SF to LA - building youth leadership and linking to Ella Baker and the history of the civil rights movement

One of the most rewarding parts of teaching at San Francisco State University and serving on the school board in San Francisco Unified School District is working with and supporting the new generation of youth leadership in our communities.
I have just posted in the links section of this blog a number of youth groups from LA to SF and Boston to San Diego! - many of these groups are currently working to build stronger youth and community movements for social and economic justice - through their organizing and advocacy work.

Coalition for Educational Justice – Los Angeles
Californians for Justice
CAPAY – Coalition for APA Youth - Boston
Chinese Progressive Association - SF
AYPAL – Oakland
Youth Together – Oakland
LEJ – Literacy for Env Justice
Inner City Struggle – East LA
Adopt-An-Alleyway Project- SF
Y-MAC –Youth Making A Change -SF

One of my friends SF Freedom School teacher Kathy Emery reminded me recently of the great lines from Ella's Song by Sweet Honey in the Rock [Bernice Johnson Reagon and former SNCC freedom singers] which emphasizes Ms. Ella Baker's nurturing of youth leadership -

That which touches me most is that I had a chance to work with people

Passing on to others that which was passed on to me

To me young people come first, they have the courage where we fail

And if I can but shed some light as they carry us through the gale

The older I get the better I know that the secret of my going on

Is when the reins are in the hands of the young, who dare to run against the storm

YouThink has done a good lesson plan for using Ella's Song in the classroom
LESSON PLAN