From Ferguson To New Haven

The difference between a month of protests and the spark for lasting change lies in the organizing and infrastructure behind the protests.

So said veteran St. Louis-based activist Jamala Rogers, as she joined a radio discussion with a new generation of social-justice organizers about links between protests past and present.

The intergenerational discussion took place on an episode of WNHH FM’s ​“Kica’s Corner,” hosted by Kica Matos. Other guests included New Haven Citywide Youth Coalition Executive Director Addys M. Castillo and youth activist Ramzia Issa.

“What’s going to make the difference between a moment and a movement is the organization on the ground. If there is no infrastructure to take it and make it a movement, it is probably going to die on the vine,” Rogers said.

Rogers has been working towards racial justice since she was a student in the 1960s. She mentored younger activists during the protests in Ferguson after the killing of teenager Michael Brown by a police officer.

Matos invited Castillo to talk about the infrastructure she has built in New Haven that helped make recent Black Lives matter protests possible. She said that many of the young leaders of the protests are identifying themselves as part of Citywide Youth Coalition.

“Citywide Youth Coalition was ready to respond immediately. I know that organizing is a labor of love and that it takes a long time to be ready,” Matos said.

Castillo has been the CWYC executive director for five years. She came into an organization that was a coalition of youth services organizations.

“The problem with the way I was doing work was that I thought I was fixing people instead of fixing the system,” Castillo said. ​“It is not enough to teach young people how to fish if we are sending them to ponds that don’t have any fish in them.”

She realized that the adults at the youth services organizations could not make much noise out of fear of losing funding for crucial programs.

“If we can’t organize adults, who has more to gain and less to lose? Young people,” Castillo said.

Castillo said that this work began with a 2016 workshop on undoing racism that taught young people about the origins of racism. She said that organizing has been about continuing to build that knowledge.

Because they were already thinking in terms of systemic racism, CWYC young people immediately came up with the idea that ending police brutality and mass incarceration starts with getting police officers out of schools.

“It just makes sense. Our young people understand that many people look at the police department like a hammer. When you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail,” Castillo said.

Both Castillo and Issa said that they see the youth-led protests lasting and turning into long-term change.

“People are well-rested after three months of quarantine. They’re tapping out and saying, ​‘I’m going in now. You’re going in later,’” Castillo said.

Issa said that she sees quality education as key to the movement continuing. This is part of what helped her become an activist even before she could vote. It motivates her now as a site coordinator for the youth leadership and recreation group LEAP.

“Children today are our future lawyers, future doctors, future police officers. For their future to be bright, we need to make sure they are being educated properly,” Issa said. ​“We’re not going to let this conversation die out.”

Watch the full conversation below on WNHH FM’s ​“Kica’s Corner.”