Over this past semester, a team of City Heights-based youth worked to elevate the voices of the City Heights community through the creation of blog posts and photo essays through AjA’s Speak City Heights Youth Media (SCHYM) program. SCHYM is supported by the Speak City Heights media collaborative, aimed at amplifying the voices of residents in City Heights through reporting and multimedia projects. Over the month of September 2019, we will be releasing student blogs created through the program, so stay tuned for #storytellingseptember.
The World is in Our Voices: The Power of Youth Storytelling
Youth voice has always been vital to social and political
Appearing a Chair and a Table Out of Thin Air
Salma Abdullahi's story is centered around safe spaces. In her piece titled "Communities Shape Lives," she recounts her process around advocating for a Muslim Student Association at her high school, and ultimately, creating a place where she and other similarly identifying students could be themselves.
Communities Shape Lives
Yareri Galindo's piece dives into her personal journey and discusses the formative experiences that make community leaders, like herself, who they are today.
Embracing What’s Natural
Halima Musa explores the natural hair movement by providing beautiful insight from her own journey in embracing her natural ‘do and the exquisite culture it represents.
Mental Health: Opening Dialogue in the African Community
Community organizer, Famo Musa, discusses intergenerational trauma in the Somali Bantu community and shares insight from three Somali Bantu women from City Heights.
