Taking Back Our Streets: Norristown Youth Council on the Move

The NAACP Youth Council of Norristown, Pennsylvania has been a dynamic and energetic facet of the local community for fifty years.  And in an attempt to take back their community, they are more ready than ever to be the face of change for Norristown’s Youth.

Last April, the Norristown NAACP Youth Council, along with Philadelphia-based community advocacy organization for families affected by violence Mothers in Charge, held an anti-violence rally to increase the peace within the small yet ever-changing community of Norristown.  “There were growing incidences of violence among the teens in the community,” said  Norristown Youth Council Advisor Barbara Milligan. “There were just so many being killed.”

Milligan and Youth Council Co-Advisor Tiffani Hendley both grew up in Norristown.  They’ve seen the town change from one where community, pride and safety were the norm, to one where stabbings, shootings and violence among the town’s youth is at an all time high.  The two attribute the increase in violence to the lack of activities for students to participate in outside of school.

Norristown Youth Council Vice President Imani Flowers  confirms that it is hard to enjoy being a young person in Norristown. “In school you are always on lockdown,” said Flowers. “There are security cameras and security guards everywhere.” As a young leader on the rise, Flowers envisions a community “where people are safe and more like a family.”

With the support of their advisors, the Youth Council members decided to come up with a way to combat the violence.  They created the Anti-Violence Rally as a way to educate young people and community members about the impact of violence in their community and offer safe, productive alternatives for the town’s youth.  At the conclusion of their march through the streets of Norristown, the Youth Council hosted a College Fair in Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. Area college, military, technical school and job force representatives participated in the event along with local entertainment, guest speakers, local church choirs and Cheyney University’s Pep Band.

The rally was a great start to move the community forward, but Youth Council leaders know they would be remiss if they thought their work finished.

“It’s not that the violence has decreased,” said Milligan, “but at least we have more people fighting with us, and now that we have increased participation, we’ll be able to start seeing a major impact.”

“Even if we’re just touching one life, that’s a huge impact for us,” added Henley.  Flowers agrees, and hopes to educate her peers on the importance of being active in the community, and with organizations like the NAACP. In order to make that vision a reality, the Youth Council has begun conversations with the local school board to integrate non-violent workshops and programs into the curriculum. The Council hopes to bring a group into the schools that teaches students non-violence through spoken word and exposes student to the community impact of violence through theatre.

“The schools are the best places to reach our students,” said Milligan. “If the schools aren’t offering students the resources they need, then we have to.”

For more information on the Norristown NAACP Youth Council, contact them via email: [email protected]