YSWNPY-Zine 20, final - Flipbook - Page 8
C ivic engagement, as defined by Youth.gov, involves “working to make a
difference in the civic life of one’s community and developing the combination
of knowledge, skills, values and motivation to make that difference. It means
promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and
non-political processes.”
The presidential election, COVID-19 pandemic, and social unrest have served
as another grim reminder of how the government and forces that be treat
Black and Brown people and the issues we raise in our communities. Civic
engagement is a pressing concern for marginalized communities and a topic
whose past, present, and future is worth exploring.
I wanted to analyze the state of Black civic engagement and ask
community leaders how civic engagement is working for us, and their
thoughts about where it could go beyond this election.
(BLACK)
Civic Engagement by Terrence Sage
Terrence Sage (he/him) is a Black Bi Pop Culture Writer, Comic writer, reader, and critic. He can
be found on Twitter (@NewTsage), Instagram (@terrence_sage)
Rodney Blackwell, Creative Entrepreneur:
I feel it’s important to preface any answer with the fact that we are
collectively
living through hella trauma right now.
Photos by: Clay Banks on Unsplash
Like daily and hourly with what’s happening to our people in the
cities, counties, and states across this nation. Not every Black person
is going to be in a space (mentally, physically, socioeconomically,
etc.) where they can engage in all the ways. From Wikipedia: “Civic
engagement or civic participation is any individual or group activity
addressing issues of public concern. Citizens acting alone or together
to protect public values or make a change or difference in the
community are common types of civic engagement.”
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YOUR SILENCE WILL NOT PROTECT YOU 8
How do you feel about black civic engagement in 2020?
