AART’s youth organizing: ‘Black young people are paying attention’

By Thomas Leonard

As the Youth Organizer with the African American Roundtable (AART), I recently helped facilitate a Youth Organizing Visioning Session as part of our latest work to build a strong base of Black youth members who can shape and lead future campaigns. It's evident, I don't need more proof that Black young people are paying attention. What I need—what we all need—is the courage to stop underestimating them.

When Black young people are given space to speak, they don't offer vague hopes or surface level complaints. They name what's happening and what's missing in the world around them. They connect the dots between policy and daily life. And they are clear about what kind of organizing they want to be part of going forward.

What came up again and again was this: SAFETY, DIGNITY, AND POWER are not abstract concepts to young people. They are questions of whether family members and classmates are targeted by immigration enforcement. Whether schools are places of learning or control. Whether neighborhoods have access to food, resources, and care. Whether violence is addressed at the root, not just reacted to after harm occurs.

In our city, these are not "youth issues." These are community issues. Young Black people in Milwaukee are simply the ones experiencing them earliest and most intensely.

The solutions were just as clear as the issues. Young people spoke about organizing that is youth-led, not adult managed. About direct action that grows from their own leadership. About learning from each other, not waiting for permission to be political. About using culture and social media as tools to build narrative, connection, and power, not just visibility.

What they were really saying is this: PARTICIPATION IS NOT ENOUGH. Being invited into spaces where decisions are already made is not leadership. Being asked to help without ownership is not power. Black youth are asking, rightfully, for sustained support, real entry points into organizing, and the ability to shape campaigns from the ground up.

This is the work in front of us. And since I came into this role in April 2024, I've been saying we need to go beyond "youth-led." We need to be YOUTH-DRIVEN. There's a difference. Youth-led can still mean adults are steering the car while young people sit in the passenger seat giving directions. Youth-driven means young people are actually in the driver's seat of change. They're making the decisions. They're setting the strategy. They're building the power base. And adults? We're there to support, resource, and follow their lead.

For too long, youth engagement has been treated as symbolic or something to highlight in a grant report or post on social media. But Black youth are not an accessory to movement work. THEY ARE THE FUTURE OF IT. And the future requires investment, trust, and a willingness from adults to loosen their grip.

Here's what that actually looks like: letting young people set the agenda. Funding youth driven campaigns without strings attached. Creating pathways into organizing that don't require a college degree or a resume full of credentials. Trusting that when young people say they're ready, they mean it.

What gives me hope is that even in the face of violence, displacement, and systemic neglect, Black youth are not withdrawing. They are organizing. They are imagining. They are energized, joyful, and ready. I've seen it in the room. I've heard it in their voices. And I know what happens when that energy is met with real support.

The question isn't whether Black youth are prepared to lead. They already are.

The real question is whether institutions, funders, and organizers are prepared to LET THEM. And whether we're ready to build something that doesn't just include young people but is shaped by them.

So here's the call to action:

If you're a young person or know of a young person in Milwaukee ready to organize alongside others who believe in your power, we invite you and them to join us. Sign up for Youth Membership at the African American Roundtable at bit.ly/AARTYouthMember. Learn more about what we are building together here.  This isn't about waiting for the right moment or proving you're "ready enough." Your voice matters now. Your leadership is needed now.

To the adults, more seasoned organizers, or allies reading this: Supporting young organizers is about making space, sharing resources, and sometimes stepping back so they can build their own tables. 2026 is the year to show up differently. Fund differently. Listen differently. If you're ready to support this work in a meaningful way, we'd love to have you.

Learn more about our membership at AART by clicking here.

Our growing movement needs more people and is already happening. The only question left is whether you're going to be part of it.

Thomas Leonard serves as AART’s Youth Organizer.