Lighting a New Fire

I stand on the shoulders of giants, visionaries whose work laid the foundation for mine. Among them, I honor two living legends: Abdul’Haq Muhammad and Dorothy Stoneman. Their legacy of service and transformation continues to light my path.

I have made it my life’s mission to confront two forces that quietly shape and often limit our society: poverty and adultism.

As a nonprofit leader, artist, and philosopher, I have come to understand that these systems aren’t separate. They are deeply connected. Poverty takes resources. Adultism takes voice.
Together, they lock young people out of the very power structures that are supposed to serve them.

That is why, at the Quality Life Center, we don’t just run programs. We build platforms.
We create spaces where young people don’t have to wait their turn. They are leading now.
We treat them as full partners in the work of transforming their communities.

Adultism isn’t just personal bias. It is structural. It is the quiet, persistent dismissal of youth insight across our homes, schools, institutions, and even our movements. And it shows up everywhere. While the world debates when youth should lead, they are already doing it quietly, boldly, and without permission.

If we are serious about elevating youth voices and ending poverty, we must begin by building political will. That starts with visibility, engagement, and youth-led transformation.

That is the work we do every day at the Quality Life Center. We challenge adultism, dismantle systemic inequities, and create real, sustained pathways to power for the young people most impacted by poverty.
This is where creativity meets civic engagement. It is where art becomes organizing, and organizing becomes power. But we need more than just a program. We need a Youth Agenda for Gen Z, a bold, generational blueprint crafted by youth, for youth. An agenda that centers their voices in conversations about equity, education, economic mobility, mental health, climate justice, and democratic participation. Young people must no longer be treated as future stakeholders. They are essential architects of a just and thriving society.

And what better moment than now? As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, we stand at a powerful inflection point. This milestone must be more than a reflection on the past. It must be a declaration of what comes next. A call to write a new chapter with vision, purpose, and unity.

Young people, take your place. The future of this nation demands your leadership, not later, but now. To make that future real, we need more than inspiration. We need investment.
Elected officials, corporate leaders, philanthropists, and cultural influencers must witness youth leadership up close. When they see it, support follows. Just as critical is the amplification of youth voices. At the Quality Life Center, we demystify the world for young people. We equip them with tools, confidence, and a virtues-driven mindset to lead with clarity and purpose.
They learn to share their stories — stories of struggle, resilience, and transformation — not just for themselves, but for the greater good. Their voices belong in policy rooms, on boards, and in national media. They are not just powerful. They are essential. These are the narratives that shift perception, build empathy, and drive systemic change.

But inspiration alone will not get us there. We need a media awakening. Until the stories of young changemakers dominate headlines, flood social feeds, and reshape public discourse, the transformation we seek will remain out of reach. These stories spark urgency. They unlock momentum. They move the moral center. Across the country, young people are already rising.
They are turning pain into power, isolation into leadership, and silence into action.

I am here to remind us all:
The future of our democracy depends on how well we listen to them, invest in them, and follow their lead. This isn’t just about inclusion. It is about liberation. This is more than a torch passed, it is a movement ignited.