Galicia, Youth Community Organizer/Women Engaged in Political Action
When Galicia was 14, she started working as a Youth Community Organizer (YCO) at the Hyde Square Task Force. Galicia and her family had lived in Jamaica Plain for a long time, and she had little cousins growing up here too, "I wanted them to live in a nice place when they turned 14," she explained. Through her work as a YCO, Galicia would help improve the neighborhood for future generations.
After four years of work as a YCO, Galicia's sense of responsibility for her community has only grown. "There are ways to make change. I can't just sit back. When people come together it can make a huge difference. Now I know what to do—write letters, create consciousness, bring people together."
Galicia says the most powerful lesson learned from her community organizing work has been perseverance. More than anything, she knows it is essential to persevere and not get discouraged, even in the face of opposition and a seemingly impossible situation.
Most recently, her leadership on the youth-led Campaign Against Sexual Harassment underscores the need for perseverance in the face of challenge. "Sexual harassment in the schools is a huge issue. But we called every school official, and were just referred on and on. We wrote letters but got no replies."
Galicia explains the steps the YCOs have taken to empower themselves in the face of the opposition on the Sexual Harassment Campaign: "We worked with an expert to learn how to create surveys that avoid loopholes, and ask the best questions, so we get the most accurate information that people can't challenge. We have learned that most teens have experienced sexual harassment in school. We want to create consciousness, to create stricter rules, so sexual harassment does not keep happening—especially in schools. School is stressful enough without this happening. We still persevere. And they will have to answer."
No doubt, the lessons Galicia has learned in her four years as a YCO will influence her future development. "I want to be a lawyer," she says, "I want to focus on immigration law, and stay in the community. This will be a way to give back to my community and continue organizing."