Tuesday, November 5, 2013

If I Ruled TO

“You guys need to remember to vote and not just to vote, but to run. So far, we’ve had up onstage for the politicians, Peggy and four white guys in suits. Does that represent who you are?”
“NOOO,” the full ballroom of over 1,000 children, youth and young adults hollers back to MP Michael Sullivan at the second annual If I Ruled TO Youth Summit at the luxurious Sheridan Centre last weekend.
From morning until night, Toronto Community Housing presented a full day of empowerment for youth throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The event offered youth speeches from members of parliament, performances from some of the best musical talent inside Canada, informative workshops and a promise of change in their communities. The day focused on urging every youth who attended to take control of their city.
“More extracurricular activities,” “more job opportunities,” and “police who serve and protect, not control,” were just some of the many answers the youth of Toronto answered back with when asked what they would do if they ruled Toronto.
Special guests such as Toronto Raptor, Terrence Ross, supermodel Stacey McKenzie and singers Jully Black and Karl Wolf, made the large-scale offer to change these infrastructures in the city all the more relatable for the youth who look up to them by using themselves as examples of how to make the impossible a reality. Black, who is from community housing herself, and Karl Wolf, who immigrated to Canada, are both no strangers to struggle and understand how important motivating the next generation is, because change is possible through the youth.
“If I can make it here, then anybody can and that’s a part of why I’m here today,” Karl Wolf explained.
After a day of speeches, panels, workshops and seminars, the youth were prepared for an evening of music from Jully Black, Karl Wolf, Glenn Lewis and many more with guest host, Mr. BET, Bow Wow. The children stood on tables, chairs and crowded around the stage, to get close to the host of “106 and Park”, snapping photos in disbelief. At one point, security lost control of the crowd, and the fans rushed the stage, before Bow Wow was escorted out of the building. But the day was not about the talent, entertainers or celebrities; the day was about the youth and lighting the spark within them to begin to believe that with enough passion and determination, no matter where they are from, they can rule TO.
We took the time out to ask a number of the people in attendance at If I Ruled TO, what does your Toronto look like in 10 to 20 years? Here’s what they had to say:
Shukri Dualeh: My Toronto in 10 to 20 years would look like a place where kids will be lining up to go get their book signed rather than collecting Jordans. I’m a promoter of literacy. I believe that through literacy, we begin to bridge some of the questions that are lingering in the back of our heads.
Dwayne Morgan: I would love to see a lot of the young people that are here across the street at city hall as the mayor, as councillors, and in positions to actually make effective change − so this is just a spark.
Glenn Lewis: The hope is that the young people that are here today understand that as a community, they need to support one another… They have to begin with supporting one another, empowering each other and showing that love to one another. In 10 to 20 years, I would love to see that kind of community and that kind of camaraderie. I think all other positive by-products of that would just naturally come from that kind of connection.
Jully Black: In 10 to 20 years, I would love to hear our Toronto, the way that we actually look. As diverse as we are in our communities, I would like to hear our music that way on a mainstream platform. I would also like to be sure that we take care of our elders, because the wisdom is preserved there and so, even though this summit is for the youth, we can’t forget about our elders.

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