'I Am My Ancestors' Wildest Dreams' - Reflections from New York

From New York to Your Inbox: Youth Empowerment Insights

I'm still processing what happened in New York City last week. Standing on that stage, receiving the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award, I kept thinking about the young girl from Zimbabwe who learned English while working at McDonald's, being told she wasn't good enough.

|| That girl is me. And, now I'm here.

The Question That Wont Leave Me Alone

In my acceptance speech, I asked the room something that's been burning in my heart: "Look at what happens when the world gives a young girl from a background like mine a chance. I've been able to influence hundreds of thousands of other young people to dream bigger, apply for more opportunities, and learn how to use their voices and education to do what they desire. What would happen if we did that a million times more?"

I watched faces in that audience, educators, activists, leaders, and I could see the wheels turning. Because we all know the answer, don't we? We know what happens when we invest in young people who others have written off. We know what happens when we give chances instead of excuses.

The Mathematics of Possibility

Here's what I'm grappling with: if one young person, me, can reach hundreds of thousands of others, what happens when we multiply that investment? What would happen if we co-created with students in classrooms instead of just teaching at them? What if we gave more young people chances to lead instead of waiting for them to "earn" those opportunities?

I think about my journey from Zimbabwe to the United Nations, from McDonald's to consulting global organizations, from being told I'm not good enough to standing on stages empowering others. This isn't a fairy tale, this is what happens when someone sees potential and invests in it.

The Legacy That Lights the Way

Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz understood something we keep forgetting: young people can lead now, not later. Malcolm X was young when he put his life on the line for civil rights. He didn't wait until he was older, more "experienced," more palatable to others. He led with the fire and clarity that only young people possess.

Dr. Betty Shabazz continued that legacy, understanding that education and empowerment aren't luxuries for young people, they're necessities for all of us. Her work reminds us that when we invest in young minds, we're not just changing individual lives; we're reshaping the future.

Young People Are Already Doing the Work

Here's what I've learned traveling the globe: young people aren't waiting for permission to create change. They're already organizing, innovating, leading movements, solving problems that adults have given up on. The question isn't whether they're capable, it's whether we're ready to support them.

Instead of asking young people to prove themselves worthy of our investment, we should be asking: What do you need? How can we make this classroom more inclusive for you? What barriers can we remove? How can we amplify what you're already doing?

The Classroom Revolution We Need

This connects directly to everything I've been writing about belonging and co-creation in education. When I think about those Black Ivy League graduates I met in Jamaica, achieving despite not belonging, I wonder how different their experience might have been if someone had asked them these questions earlier.

What if, instead of making students adapt to systems that weren't built for them, we asked them to help us rebuild those systems? What if we recognised that their "outsider" perspective isn't a deficit but exactly what education needs to transform?

Standing on Shoulders, Reaching Back

Receiving this award in Malcolm and Betty's names isn't just personal recognition, it's a reminder of responsibility. I am my ancestors' wildest dreams, yes, but I'm also the foundation for someone else's dreams that haven't been dreamed yet.

Every time I step into a classroom, consult with an organisation, or speak at a conference, I'm carrying forward their legacy while creating space for the next young person who's been told they're not good enough.

The Million-Times Question

So I'm asking you the same question I asked that room in New York: What would happen if we gave a million more young people the chances they deserve? What would happen if we stopped seeing youth empowerment as charity and started seeing it as the most practical investment we could make?

|| Because here's what I know: there are thousands of young people right now, in your classrooms, your communities, your organisations, who have the potential to influence hundreds of thousands of others. They're waiting for someone to see them, invest in them, and ask them what they need.

Who are the young people in your sphere who are ready to lead? What would it look like to give them that chance today, not tomorrow?

The mathematics of possibility is simple: one investment, multiplied by belief, equals transformation that reaches far beyond what we can imagine.

This is Newsletter #5 in my ongoing series about youth empowerment and educational transformation. From Zimbabwe to New York, the journey continues.