On December 1-2, members of Shorewood’s Youth Rising Up (YRU) club traveled to New York City to participate in the United Justice Coalition (UJC), an annual summit to raise awareness regarding social justice. Four juniors were selected — Jevaeh Tillman, Kaymin Phillips, Tristin Papara and Enzo Litz — for the opportunity to learn from racial justice leaders, experts, and advocates with other students from all across the country.
To be selected for the trip, applicants had to answer the questions: “Why do you think you would be a good choice as someone to attend the UJC Summit?” and “How will this opportunity impact your journey towards social justice?” Those selected met requirements of having no unexcused absences or tardies, good academic standing in classes, as well as no major behavior referrals.
Nelson Brown, one of YRU’s advisers, believes that the United Justice Coalition helped inspire members to pursue social justice later in life.
“We wanted students to walk away from this experience feeling like they had more tools to add to their toolboxes as they navigate their social justice journeys,” Brown said. “It was an awesome opportunity to have an educational experience that aligns with their personal interests.”
On Friday, December 1, students viewed an art gallery from imprisoned youth and adults, as well as spent alloted time to meet with various national and local social justice organizations, and played a test game on civic engagement with other high school students.
“It greatly benefitted me because I learned so much from other people that I could take back to my own community and talk about with my school,” Phillips said.
Among the UJC’s stated goals are promoting awareness of social and criminal justice issues. Through collaboration with experts across various fields, they aim to address systemic problems and unite communities by sharing resources, information, and ideas.
“I absolutely believe that this trip benefited me personally because I am now qualified to say that I had the privilege of learning about the Black experience in New York from the stories of the UJC Summit panelists,” Tillman said.
Later on in the day, they listened to different conferences of panelists that discussed issues surrounding the social justice system, police brutality, mental health issues, and the deeper political state of social justice.
“For a total of almost five hours, we all listened to a variety of stories and numerous powerful speakers: we laughed, cried, and reflected on every story the panelists told,” Brown said.
Similarly, the UJC New York trip allowed students to hear experiences and stories that may be relatable.
“Everyone has been through different experiences, but everything is still connected in some way,” Phillips said. “It was very engaging and enlightening.”
This trip allowed students to find different aspects of themselves that they could bring back to the community to help everyone grow as a collective.
“I feel like I learned more about myself, and listened to a lot of people that taught me to love who I am and feel empowered in my own skin,” Phillips said.
Saturday, December 2 was a free day for students to explore the city. To students, the Summit was beneficial, but downtown New York City also provided an entirely new world to the students.
“I loved being able to talk to different people from a whole different environment and being able to view the diversity in New York,” Tillman said. “Nobody looks or presents themselves the same there.”