At a time of pandemic, recession, public lynchings, and uprisings for racial justice, our nation is at a crossroads. The mounting stress and economic fallout from COVID-19 and racial turmoil is widening the equity gap for young people and communities of color. Young people are leading in the face of these entrenched challenges and demanding to be seen and heard. We are in a crisis and need action and investment from the public and private sector to support  solutions proposed for decades by young people and racial justice leaders.

We can’t wait for economic justice. We can’t wait for healing and wellbeing. We can’t wait for safe communities. It is time for a New Deal for Youth that responds to the historic roots and current scale of the crisis. When the once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe is over, our future as a nation will depend on how intentionally we invest in this generation.