Youth Leadership is Building Movement Futures
At Project South we know that youth leadership is essential to movement work. In this moment of intensified repression, young people are on the frontlines, confronting injustice with bold vision, creativity, and collective power.
From Palestinian liberation encampments to student walkouts and mass protests, from the Black Power Movement to the Movement for Black Lives, youth have always challenged oppression, defended human rights, and driven transformative change.
Youth leadership has always been at the heart of our work. Today, more than ever, we are committed to nurturing youth-led organizing spaces and mentorship models grounded in mutual respect, not hierarchy or adultism.
At a time when authoritarianism and state violence are on the rise, supporting young people to lead is crucial. Project South provides the infrastructure for youth to build power, grow collective strategies, and transform communities across the South.
Youth organizing at Project South means analyzing conditions in schools and neighborhoods, developing visions for positive change, and implementing strategies that strengthen people’s power. Many of our Atlanta-based campaigns emerge directly from youth leadership development work, showing how youth insights shape the direction of movement efforts.
Below are some key ways we do the work:
I. A Hub for Youth Organizing
Project South offers a welcoming after-school open house space where young people can:
- Receive political education
- Access mentorship
- Train in community organizing
- Plan and lead youth-driven action projects
This is a home where youth gather, learn, strategize, and build power together—an incubator for leadership that benefits entire communities.
II. Programs That Grow Youth Power
Over the years, our youth programs have included:
- Young People’s Council
- Youth Community Action Program (YCAP)
- Youth Speak Truth Radio
- Septima Clark Community Power Institute (SCCPI)
- Flagway
- Youth Movement Assemblies
These programs cultivate skills, knowledge, and confidence, enabling young leaders to identify challenges, design solutions, and take action.
III. Youth Movement Assemblies: Let Our Voices Be Heard
Youth Movement Assemblies are at the core of our campaigns. In these assemblies, young people gather data, assess conditions, and identify the most pressing issues facing their communities.
When youth lead, communities gain:
- Innovative strategies for change
- Cultural insight and understanding
- Digital fluency and communication skills
Creative problem-solving - Strong intergenerational connections
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Also check out:
Youth Movements Rise! by Taliba Obuya
We Make the Future: A Legacy of Youth Power by Nautica Jenkins