The In Solidarity Conversations were born out of our frustrations about the continued invisibility and marginalization of girls and gender-expansive young people of color, who in the midst of chaos and confusion, were stepping up to meet added caregiving and financial responsibilities in response to a global pandemic, while also engaging as leaders, organizers and activists at the forefront of the protests against the deaths of people of color at the hands of police during 2020.
These were not ordinary times and this is not a traditional research report. This report is an act of intergenerational love, respect, and resistance that seeks to honor the wisdom, courage, and fierceness of girls, young women and gender-expansive youth of color. There is no executive summary in this report because we do not believe there should be a “short cut” to hearing about the experiences and perspectives shared during 45 hours of conversation in the midst of multiple, intersecting crises—a global pandemic, an ensuing economic crisis that exacerbated inequality, and a social uprising fueled by longstanding violence and racism.
With a mix of fear and uncertainty punctuated by great hope that their activism would yield lasting change, participants described navigating multiple issues impacting them emotionally, socially, economically, and politically.
