BAKERSFIELD, Calif (KERO) — Time for Change is a non-profit based in Bakersfield that meets weekly. Helping the youth grow into the leaders of tomorrow. This week they learned about the importance of Juneteenth.
- Students meet during the summer and after school during the school year.
- This organization helps students with their communication, learning, writing skills, and community service events.
- TYM4C welcomes youth from 16-24 who want to better themselves in leadership and film-making.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Juneteenth is a day of recognition that has gained momentum since 2021. I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter. An organization called TYM4C... or Time For Change... teaches its youth about the national holiday.
"It's a holiday where it celebrates and commemorates, two and a half years after the emancipation proclamation was signed. People down in South Texas, specifically didn't even know we were free. This celebrates the day that they came and freed them for the emancipation proclamation. That's the distinction between a policy being signed and it happening in real-time." said executive director Jovon Dangerfield.
This organization prepares the youth for the future. Teaching them communication and life skills... to work well with others... and... grow their love for service.
Cincerre Lee, one of the youth volunteers, said "It's extremely important to me. It has taught me because it has taught me many different skills about my personal life, academic life, and business life. It taught me business, personal, communication, leadership skills a lot of different things like that. So it's really important to me, that every youth should have an opportunity to volunteer with a non-profit like this."
Students aged 16-24 focused this week on the importance of Juneteenth, learning how to treat each other with respect no matter their background.
"Growing up I went to a lot of different schools that weren't as diverse. I was in a lot of different spaces with people who didn't look like me, so it was always different for me trying to learn how to act. As a person who is an African American in spaces that don't recognize African American people." said Cincerre
This group envisions a world in which youth recognize and act on their capacity in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities through film-making and advocacy.
Jovon said "We have been running around for like 4 years making changes in the city. Working on policies, making the parks better and safer. Going before the city council, making movies, films, all that."
Organizers tell me that this group meets every Tuesday from 1-4 during the summer.
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