The symposium, hosted by Nos Quedamos, focused on the environmental challenges that many low-income and Black and brown communities face, such as pollution, lack of affordable housing and gentrification, and ways that young people can be part of the solution.
Young attendees listen as the Nos Quedamos symposium kicks off on the Bronx campus of the Metropolitan College in late July. (Photo by Dylan Hernandez for City Limits)
This story was produced by student reporters in City Limits’ youth journalism training program (CLARIFY): Vanessa Garcia, Alexis Frye, Daren McEachin, Dylan Hernandez, Ryan Grullon, Hajara Issa, Lyne Aici, Mia Pinto, Hellen Morales, Carla Rojas Gonzalez, Carlos Medina, Sirahi Drame, Caleb Chambers, Derrinique Mack, Elijah Shepard Brown, and Quinta Zhu. With instruction and editing by Michael Clancy and Isabella Mason.
The Bronx campus of the Metropolitan College of New York buzzed with purpose, planning and laughter on a recent July afternoon as about 50 teenagers and community leaders gathered to explore organizing strategies, the power of art in activism and how young people can maintain hope amid a world in crisis.
“There are those who are voiceless, not by choice, but by oppression,” said Dr. Mark Gonzalez, deputy director of Nos Quedamos, who opened the Second Annual Youth-Led Symposium on Environmental & Housing Justice on July 24 by encouraging young people to make their voices heard.
Through a mix of youth-led presentations, workshops, and musical celebration, the South Bronx-based community development corporation, founded in 1993 in resistance to displacement and gentrification, looked to demonstrate how youth voices aren’t just part of the conversation—they are the conversation.
“I am Bronx-bred, abuela-fed, and God-led,” said Dr. Mark
Gonzalez of Nos Quedamos, kicking off the event.
(Photo by Daren McEachin for City Limits)
In a world of growing digital discourse, Nancy Ortiz Surún, the founder of La Finca del Sur, a community garden on 138th Street, stressed the importance of having physical spaces where people can gather to focus, regroup and plan.
“Episodes force us to come together,” said Surún. “Our hubs welcome us together.”
One workshop explored how activists can harness the power of GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, to create “story maps,” a platform that can function as a slideshow, document or interactive map, providing flexibility for telling stories.
But no matter what tools activists use, they should always remember to center people in their storytelling, said Elia Machado, an associate professor of geography and geospatial sciences.
“Stories and emotions are more memorable than numbers,” said Machado, of Lehman College in the Bronx.
Students listen as Nancy Ortiz Surún shares the lessons learned when founding La Finca del Sur, a community garden on 138th Street. (Photo by Dylan Hernandez for City Limits)
Members of the Nos Quedamos youth team emphasized community engagement with “art as a tool for justice” workshops, exploring how to tap into their creativity to deliver a message. The symposium also focused on the environmental challenges that many low-income and Black and brown communities face, such as pollution, lack of affordable housing and gentrification, and ways that young people can be part of the solution.
“I think it’s all about finding resources,” said Sonali Govind, of the Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development, which advocates for housing and racial justice across the city. “And asking yourself ‘What can I do to help?’”
To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org
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