Youth Town Hall to Center Youth Voices
RJ Miller is making sure that Des Moines youth are heard. His commitment has resulted in a series of youth town halls that center youth voices and address everything from violence, educational issues, and mental health.
Miller, an activist, is the executive director of the non-profit Greater Opportunities Inc. and is running for the Des Moines City Council. He says the youth town halls became necessary when he realized he was attending meetings about youth, but youth weren’t included in the meetings.
"As a younger person myself, I don't think it's adequate to say let's talk about things like teen violence and not have teens there. It just doesn't make sense,” said Miller.
The September 28th Youth Town Hall will be moderated by high school senior and youth advocate, January Hudson. This town hall be the third in a series that began last February.
Hudson says she is looking forward to hearing from her peers.
"I'm looking forward to taking the mic as a youth moderator and really feeling the energy of my peers. I look forward to hearing their voices. This youth town hall should be bigger than our last and have more youth.”
Hudson believes that mental health is one of the most important topics that must be prioritized. She thinks the pandemic impacted young people's mental health and wants community leaders and elected officials to hear what she and her peers need.
"Covid-19 shaped a lot of our youth, causing us to be isolated. We even lost some of our childhood friends in the process. Lots of peers who were extroverts soon became introverts because we had to make new connections with people in our newly changed world. Some kids with thoughts of suicide often don't open up because they don't want people to think it's for show or to think that they are crazy, so they bottle up their emotions. Hopefully, this town hall will give those who are struggling a chance to speak without being judged," explained Hudson.
The Youth Town Hall will take place Thursday, September 28th at the Northside Community Center from 6:30 pm to 9 pm. The Northside Community Center is located at 3010 Sixth Avenue in Des Moines.
I’m honored to be a member of the Iowa Writers Collaborative. Please explore and subscribe to other writers in the group.
Laura Belin: Iowa Politics with Laura Belin, Windsor Heights
Doug Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll
Dave Busiek: Dave Busiek on Media, Des Moines
Steph Copley: It Was Never a Dress, Johnston
Art Cullen: Art Cullen’s Notebook, Storm Lake
Suzanna de Baca: Dispatches from the Heartland, Huxley
Debra Engle: A Whole New World, Madison County
Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji
Joe Geha: Fern and Joe, Ames
Jody Gifford: Benign Inspiration, West Des Moines
Nik Heftman: The Seven Times, Los Angeles and Iowa
Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilia
Dana James: New Black Iowa, Des Moines
Pat Kinney: View from Cedar Valley, Waterloo
Fern Kupfer: Fern and Joe, Ames
Robert Leonard: Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture, Bussey
Letters from Iowans, Iowa
Tar Macias: Hola Iowa, Iowa
Alison McGaughey, The Inquisitive Quad Citizen, Quad Cities
Kurt Meyer: Showing Up, St. Ansgar
Wini Moranville, Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines
Jeff Morrison: Between Two Rivers, Cedar Rapids
Kyle Munson, Kyle Munson’s Main Street, Des Moines
Jane Nguyen, The Asian Iowan, West Des Moines
John Naughton: My Life, in Color, Des Moines
Chuck Offenburger: Iowa Boy Chuck Offenburger, Jefferson and Des Moines
Barry Piatt: Piatt on Politics Behind the Curtain, Washington, D.C.
Dave Price: Dave Price’s Perspective, Des Moines
Macey Spensley: The Midwest Creative, Iowa
Larry Stone: Listening to the Land, Elkader
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Buggy Land, Kalona
Mary Swander: Mary Swander’s Emerging Voices, Kalona
Cheryl Tevis: Unfinished Business, Boone County
Ed Tibbetts: Along the Mississippi, Davenport
Teresa Zilk: Talking Good, Des Moines
To receive a weekly roundup of all Iowa Writers’ Collaborative columnists, sign up here (free): ROUNDUP COLUMN
We are proud to have an alliance with Iowa Capital Dispatch.