Harper Joyner is 6 1/2 years old. Her mom, Tameka Thompson, is co-chair of Bloomington-Normal ACT-SO, an NAACP youth enrichment program for high school students. Both joined a virtual Bloomington-Normal NAACP meeting Thursday night where Harper wanted to know: “What can little kids do to be a part of what’s going on?”
Starting in 2021, kids like Harper will have a new way to get involved in the fight for equality, when the Bloomington-Normal NAACP launches a youth council.
All children age 18 and younger will be able to join, said First Vice President Dr. Carla Campbell-Jackson.
“If there is a protest, Harper, how powerful would that be to have you...out there on the frontlines as opposed to us, for the media to see you young folks out there saying, ‘Something’s not right about that, and we’re starting at an early age to make a change,’” she said.
NAACP President Linda Foster said it will be youth, not adults, who will be running youth council meetings.
“So you’re going to get experience in what it means to be engaged and to be part of the community, as well as building your leadership skills,” Foster said.
Second Vice President Willie Holton-Halbert said there are plenty of other ways children can get involved-- like helping their parents make posters, holding mock elections, and sharing how they feel with others.
Area youth have not been just participants, but leaders in calls for racial justice in 2020. Normal West High School Black Student Union President Jasmyn Jordan described how she reacted when she heard some students were making and sharing racist videos online.
“I met with my board and I decided we need to stand up against in-school bias and in-school racism,” she said. Jordan and the BSU partnered with the Bloomington-Normal NAACP to hold a rally and march in June.
A month later, Jordan and other youth held a candlelight vigil to honor those whose lives were lost to police brutality.
Several other area children and teens joined Thursday's meeting to ask questions and share their perspective on the events of 2020.
Leilani Franklin, age 6, wanted to know: “How do we stay safe?”
Foster said COVID-19 isn’t the only thing threatening people’s safety right now.
Thinking about social justice, Foster said, “Some people can be bullies...and so if you see things like that going on, where someone has been treated unfairly, or they’ve been harmed by another person, make sure you share that information with an adult.”
Kamille Harvey, 15, asked for advice on how to talk with others about politics, especially about the recent election.
“I think conversations regarding the political climate, it involves a lot of rhetoric,” replied Campbell-Jackson. “So, we as a group have to be intelligent enough to be able to dissect what’s real and what’s fake news.”
Campbell-Jackson said learning how to handle those tough conversations is one reason she’s excited about the new youth council.
“At our state and national conventions, they have forums for young people, so that you will know how to talk about politics,” she said. “How do you talk about racism? Poverty? What can you do?”
Normal Community High School senior Aniya Thompson described feeling unsure how to approach two fellow chorus members who changed their profile pictures to include the slogan, “Blue Lives Matter” on social media.
Thompson said she responded by including “Black Lives Matter” in her profile picture and asking her classmates to do the same, but she wanted to know: “What is the best way to communicate with them?”
Campbell-Jackson said sometimes people have completely different perspectives, and that’s okay. “But if it’s something that’s immoral or illegal, that’s where you have that right to speak up,” she said. “We have to be willing to address it head on, and it doesn’t always feel warm and fuzzy.”
