Oyin Adedoyin, 21, student, Morgan State University, editor, MSU Spokesman, college newspaper
When I saw 22-year-old Amanda Gorman speak at President Biden’s inauguration, I saw myself in a way that I believe many young Black “Gen Zers” see themselves. Her performance, solidified what the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 showed us: that there is hope, there is resilience. And while last year’s protests reignited a spark for change, the fire needs to be tended daily to maintain the glow of change.
We can keep making changes by investing in Black youth, by providing more culture centers, good public education and health systems.
The disparity of access to adequate health care and education in Baltimore’s Black communities is the focus of Black Health Matters, a project I launched through Morgan State University’s student newspaper. The reporting project, in partnership with The Poynter Institute, a national journalism program, is illuminating health disparities.
Everyone has a role in the fight to remove these disparities. As a journalist, I see my role as a public servant, a conduit through which stories about the disparities and how to remove them can travel.
— Compiled by Tatyana Turner
