We don’t need saviors. We don’t need outsiders to come in and do the work for us. If you want to work with us, then put us in charge. Pay us for our time, intellect, and energy. Honor our agency. Get to know the community and its history. If you’re serving youth, talk to the adults, too. Don’t rely on youth to give you all the necessary information. If you’re a funder, critically analyze who you’re funding, if the leadership is from the community, if they are using community-centered practices, if they are being nuanced and thorough in their understanding of the problems they seek to address. These practices are absolutely necessary for sustainable, empowering work. If you are in the media, center people from the community.
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