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Teens Talk Truth About Diversity Issues at Home and School.

As a teenager, we don’t need to explain diversity to you. After all, when 44 percent of people under age 18 are minorities*, diversity is more than a hot buzz word. It’s your life.

Of course, diversity isn’t just color. It’s gender, religion, age, physical and mental ability, styles of dress, communication styles. And why BGCA and The Allstate Foundation created Youth for Unity. Showing members how to peacefully confront unfairness, the program provides skills to succeed in your ever-changing world.

At the 2009 National Keystone Conference, teens made videos in Youth for Unity’s “Truth Booth.” They told us how they really feel – about prejudice, stereotyping, adult bias, diversity – topics they routinely encounter. Watch the videos below.
*U.S. Census Bureau

Submit your own video!

Talk the truth about bias, diversity, open prejudice or stereotyping in your life. Share a personal experience, speak out against injustice or just offer up your opinion. It’s all good. Using a webcam, phone or video camera, create a video 30- to 60-seconds long and upload below. If your video’s published on myclubmylife, you get a sweet Youth for Unity T-shirt!

Prejudice:
If people took a minute to consider the pain prejudice causes, maybe they’d think twice before speaking or acting ignorantly. Listen in as teens recall their personal encounters with prejudice due to race or body type.

How are race relations in your school or neighborhood?

Tense. Name calling and fights aren’t uncommon.

Peaceful Coexistence: Groups get along in school but keep to themselves socially.

Cohesive: Groups mix freely with multicultural friendships and dating.

There will always be prejudice in the United States.

Agree

Disagree

Not Sure

Will race relations get better, worse or remain the same over the next four years?

Better

Worse

Same

VOTE

Adult Bias Toward Teens:
Are adults out of touch? Some teens think so. In this discussion, we’re told most adults – due to factors like age and cultural differences – just don’t get what it’s like to be a 21st century teen.

Stereotyped By Appearance:
“What you wear can determine what you’re gonna be the rest of your high school years.” Eavesdrop as teens lament being stereotyped for how they look – because not all blondes are cheerleaders and baggy pants don’t make you a gangster!

Spreading Diversity:
“You just have to take the first step,” one teen says. “People are more accepting than people think they are.” For one dude, that initial step was learning to dance” Another believes music can unify people. How would you open minds?

Can You Benefit from Youth for Unity?
Lend a lobe as teens explain how they’ve benefitted from participating in their Club’s Youth for Unity program by meeting cool new people, getting to know other cultures better and more.