New York Youth Speak Up for Human Rights at Geneva Conference: Feb 20, 2008

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

U.N. Panel Meeting on Culture

Today was a big day. Today we went to the panel meeting on culture. I never knew the things that were going on in the U.S. affecting so many cultures. I just thought racism was really based on black and white. Just by coming to Switzerland opened my eyes wider to know that there are also other kinds of discrimination dealing with sexism and other cultural beliefs. By me listening to what others have to say, I know that we are not alone.

Panel on Culture

Today was the panel presentation on culture. I met many new people and heard many interesting stories. It has changed the way I am thinking about things. I never thought there were so many problems and terrible, horrifying conditions that the government was not doing anything about. I hope that by participating here, it will make a difference. So many people have told their stories about conditions all over the country - New Orleans where people still cannot go home; on Native American reservations where pollution is hurting women's health and the health of their babies. We hope that talking about problems and having the UN Committee investigate and ask questions, things will be able to change.

Juvenile Justice

Today was a good day. I slept very well last night - a little bit too good. Hey, today was going to be my big day. I was supposed to speak and tell the U.N. Committee that monitors the Treaty to End Racial Discrimination that putting young black men and woman in jail is not the best way to go, and give them an example of how a program like CCA should be available to more kids. I was going to speak with Michael Harris who is a lawyer with the Haywood Burns Institute. Michael was going to cover the statistics on how many black youth are in prison and suspended from school

The U.N. Committee didn't ask questions about juvenile justice, so no questions came my way. I was disappointed; but, hey, I look at it like this, maybe it happened for the good. I might have another chance to speak this evening on a panel with youth.

Reflections

Well first off I would have to say that I am very thankful for this trip. I also want to say thank you to the people that helped organize this trip. My experiences in Switzerland so far are tremendous. I have met numerous kind people. I also had a chance to broadcast my voice towards other people. I spoke about racial discrimination and juvenile justice. I also got a chance to visit the United Nations. Many people don't often receive a chance to go out of the country, so that's why I am very thankful. Switzerland is a very beautiful place when you get a chance to see it outside of the magazines and the internet. I have gone many places, the buildings are very nice and the people are very kind and patient. The food is great also. If I wasn't in CCA then none of these wonderful things would have happened to me. Thank you CCA.

LOCAL YOUTH TRAVEL TO GENEVA TO MONITOR UNITED NATIONS’ HEARING

Youth from the Center for Community Alternatives will travel to Geneva, Switzerland on February 16 through 23 to monitor the proceedings of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) as the U.S. State Department and the Department of Justice defend the Bush Administration’s human rights record. The CERD will examine

U.S.

compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). As an international treaty signed by the US, the ICERD has the force of law in the

United States

. This marks only the second time since the U.S. approved the treaty in 1994 that it has produced a report and subjected its domestic record on human rights and race to international scrutiny. The youth will be attending the hearings in Geneva to observe and monitor the U.S. presentation to the Committee.

U.N. Testimony of Jaquia Bolds

Thank you for allowing me to present my story to the United Nations Committee reviewing whether the United States is living up to the Treaty to End Racial Discrimination in All Forms.

My name is Jaquia Bold and I am 16 years old. I live in Syracuse, New York where I go to high school. I am in the 10th grade. Right now I am back in a regular high school, but last year, I was suspended from regular school and I was sent to an alternative school. I was suspended for fighting with a boy who called me a racist and sexist name.

I would like to tell you what it is like to be sent to an alternative school. You always feel judged, teachers don’t give you the benefit of the doubt, or take the chance to get to know you and are often sent out of the class for the dumbest thing. Out of the 70 students actually attended school everyday, I remember seeing only one white boy. At my regular school about 60% of the population is white.

Mid year I was put in a program, called “3 to 5" which means I went to school for 2 hours a day. I fell behind in my school work and was only taught math once a week. The teacher who was there everyday didn’t really teach either, she only gave me worksheets. I am in the 10th grade but I have to take 9th grade classes.

I felt like I was in jail when I was in the alternative school. Sometimes I had to be checked three times a day and checked before I went into certain classrooms. It is very uncomfortable being search because I really don’t like being touched by other people, especially people I don’t know very well. It is more uncomfortable for girls because sometimes they check you around your most private areas, and its just uncomfortable.

I feel like the alternative school system has set up kids like me to fail. You go back to school so far behind that you just want to drop out of school or sometimes you get sent back to a regular school where you get targeted, and you just get fed up and drop out. I would like to end by saying that we need to look at why kids like me are suspended and if a all possible get rid of alternative schools.

U.N. Testimony of Malik Gardner

Thank you for allowing me to testify here today about racial discrimination in the juvenile justice system in the United States.

My name is Malik Gardner and I live in New York City. I am now 17 years old. In October 2006, when I was 15 years, I was convicted of a crime. Even though I was only 15, I was charged and sent to an adult court. I was arrested with my brother. We were both sent to a detention center where I stayed for a month. The detention center was full of kids like me B young black men. It is not surprising that detention centers are filled with black youth because of how the cops profile and target young black men, especially when we go into white or mostly white neighborhoods.

After a month in detention, the judge released me and gave me another chance. I was mandated to attend a program at the Center for Community Alternatives, called CCA. I had to participate in the program for a year. At first I didn’t know anything about the program. But the year went by very fast because CCA is an excellent program. I met many new great people and the staff took me many places and showed me that I could have a life that didn’t involve the streets or crime.

I was lucky. Many of the kids in detention did not get out and eventually were sent upstate. In the U.S. young people, and especially young black men are not given the opportunity to have a second chance. If they commit a crime, they are treated like adults and made to do their time. But, that doesn’t really help them at all. That just messes up their education and their life.

I don’t know a lot about the United Nations and the treaty to End Racial Discrimination. But I can tell you that the United States has a long way to go. The United States government should face up to how many young black men are in prison. Most of us start in the juvenile justice system. To live up to the UN treaty, the United States should stop using detention and incarceration and support alternative programs that help young people achieve our dreams.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

U.N. Panel Meeting on Culture

Panel on Culture

Juvenile Justice

Reflections

New York Youth Speak Up for Human Rights at Geneva Conference

CCA Youth at the United Nations

Media Coverage

LOCAL YOUTH TRAVEL TO GENEVA TO MONITOR UNITED NATIONS’ HEARING

Blog Archive

U.N. Testimony of Jaquia Bolds

U.N. Testimony of Malik Gardner