Getting to Know the Amy Jacques Garvey Institute

What is your organization’s issue focus?

The focus of the Amy Jacques Garvey Institute is to educate working class youth to organize and mobilize around social/budget justice, environmental racism, and community healing. This is done through out-of-school time programing. Our focus is to facilitate youth led organizing and mobilizing on issues that are important to them including youth employment, housing, workforce development, neighborhood amenities and recreation options. Empathy, Justice, and Equality are our core values.

What is something your organization is currently prioritizing?

Our current project is educating youth voters about rank choice voting, tenants’ rights, youth recreation programs funding, and oversight of recreation centers. Our goal is to mobilize 15 youth to testify at city council on issues that are important to them. Getting comfortable at a young age to be a civically active person is a key part of our character development curriculum.

Do you have an “Advocacy Tip” or “Lesson Learned” to share?

My general words of wisdom are to talk to the people on ground most affected by the injustice and incorporate their voices in your advocacy.

Who inspires you?

Great historical community organizers such as Ella Baker and Fannie Lou Hamer inspire me. The knowledge that right now people are organizing and mobilizing for social justice in their communities, that inspires me.