Youth Grantmakers Tackle Diversity
Diversity Symposium 2002 

I'm Still Here
By: Langston Hughes

I've been scarred and battered
My hopes the wind done scattered

Snow has friz me
Sun has baked me

Looks like between 'em
They done tried to make me

Stop laughin'
Stop lovin'
Stop livin'

But I don't care
I'm still here

The performance, "You Don't Know Me Until You Know Me" by Dr. Michael "Mykee" Fowlin, centered around this poem by Langston Hughes and made a huge impact on everyone who attended the 2002 Summer Youth Leadership Conference.  (Mykee's performance deals with issues of race, discrimination, violence prevention, personal identity, suicide, gender equity, homophobia and the emotional pain felt by special education children.)  Each person could relate to at least one of the nine characters he portrayed, and they knew of people like most of the rest.  His performance touched each participant in a personal way by relating to places they are commonly at: in school, with parents, hanging out with friends, playing sports, driving down the road, listening to a speech.  He related to each situation and really got participants thinking about these issues of diversity. 

After the performance, participants broke into six simulation groups to think through what they had learned and how to apply those lessons in future grantmaking processes.  When they came back together as a large group, they presented six recommendations for youth grantmaking committees to put into action. 

Those recommendations are:

1.  Diversify your YAC.  When recruiting new members, strive to represent all areas of the youth population in the community.  Include youth of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, as well as those who may be physically or mentally challenged.  Seek out ways to involve youth who may not have as many opportunities or who may not have heard about the YAC.   

2.  Include issues of diversity within the needs assessment.  Find out what youth are thinking about: discrimination, gay and lesbian issues, special education needs and so on.  This will help YAC members to think through the challenges of diversity in a much more in-depth way. 

3.  Make diversity a guideline for grantmaking.  By making each applicant discuss how they are incorporating diversity into their project, the YAC can help the nonprofits serving you to better understand how youth value inclusiveness in their communities. 

4.  Award challenge grants to projects that promote diversity.  Awarding challenge grants to organizations such as: the National Conference for Communities and Justice (Michigan Chapter), Lesbian and Gay Community Centers, and the Jewish Federation has the possibility of impacting a larger number of people than through a regular granting process alone.  Partnering with organizations in your community who have the resources to match what you're offering creates a joint project - thereby giving the opportunity for a larger effect.  Once the challenge had been issued, look for organizations that unite different ages, ethic and racial backgrounds, income/education levels and so on, instead of programs that divide people based on those things.      

5.  Educate youth about diversity.  Consider funding student forums at elementary, middle and high schools.  These forums could cover a plethora of issues - each focusing on a different aspect of diversity, such as: gender, race, discrimination, violence prevention, personal identity, suicide, and homophobia. 

6.  Fund diversity programs (like Mykee's) in schools.  The youth grantmakers who participated in this conference were intent on making sure that other youth would have access to the same types of programs.  Many left the conference talking about ways to bring Mykee to their school or community.  For more information about Mykee or his performances, go to: www.michaelfowlin.com

Overall, the YAC members and advisors in attendance at this conference learned a great deal, both about themselves and about each other.  Many individuals opened up and shared things with friends after hearing Mykee speak, and they could do so without feeling ashamed of who they really are.  After all - each person there was able to leave saying: "I don't care.  I'm still here."