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In March of this year, the advocate in me felt hopeless. I watched college students whisked away from their campuses in uncertainty, K-12 students thrust into virtual learning and educators at a standstill in the midst of all of the adjustments. I watched small businesses in my area close their doors. And if that was not enough, we had a summer filled with nationwide civil unrest. As these problems converged and compounded, I felt as though I failed those that I represent: Black women, students of historically black colleges and universities, and youth.
But after reading the letters from young people published as part of the “Dear Adult Leaders: #ListenToYouth” series, I am hopeful and optimistic about our future. I have seen each youth writer take a challenge and turn it into an opportunity. I have seen each of them create avenues for improvement from the struggle we call 2020.