Written By: Damien Romero, Summer Youth Organizing Academy Participant

Organizing for the first time was a very moving experience. Even though I was a bit nervous to be placed into conversation with strangers, the fact that I was able to carry them out was very reassuring as the day went on. What I found was that people in the communities being hit hard by the police/prison state, such as the South Central area were very receptive to the demands of the campaign. I took it as a sign that the people in these areas are tired of the police terrorizing their communities and that they are not only open to, but believe in the idea that something must be done to hold accountable the police officers in our campuses and streets. There motivation really pushed me to organize harder as the day progressed.

I enjoyed situations were people had a lot of questions. Most of these conversations were with old school cats that had many stories of generations past where students and counselors were able to settle confrontations without the slightest thought of getting the cops involved. One man had a story about a fight he had been in, where the incident was dispelled through a conversation between the two with a well respected school counselor. According to him, the conversation went so well that him and the person he was fighting with walked away with a new respect for each other and are still best friends until this day. To me this portrays the positive effects of talking about confrontations rather than arresting students for petty things like getting in scuffles. Overall, my first day was inspiring. I can't wait to get back on the buses next week to get the word out, and to learn from all the people I organize with.