Hello, everyone. Hi. Good evening. Thank you for joining us today. We are committed to developing young people to be informed and active citizens to create a just and equitable world. Named after two great civic leaders, we believe in the power of youth voice, like the amazing voices that are here with us today. And we believe in helping young people to create civic action to improve the world. Im going to turn it over to a great colleague and friend nicole from Facebook Education team. [ applause ] hi, everyone. My name is nicole and i work on facebooks Education Team focused on youth leadership. Our mission is to provide young people with the support, the tools and the resources they need to drive positive changes in their communities and in their schools. We are thrilled to continue this partnership to elevate youth voices around the country and super excited to hear the youth speeches today. And for you all, the young people that are raising your voices to help shape your communities. Were thrilled to be here so thank you so much. Ill turn it over to steph. [ applause ] im going to mention the amazing young people that are here today. My name is stephanie cruz. It is kpen these young people represent about 25,000 young people who have participated in the soap box challenge throughout the country. So we are very lucky to hear these amazing stories. [ applause ] wonderful. Thank you both so much. So myself and my colleague karla will be mcing today. We are thrilled to hear these speeches. These brave young people are going to speak out on issues facing the country and around the world. I wont be speaking so much today because we really want to center their voices and their wisdom and listen to their perspective. Im going to call up our first speaker mohammed. Come on up. [ applause ] 35,000, that is the number of innocent souls put to rest since 2012 by gun violence. Did they deserve it . Absolutely not. And yet here we are talking about them in past tense. My name is Mohammed Adam and i come before you to talk about the tragic gun violence epidemic that occurs in the United States. Since the horrifying School Shooting in Connecticut Sandy Hook Elementary School there has been 1600 Mass Shootings. While the families of those who have been killed in these ludicrous incidents down from grief, the government watches with glassy eyes. The unprecedented ideals of gun violence continues to be subverted as if it is not a real issue. Gun violence is a cruel inhumane and a catastrophic problem and an only in america dilemma. In 2018, the shooting in california marked the 307th shooting in 2018. When that occurred it was 312 days into the year meaning the u. S. Had nearly as many Mass Shootings as days. How disappointing that every day the possibility of a mass shooting happening is still active and real. In 2015 alone 2824 children who were clueless thwho were cluele of this dangerous and evil world, anticipating their birthday, their kindergarten graduation and waiting to tightly hug their parents once they got out of school died by gunshots. An additional 13,723 were injured. If we are capable of building walls blocking immigrants from coming in, then we are able to burn those very same walls that surround politicians who do nothing about gun violence as they are blindsided to those who have suffered. My call for action for you is to demand background checks. Make sure the guns are out of the hands of those who have criminal records. Demand more complex systems for buying guns. Finally and i cannot believe even i have to say this, but an 18yearold should never have access to an Assault Rifle. Are you kidding me . Are you kidding me . An 18yearold who has barely grasped responsibility and adulthood is all of a sudden granted a right to an Assault Rifle . What planet are we living in . Ill tell you. The planet where we learned from parkland, where we learned from san bernardino, where we learned from the synagogues in pittsburgh, parkland, columbine, the mosque in new zealand, where we learn from watertown, new york, but we did not learn to do something, in fact, anything for those 2824 children. And you want to know the saddest part . Places of worship are under assault every time a bullet is more important than a life. Do what is needed until this place can be safe for the future generations and children of america. Enough is enough. Thank you. [ cheers and applause ] thank you, mohammed. Up next we have ivy hoffman. Can you tell us where theyre from . Mohammed was from new york, queens. A book is a wonderful piece of magic. It can transport you to another world. It can give you a glimpse into the life of another person. It teaches you etmpathy. To children, reading is vital. And children from low income families need books the most. They need that escape, that hope for a better future. However, it seems that these children are our lowest priority when it comes to reading. Over 8. 7 million low income students are not proficient in reading. These are the kids who are going to make up the future of our nation and it is imperative that we give them the resources they need and deserve. And how can we do that if libraries are not getting the funding that they need . In 2013 the delaware state budget appropriated only 0. 