This week, La Colaborativa’s RIOT Squad is launching Season 1 of their podcast, Our Voice is Our Power. Entirely youth-led and -created, the podcast is meant to be a space for youth voices to speak on the issues impacting their lives and opportunities, and mobilize other local youth to take action. This group of teens from Chelsea have worked together for the past year on community organizing campaigns focused on education equity, housing justice, and youth mental health. Sign up for podcast updates here!
Who we are
RIOT squad fights for change here in Chelsea and on behalf of youth everywhere. We come from the streets of Chelsea and we feel the community, and we feel its pain. Composed of mainly Black and Latino youth, RIOT works together as a family to create a voice stronger than any member could as an individual.
What we do
Each day RIOT works to fight injustice and create a better tomorrow. A general day in the life of RIOT Squad has us emailing legislators, helping plan and set up protests, and figuring out strategies to alleviate the pain of our community and around the world. We act together, and we fight together.
Season 1: Education Equity
Season 1 focuses on how we can empower youth to take control of their needs in education, whether that is fighting for better policies at their local schools or advocating for systemic change on the state level.
Episode 1: Black and Latino Voices
Meet the RIOT squad! RIOT squad discusses what it means to be Black and Latino organizers in a majority-minority city like Chelsea. RIOT squad breaks down the challenges of giving communities the space to advocate for their own needs while also cultivating solidarity and partnerships across cultures.
Episode 2: Local Education Policies
RIOT squad sits down with Chelsea High School principal Obed Morales and Chelsea School Committee Chair Kelly Garcia to discuss upcoming policy changes in Chelsea. Topics include trauma training for staff, the CHS bathroom policy, and getting youth representation on the school culture and climate committee.
Episode 3: Fighting for Equity in Vocational School Admissions
RIOT speaks to Mirian from the Vocational Equity Justice Coalition about the need for a lottery system to replace Massachusetts’ vocational school admissions policies
Episode 4: QPR and Mental Health
The squad partners with the NAN Project to take on teen mental health and suicide. Learn how to spot the warning signs of a mental health crisis and where to reach out for help.
Want more RIOT? Check out our radio show on Zumix Radio!
Have something to say? Contact us to share your feedback, request a topic, or to join us as a guest speaker!
