Love and liberation work with Chi Peace
Chi Peace is a program that focuses on dismantling militarist practices that disproportionately affect BIPOC folks in Chicago.
Our Youth Action Program (YAP) is a program where youth from all across Chicago come together to examine the roles of policing and militarism in their lives. Through workshops and collaborating with existing anti-militarist campaigns, we try to equip youth with essential organizing skills to resist these really harmful systems that are not rooted in love, but are rooted in domination and control, which is antithetical to love.
It’s been incredible because a lot of young people in Chicago have so much love for their city. It shows up in the type of organizing work we’re doing currently.
A Quantum facility is set to be built in Chicago. This is a pet project of our governor and Quantum-Si, which is a private company based in Palo Alto, California. This would be a sprawling campus on the South Side, which is where a lot of Black folks live. It would be built on abandoned steel yards, so the land itself is very dangerous. The facility would be contracted with the Department of Justice, so there will be very stringent security around the perimeter.
The computer itself has to be kept at -400 degrees. To do that, they’ll be taking tens of thousands of gallons of our fresh Lake Michigan water to keep this thing running. We know that this not only an environmental crisis, but a true assault on the people of Chicago, the people of the Midwest, and everywhere. Wherever there’s environmental degradation, people will feel it.
A lot of what we’ve talked about as a group is the love we have for the lake and for our surrounding community. So many people, specifically youth, have talked about how the lake is a source of real joy and escape for them. So we really want to resist this Quantum facility that’s coming.
Talking about radical love – and creating third spaces
We’ve talked a lot about love this month with youth. I think youth are so aware of what a lack of love there is for them. Youth are not seeing reflected in our governing bodies any love or respect towards youth – nor development nor investment in youth education.
That really breaks my heart, because youth are at the center of our organizing movement. They have to be centered because they are the future – and also the present. And in a world in which youth are not feeling love, we all really suffer.
One thing that Chi Peace is trying to do is take youth voices seriously and engage them meaningfully in campaigns that will affect them deeply. To always engage in loving practices. Not love in some nebulous way, but a real, radical, just love that reminds us that we owe it to each other to take care of each other and to resist harmful systems.
I love talking about youth and love and organizing. If you want to reach out, contact me at asmith@afsc.org. I’d love to chat more about YAP and also the proposed Quantum facility work.
The need for third spaces
Youth are so vocal with us, especially about the things they need. A lot of them are really concerned about a lack of third spaces, safe spaces for them to go where they’re not being policed or witnessing state-based violence in the form of ICE snatching people off the streets.
They’re really hungry for spaces where they can be together, convene, share a meal, and reflect on what’s happening. Last year, Chicago almost passed a “snap curfew” that would say, within a two-hour window of the curfew’s initiation, youth would have to go home.
That’s really dangerous, because if you’re at the movie theater and your phone goes off…. Anything could happen. Getting home within a two-hour window, especially if you’re far from home would have been really dangerous, with youth subject to arrest.
In response, our YAP’ers from last year’s cohort created pop-up mental health spaces where youth could go for free and get a meal. They could also talk about what mental health means to them and things they’re doing to create more mental health spaces within their schools and communities.
That’s just one example of a problem youth identified and directly addressed through their own organizing efforts. Along with allies, we garnered enough pressure to have the alders vote down the snap curfew proposal. It was a testament to how much power youth have with their voices and how much they love and care they have for each other to stand up to something like this.
Some final thoughts
Take youth seriously. If you have the privilege of being in proximity to youth, really honor them and check in with them. A lot of times, when it comes to youth organizing, relationship building is at the base of it.
Youth are categorically marginalized, and they’re so often disrespected. They’re cast aside by society at large. If you are around youth, take the time, get them some food, be kind to them – that’s the basis of the work. And then you can build with them if you have trust.
Youth are so incredible. They have a keen understanding of resistance. They will tell you when something is not fair and something should change. We really ought to take that seriously if we’re going to do any kind of liberation work. Every single youth I’ve had the opportunity to work with has so much deep love.
I’m inspired by working with youth, and I don’t think I will ever stop, because I’m always challenged to be better, to be sharper in my organizing. If you are around youth, lead with love. Check in on them. Make sure they feel cared for, because ultimately that’s the basis of any organizing work with them.
Stay connected with AFSC Chi Peace on Instagram, where you can learn more about their upcoming Youth Organizing intensive.