecise, attendees answered questions about topics ranging from public transportation to whether youth felt like their issues were being addressed by local politicians.

Roundtable discussions allowed teens to speak face-to-face with adults the in community. Several members of Mayor Shelley Welsch’s Seniors and Youth Task Force were in attendance, including Co-Chair Abby Carter, Clay Ware and Victor Pinchon. Lynda Euell-Taylor, Recreation Superintendent was also present.

After the roundtable discussions, youth and adults presented what was discussed, and expressed their opinions.

“Teens need to show more positive behavior in their community,” said a boy. “If we don’t act ignorantly everywhere we go, we would be treated more equally.” He also said the lack of jobs was affecting youth behavior.

“We should celebrate the youth more,” said one girl. “We have no where to go. When we have no where to go, we resort to more ignorant behavior,” adding that that when youth don’t feel welcome someplace, and receive negative behavior, they act negatively in kind.

Responding to youth complaints about the lack of things to do in their community, one woman suggested looking at the what can be done in neighborhoods, such as helping senior citizens with taking out the trash.

“Have you considered working inside your communities, knowing who are your neighbors, and trying to contribute to helping those neighbors. Extend yourself to senior citizens in the neighborhood. Those are things you can build yourself up with,” she said.

“Somewhere down the line, the respect line got chopped,” said one man. “The youth don’t respect their elders anymore. Some do, some don’t.”

“It’s not always about what you want, it’s about what you decide to do,” a woman said. “Everything you do in your life is a choice.”