Quincy Powe Leads Voices of Youth Council
Often in their quest to “do good” nonprofit organizations forget to represent and incorporate the wishes of those they are trying to help. This cannot be said about YouthLink. With our new youth advisory council, Voices of Youth, we are committed to empowering the youth we serve and elevating their voices to create change in our community. One of these voices is Quincy Powe, a Minneapolis native and former YouthLink client who experienced homelessness and now chairs Voices of Youth.
As an organization that serves 90% youth of color, the tragic death of George Floyd and subsequent civil unrest heightened the urgency in YouthLink’s fight for racial justice and systemic change. “I called [YouthLink Executive Director] Dr. Heather after George Floyd and asked how YouthLink was responding to this considering almost all of their clients are black and brown bodies,” said Powe, winner of the Youth Leader of the Year Award from the YMCA in 2009. “This led to an honest conversation on what needed to happen. YouthLink is doing what other organizations are not – being intentional, honest and ensuring everyone is engaged and part of the work.”
The charge of this new group is to provide critical information to YouthLink’s administration representing the lived experience of BIPOC youth to influence strategic planning and programming as well as incite policy change. Although YouthLink serves young people ages 16-24, Voices of Youth is open to those up to age 28 to include more historical perspectives. “You won’t have to guess because youth will be right there to tell you,” says Powe. “It’s another way to build bridges.” According to him, shelter is the biggest obstacle for those YouthLink serves but followed right behind that is education. “Youth really want to take classes and build knowledge but they often lack basic resources like transportation to even get there,” he says.
One of Powe’s most memorable conversations so far was with Minneapolis Police Chief and YouthLink Board Member Medaria Arradondo. “You hear Abolish the Police a lot, but it doesn’t mean that they are against individuals, but when you listen to those exclaiming this – it’s about the system that is broken, not individuals. It was refreshing to have a conversation with him – he spoke with integrity, calmly listened and didn’t feel attacked.” Voices of Youth will also provide leadership opportunities for young people to cultivate skills such as resourcefulness, resilience and grit – skills that Powe has shown he possesses in his work with the council. “I want to unite our community,” he says.
Want to help YouthLink cultivate the next generation of leaders in our community? As a nonprofit organization we rely on financial contributions from individuals like you. Please consider donating today!
