How Oakland Youth Advocate Challenges Old School Beliefs

Thought leader. Youth advocate. Author. Regina Jackson checks all of these boxes and more. Jackson served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the East Oakland Youth Development Center (EOYDC) in 1994. A native of Oakland, the University of California, Berkeley graduate held these impactful roles for 27 years.   During her tenure, she reimagined the level of positive change the organization could have for the neighborhood’s children. 

Critical to the success of EOYDC was one major belief: Children are to be seen, they are to be heard and they are to lead. Contrary to the previous notions about our youth, their inherent power and unidentified skillsets could put them in a position to change their own lives, with the proper guidance. Their responsibility afterward? To change the lives of others. 

Jackson is celebrating thirty years of doing the work, and last year released a now best-selling book titled, Unleashed Potential: How Youth Lead the Way to a Stronger Future.

Her book is a guideline to community engagement, community management and a healthy dose of proof that her way works. The case studies featured in Unleashed Potential punctuate the conceptual and turn it into literal. Each case study identifies youth that were given the opportunity to lead and proved the method effective, including Selena Wilson who first entered the doors of EOYDC at four years old and is now its Chief Executive Officer. 

These beliefs and these values were concretized in real life policy at the Center. Potential wasn’t potential for potential’s sake. And, beliefs weren’t lacquered on the wall while the adults in the Center did the opposite. Instead, roles were created with children in mind, leadership positions were crafted to cater to the value that children embody and mentorship opportunities were implemented in the fabric of the Center–mentorship opportunities that focused on an older member’s influence on their younger peers. 

Between the Michelangelo Effect, Cascading Mentorship and Youth as Subject Matter Experts, Jackson established new rapport between adult and child–removing the adult from the equation entirely. She established these three methodologies to truly manifest her beliefs.

The Michelangelo Effect is an approach that positions the attendees as masterpieces. Their value is everpresent, it is the job of EOYDC’s mentorship to “reveal the potential within each young person.” They are the sculptors, the children are the works of art.

Cascading Mentorship doubles down on the youth as leaders. Mentees become mentors to those who are younger than them.

Finally, under Jackson’s leadership, EOYDC ensured that young people were the authorities on their own lived experiences. They were the subject matter experts. The subject was their lives and the expertise was their own vision around solutions.

Challenging narratives and changing language around children who are often cast to the margins of society, expected to stay there,Jackson created new expectations for them. The message was clear: the evolution of leadership begins with changing the narrative. “Our children are not at risk. They are at hope. They are at promise,” Jackson makes sure to emphasize.

Regina Jackson’s work in creating new cycles and discarding irrelevant ones is special. The outcome of her work is clear. She has turned old beliefs about children’s participation in adult spaces on its head. She has reminded us that it’s okay to let old practices go and engage in new ones.

Ruth Jean-Marie, philanthropist, strategist, and freelance writer, is a Brooklyn native and daughter of Haitian immigrants. Her most recent project is the development of a coffee table book that delves into the rich tapestry of Haitian narratives. She is a Forbes Lister and an American Express Founder of Change. Follow her at @lesocialnomad.

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