Thursday, July 27, 2023

BY ROSSHAWNDA AARON & LEE CHILCOTE

This summer, people fanned out across the city of Cleveland to gather signatures for the People’s Budget Cleveland (PB CLE), an initiative that, if it passes, would directly allow residents to decide how to spend a portion of the city’s budget. The Spot Youth Empowerment Organization, a nonprofit organization based in Collinwood, was part of the campaign. The Spot trained five youth and seven adults from across the city to gather signatures at places like the Zelma George Recreation Center in Cleveland, and they were present earlier this month when more than 10,000 signatures for the participatory budget initiative were submitted to City Hall. 

This is just one example of the work The Spot does to empower young people. The youth who were signature gatherers participated in The Spot’s Youth Voter Empowerment Series, a series of classes that train youth ages 15-25 in the basics of democracy, including how government works, how to get involved and advocate for your community, and how to register to vote. The message is simple: If you want better grocery stores in your neighborhood, a better school system, better roads and affordable housing, or other changes, you have to get involved. And getting involved starts with voting. 

(Editor’s note: Rosshawnda Aaron, who participated in The Land’s community journalism program and co-wrote this article, is Terelawanda Aaron’s sister and chief operating officer of The Spot. She works at Cleveland State University.)

Grassroots community engagement

Larry Patterson, 24, who lives in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood, said he first learned about the Spot’s youth empowerment series from his block club. Then he attended a workshop at the E. 131 St. library branch before signing up for the classes. 

“I just wanted to be a part of it and thought it was a great opportunity,” said Patterson at the Spot’s recent annual luncheon at the Five Pointe Community Center on E. 152nd St. in Collinwood, where he volunteered. Patterson said he’s interested in politics and hopes to eventually run for city council. “Without our community, what do we have?” he said. 

Executive director and founder of The Spot Youth Empowerment Organization, Terelawanda Aaron said the goal is to help young people learn about politics, understand advocacy, and develop job and leadership skills. Aaron said the Spot has held five youth empowerment classes since 2022, with two more planned for this year. As many as 20 students have participated in each series. The classes run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the youth are provided with breakfast and lunch. All participants receive a $50 stipend.

“We’re working hard with our youth to try to get them into better positions,” said Aaron at their annual partnership luncheon. 

Building the next generation of voters

The Spot teaches youth that voter apathy and disengagement undermine voter turnout. In urban communities where needs are high, low voter turnout minimizes the say that residents have in advocating for their most pressing needs. 

Voting is the most basic vehicle for giving people a say in their community’s leadership and what issues are prioritized and addressed. The program teaches youth that voting is a civic duty, vital to a community’s democratic process and community engagement. The higher the voter turnout, oftentimes the stronger and more prosperous the community.

The voter empowerment series, which began in 2022, is a two-day workshop that covers the branches of government, how to advocate for issues in your community, voter registration, and how to research candidates. After completing the program, participants who are 18 and older also register to vote so they can participate in elections. 

Aaron believes that in addition to understanding the importance of voting, workshop participants must also be informed about election candidates and issues. “We need to understand the branches of government and how their roles affect our lives and community.,” she said. “We must understand how to research the candidates that are on the ballot and how their views align with ours and our community.” Speaking with youth over the years, she saw that they did not see the value in voting. Likewise, many youth do not know who their local elected officials are and how they make decisions that affect their lives. The Spot YEO has set out to change that narrative. 

The voter empowerment series illustrates for participants how voting is vital for sustaining and advocating for one’s community. Helping to elect strong leadership can in turn draw more funding and investment, achieving a better quality of life for residents. But in the 2022 election, only 47% of Cuyahoga County registered voters turned out to vote, and only 29% of Clevelanders voted, with turnouts even lower in many neighborhoods. The Spot YEO is empowering youth with this information so they can eventually become change agents in their community, said Aaron. The group works with many partner organizations in order to fulfill its mission, including Youth Opportunities Unlimited and the Ohio Secretary of State, to name a few. 

Beyond voting: supporting and uplifting young people

Having left home at the age of 17, Aaron said she knows how difficult it can be to navigate life without support and greater knowledge of how the world works. She started The Spot YEO by organizing job and career fairs in 2006 at the Kinsman Party Center. She wanted to bring jobs and educational information to the youth directly to their neighborhood, where they could take advantage of the opportunities. 

With the success of the job and career fair, she continued to expand the informational workshops to offer housing, advocacy, and agency resources for young people. She created and maintains Facebook and Instagram pages that provide resources for youth and their families. The Spot YEO also partners with other agencies like MyCom to link young people to summer job opportunities. 

“Being a young person who had my own struggles, and coming from a background of service which I learned from my mother, I knew there are many issues, especially poverty, that young adults face when making the transition from being teenagers to being young adults,” said Aaron. “Our main thing is to empower youth to education and greatness. Civics is just one part of it. It’s amazing to see the light bulbs come on in kids’ heads when they realize they can effect change.”

For more information or to get involved, visit The Spot’s website at www.thespotyeo.com, email thespotyeo@yahoo.com or call or text (216) 323-6049. 

Rosshawnda Aaron was a participant in The Land’s community journalism program.