State of the Youth Summit -Scoop USA July 7th
by Lorraine Lavender-Sams
CHESTER, PA— The concerns of our young people are extremely meaningful in today’s constantly changing and challenging environment; it is more important than ever for adults, those in positions of power, and those who can effect positive change to be present in spaces where young voices can be seen and heard. This was apparent on Thursday evening, June 25, 2026, in the community room at Chester City Hall, during the State of the Youth Summit, hosted by Zulene Mayfield’s Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living (CRCQL) and community partners representing various youth groups.
“The State of the Youth came about after I noticed the absence of young voices at the Mayor’s State of the City address. Conversations with Choices Environmental Youth Leadership Group culminated in this summit. Our extremely intelligent and talented students were very excited about having their voices heard and expressed themselves in an articulate manner to the adults in the space. We’re proud of them. This is the first of many forums of this type focusing on our young people,” said CRCQL’s Zulene Mayfield.
The event was moderated by Dr. Nolan Fontaine and Zulene Mayfield of CRCQL and its youth group, Choices, with a panel comprising Chester Mayor Stefan Roots and State Representative Carol Kazeem (D-159), who answered questions from the youth. Both Roots and Kazeem were honest and forthcoming as they addressed a variety of questions and concerns raised by the youth. Questions ranged from “Why do we have so many potholes in the street to why can’t we get rid of the abandoned properties?” with Roots and Kazeem honestly responding to the questions with explanations of the cost of filling potholes and demolishing abandoned properties and assuring the youngest citizens in our democracy that they were being heard and that both were doing all that they could in city hall and the state legislature to address their concerns.
“I can honestly say that the State of the Youth Summit was one of the most surprisingly rewarding events I’ve attended since taking office. To be on a panel where our children are asking all the questions…you kind of don’t know what to expect. The young people blew me away with the depth of their questions, but more with the passion in their eyes as they asked us questions. It was evident that this wasn’t forced, and their concerns about the challenges they face in their communities and how those challenges affect their futures were genuine. I can see a lot of these children in future leadership roles, and I’ll be voting for them in the future,” stated Representative Kazeem.
The response from families and the community was robust, and the children were focused and captivated in a safe space where their voices could be heard. Our young people showed up, they participated, articulated their concerns, and, above all, listened to the answers to their questions; they mean to hold public officials and community leaders accountable. Adults must wrap their heads around the fact that a vast majority of our young people have been forced to be independent from a very young age due to the irresponsibility or inability of increasingly younger parents to guide and protect their children properly, causing irrational anger, anxiety, and irreparable damage in many cases.
Public Officials in attendance included Mayor Roots, Representative Kazeem, and her chief of staff, William Jones, Jr., and the Chester Upland School Board Secretary. Invited but unable to attend due to prior commitments were Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Senator John Kane, Police Commissioner Katrina Blackwell, Captain Kenneth Colson, CUSD Receiver Nafis Nichols, and CUSD Superintendent Dr. Latrice Mumin.
Other partners in attendance were 4 Circles Beyond & Victor Cabral, Making a Change Group, Chester Boys and Girls Club, Chester Education Foundation, Michael Lewis from the Chester Block Captain’s Program, Trinity Transitional House, Jean Pierre Brice from CMP Radio, Chester Education Foundation, members of CRCQL, members of Choices and their parents, and TD Bank.
Young people today are invested in their own futures, they want to understand the systems that are in place to serve them, they want to be in the rooms where adults are deciding their future, they’re telling us that their voices matter, and that they want to be heard, and they want a seat at the table.
William Jones remarked, “It was a privilege for me to witness the greatness of our youth, firsthand. I have a unique vantage point in my role working with Representative Kazeem and having aided Zulene Mayfield in creating Choices — to see what it’s become and to witness the development of the next generation of powerful leaders — is hugely inspiring and humbling. I couldn’t be more excited and proud of our city.”
Read the original article here: https://scoopusa-pa.newsmemory.com/?publink=08223c155_1352187
