On today’s show, guest host Sabrina Madison speaks with two local leaders, Justice Castañeda and Rosa Thompson, about an issue that many folks overlook: the lack of teen-centered spaces in Dane County, especially for Black youth. They talk about what would be possible if youth were centered in the design and programming of public spaces. Because we close schools during the summer and community centers don’t stay open late, youth don’t have many places to go. What they need are spaces where they feel safe, that have robust programming, mentorship, and care for teens and their families.
For Thompson, many youth spaces fail to serve the youth they have in mind because they don’t bring in youth and their families to co-create the spaces from the ground up. She says that youth want to be involved in the design of programs and centers so that they can feel ownership over them and want to take part.
Unfortunately many public spaces–like malls and schools–are places where Black youth are policed. They discuss how Black youth are overrepresented in arrests, citations, and juvenile court referrals. When Black and brown youth leave their neighborhoods, they’re at an increased risk of police interaction, says Castañeda…