06 of their money towards libraries. How can we grow and improve if we are taking something as magical as libraries for granted . Now, some people still may not believe that this is a problem. Books are disappearing to make way for a new era, the era of technology. And yes, technology is a wonderful thing, but studies show that children growing up in homes with books average three years more schooling than children growing up in homes without books. Thats regardless of their parents class, occupation and education. In addition to this, a study done by the Reading Agency shows that reading can reduce anxiety and stress, increase selfesteem and even reduce symptoms of depression. Its magic. Now that you know the problem, heres what i need you to do. Support organizations that work to solve this problem such as reading is fundamental or learn to read. Most importantly, read. By reading to the children in your life and encouraging them to read, we can move towards a stronger, better tomorrow. Thank you. [ cheers and applause ] thank you, ivy. Hi. This is my soap box speech. Before i begin, i would like to ask if everyone can see me well. No. Come forward. Can you now . Great because in the eyes of Society People of color are seen as invisible. No matter what we abolish, no matter what we establish, it will still be there. No one else is going to fix this. We are not going to fix this tomorrow. Racism is something that has always been a part of our world. While my generation, generation z has been brought in a place where the bathrooms are segregated, racism has not gotten any better because racist people find other ways to be racist. After slavery was aboliabolishee jim crow laws were set. Martin luther king, jr. Did not die for us to tweet happy mlk day. He most certainly did not die for me to hear stories on the news about a school allowing their students to paint themselves including their faces black. A decade passing without anyone thinking this isnt okay. The cowards who turn their heeds away from this are adding to the problem. The Police Officers who think its okay to shoot people of color are adding to the problem. And the pure ignorance of these people is adding to the problem. In the words of dr. Martin luther king, jr. Nothing in the world is more dangerous than insei sincere ignorance. When dealing with police, 50 . When applying to a job thats 56 . People are being discriminated against for their skin color. Th in the words of dr. King, no. In the words of me, i say that racism isnt okay. It has never been okay. And the people that make excuses for racists are just as bad as the racists themselves. In the words of me, i say theres no excuse for hating someone for the fact that their skin color is different than yours. Dr. King had a dream. So do i. Until every color feels included and people stop looking at your skin, his dream will stay a dream. And the thing is we see racist acts all the time and we dont denounce them. We let them think its okay to be like this. I personally invite everyone to join me on this journey of denouncing this behavior. And the thing is, im 13. A 13yearold should not be asking adults to do their job. It is summer. I should be going to a pool party. I should be worrying about which drama happened at the beach. Instead im here telling the adults to shape up. [ applause ] im not done. [ laughter ] and you want to know why some people have nightmares . Because the last man who dared have the strongest dream of them all got shot. [ cheers and applause ] thank you. Up next we have nehemya jackson. [ applause ] have you ever seen it in person or maybe on social media. Its happening all over the country even all over the world. This need to end. The United States government and its employees are turning a blind eye to u. S. Police who kill u. S. Citizens. In 2018, 998 people have been murdered by police and thats just two people away from 1,000. In 2019, 480 people have been murdered by u. S. Police officers and we are in the month of july. This is not how citizens should be treated because we are all human beings. Whats even worse, though, is when we have proof, video proof of this violence being committed by government officials. I have research that in 2017 two Police Officers have beenbeatin protest. He was really an undercover officer. What does the government do when the Police Murder people . Nothing. Its almost like the police and government are teaming up to make citizens scared of them. This is not right. Today all races are being brutally abused by police. When i grow up, i want to put an end to this nonsense because i would never want this to happen to my family or me, because this could be your grandson or your son. I believe that Police Officers need a punishment for brutality. My solution is to have Police Officers get better training on how to deal with the public, better and longer training will help Police Officers understand that people might have Mental Illnesses or might be scared when stopped by police. During Training Police learn state laws, criminal investigations, firearms training, traffic control, defensive driving, selfdefense, first aid and computer skills. Something they dont learn is how to deal with scared citizens. Something they dont learn is how to deal with Mental Illnesses. Something they dont learn is how to handle their own anger or impulse. Because of this, i would like to create a nondeadly weapon that doesnt kill. It seems to me if we could create 3d printers 5g internet, send rovers to mars, have cars that drive themselves, surely we should be able to make a weapon that doesnt kill. Maybe we can create some type of rubber bullet if we truly want fewer deaths by police. If america really truly wants to become great, then it will have to begin to treat their citizens like their lives actually matter. To include the words of famous rapper, cops kill a brother and get acquitted in a minute. They try to blot our vision and make us think the murderers are the victims. Its just the world we live in. Peace. [ applause ] thank you. Good afternoon. Today i have a sensitive topic that i would like to talk to you all about. Firstly, i would like everyone in the audience to close their eyes and envision this. You are a 9yearold girl being dragged into a hut. An elderly woman tells you to strip off your clothes and lay naked. That same old woman brings over a sharp, rusty looking orange knife. Using that knife she slices off something in between your legs. You scream in agony and in pain. You look at your mother for help, yet your mother looks over at you and tells you to quiet down because youre being too loud. Now open your eyes. This is the story and reality of a girl. That delicate piece of flesh the woman sliced off was her genitals. Now, i