Program Recap from Mesa

By Bobby Beverly

The Mesa chapter of one n ten continues to challenge our members to think critically about the world around them and their role within it. On 6/14 Lora led a discussion on “Identity, Power, and Social Class”. Consisting of an activity and conversation, this night served in many ways as a supplement to our past discussion on the impact of labels. Discussing “Identity, Power, and Social Class” proved to be an effective catalyst for challenging some of the misconceptions we hold about ourselves and those that we project onto those around us.

Last week we conducted the first installment in our “Belief Series” where we looked at the relationship between religion and spirituality. The youth shared their reactions to these forces in our world (both positive and negative) and what role, if any, they play in their lives. We had expected our standing rule to “not yuck someone’s yum” to be put to the test, but everyone in attendance approached the topic with respect and an open mind. The choice to even have such a topic was that of the group, and Lora and I were impressed that they were willing to approach it not as a debate but rather an open forum to discuss the real questions in life (a feat people twice their age can’t seem to do without erupting into argument).

Our next session will be the inaugural installment of the “Hero” series. Led by myself, this ongoing program will consist of activities meant to encourage the youth to follow their passion and promote positive change in their communities.