The Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute is organizing the Youth Call to Action Summit with support from Georgia Stand-Up. The Summit will be held at the Rosa Parks Library & Museum (252 Montgomery Street, Montgomery, Ala.), which is located near the bus stop where Mrs. Parks was arrested.
On Saturday, December 6, at 10 a.m., a new generation of civil rights advocates will convene in Montgomery to explore the legacy of youth activism in the Civil Rights Movement and “begin forming new coalitions rooted in the same cross-racial, interfaith partnerships that helped propel the movement 70 years ago,” the organization shared.
Participants can engage in hands-on workshops to learn practical organizing and community engagement skills, empowering them to carry forward the legacy of Mrs. Parks and become active changemakers within their own communities. Award-winning rapper, educator, and activist Dee-1 will perform.
The Summit will kick off a 381-day youth-led campaign, mirroring the length of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, to strengthen their communities through youth-driven action. Throughout the campaign, youth will take on individual and collective actions to advance justice in their communities and shine a light on the ongoing role of young people in shaping change, the organization’s release shared.
Civil rights activist Doris Crenshaw, a former student of Mrs. Parks, founded the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute. SYLDI’s approach is rooted in many of the same lessons she learned from her time with Mrs. Parks.
The Youth Call to Action Summit is one of several events planned by the Southern Youth Leadership Development Institute to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Rosa Parks’ arrest and the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Additional details can be found at syldi.org/mgmbusboycott.
