Voices of Youth is a series that sees youth partnered with writing, photography, and art mentors to help capture their own perspective and narrative. Young reporters' work is featured in our publication, and the paid program is made possible with funding from the Skillman Foundation, and previously the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan.
Hostile architecture doesn't just hurt those without a home. Detroit student Nyla Davison pens a short essay about the defensive design strategies used in her city, and what she wants for the future.
"The Cody Calm Center is important because when COVID-19 hit Michigan, everything got shut down and teens had no place to socialize with each other or just get away from stressors at home," says young photographer Tymara Ware. The youth chose the space for her focus in a Voices of Youth project.
Cass Tech High School student Stephanie Haney says she hopes that through her photo essay, other youth gain the knowledge that "it's ok to take time for themselves and don't feel bad about that".
Young poet Aliryca Howell believes that a person only improves in life if they decide to take true steps forward in their own progress. It's part of the inspiration behind her moving contribution to our Voices of Youth project.
"I love Detroit but they need to get it together," says Voices of Youth participant Makayla Grice. "It’s amazing how downtown or dominantly white communities look so nice compared to the Black communities."
Dominique Hubbard, a talented young artist at Cody High School, participated in our Voices of Youth initiative. She worked with artist James Morris to develop a powerful images sharing her perspective on abandoned homes in Detroit.
Detroit teen Jaimee Hickson chose to report on her grandparents' journey, through video and poetry, in our Voices of Youth project: "Knowing my grandparents' stories, and how they’ve maneuvered through life, while remaining so selfless to one’s around them has made this process very heartfelt to me."
Nyla Davison tagged along on a Model D photo shoot that her father, Kahn Davison, was working on. She filmed a social media reel about what it took to create our story about women in Detroit leading changes in hip-hop music, interviewing the journalist and keenly observing the process.
For the second cohort of Voices of Youth, we sat down with nearly a dozen Detroit teenagers who shared with us their thoughts on what community is and what (as "solutions-oriented journalists") they would like the world to understand about the city where they learn and love.
Model D spent time with youth from three different Detroit neighborhoods, listening to what they love about their communities and what they hope to change, capturing their words in insightful sketches. Now, our youngest residents will get a chance to report to you.
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