understand this toop topic is difficult but it is also a subject that receives little to no recognition. For that reason, i ask for the audien audiences full attention. If everyone is too afraid to discuss this, progress will never be made. 200 million women world wide, 44 million of those being under the age of 15 are victims of fgm. Fgm is female genital mutilation or circumcision. The whole purpose is to control a womens sexuality. It is thought to increase virginity before marriage. The consequences of fgm lead to ptsd, depression, anxiety, infections, childbirth complications and lastly death. Fgm is a disgusting, horrible, barbaric procedure that must be put to an end. Sign a position titled end female genital mutilation by 2020. Population growth will outpace progress over the next 15 years. The number of women subjected to harm will rise dramatically. How many more young girls have to be subjected to harm and have their childhoods deprived of them. Only 6 out of 195 countries have equal rights for men and women. The lives of women and girls in third world countries are just as valuable and they need someone to speak up for them, because global issues matter too. So please, sign the change. Org petition and put an end to the barbaric horrible custom known as female genital mutilation. Thank you. [ cheers and applause ] up next we have jaylen johnson. [ applause ] School Shootings have no place in our country. They have no place anywhere. You have a son. Hes beautiful, born with big dough eyes and tiny fingers. Hes yours. All yours to love and be loved by. You come home from work one day and you decide to watch some tv, the news. You arent surprised by what you see. Its just another School Shooting the news anchor says. When are we going to learn that these things just happen. You learn it isnt some school far off in another state thats on the news. That school with the active shooter inside of it, thats your sons school. You call your mother. You call everyone you know. You pace, you pray, you bend at the waist and beg god for the return of your child. That boy who has been yours to love since he took his first breath, is this the day he takes his last . In 1998 parents had this same exact fear when a boy murdered two of his classmates, shot and murdered two of his classmates. In 2012 the parents of Sandy Hook Elementary School kids lost their babies because a grown man murdered 20 first graders with a gun. In 2015 at an Oregon Community college, a man murdered eight of his classmates because he felt that he didnt fit in. In 2018 a boy attending marchjo Stoneman Douglas high school killed 17 people with a gun. 17 people. Since 2012, School Shootings in america have become terrifyingly consistent. Just in the twoyear time span between 2013 and 2017, 142 School Shootings have been reported. As of 2018 that number has rose to 239. Following 2012, over 400 people have died as a result of open gunfire on a school campus. According to the central news network, teen homicide rose 27 in 2016. Firearms contributed 87 to these teen homicide. This calamity has Many Americans including myself calling for the absolute ban of guns. The idea of banning guns strikes quite similar to the muslim ban donald trump temporarily put in place. I find it disgusting how our president is quicker to forbid a human being from entering our country than a thing that kills human beings that already exists in our country. My classroom floors are not land mines. My desk should never have to defend me from gun bullets. I shouldnt have to worry if my teachers sacrifice their lives to save mine. Thats my right. Not only as a citizen of the United States, but as a compatriot of the earth. I am here to say there is a desperate need for change. As someone who is not yet legally allowed to vote, i implore all of you who can, when our time comes, please vote for efficient gun laws. Vote to protect the future of america. Vote to protect us, your babies, your children, your sons and your daughters. We deserve better than a country that refuses to prioritize the peoples safety over the safety of inanimate objects. Thank you. [ cheers and applause ] thank you. Up nextaria bowman. That mask of makeup she wears is to shield the eyes from her freckled face. Shes a pretty girl. But she wont ever believe it. Those crossed arms over her stomach are to hide that extra piece of cake from last night that she thinks makes her fat. Yet, she wishes she wasnt so skinny. Shes a pretty girl. But she wont ever believe it. The things she saees on tv tell her that shes not good enough. She needs it be thin, tall, white, successful, have a small appetite, thick. Shes a pretty girl. But she wont ever believe it. When she wakes up in the morning with a zit on her face, she tells her mom she cant go to school because hes sick. She cries herself to sleep because when she looks in the mirror she cant stand herself. Shes a pretty girl. But she wont ever believe it. She stays away from boys because they couldnt possibly love someone that looks like her. She was told she had to look a certain way to attract men. Attract men. Like its her job to attract men. She was told this certain way was not how she looked. Shes a pretty girl. But she wont ever believe it. How could she believe it when society tells her every part of the way she looks is wrong . Put on some weight. Are you even healthy . You look manly. Guys dont like skinny girls. People like you shouldnt wear bikinis. You are ugly. Shes a pretty girl. But she wont ever believe it. The body expectations that are thrusted upon young women eat them alive until they are nothing more than names. She wishes she loved herself, but wherever she looks there will always be someone more beautiful. Shes a pretty girl. But she wont ever believe it. Young girls are told to sit quiet, look pretty, be obedient, be perfect. When will we stop tearing each other and ourselves apart over what the media tells us we must look like . Accepting our r ourse ining our. I hope one day