Youth and Elder Oppression Voices and Next Steps

Relevance to Workforce

and University

Michelle Y.

People of Color and Ageism (Youth)

• Zero Tolerance policies push black students out of school
• Need to apply restorative justice policies instead
• Suspension for normal adolescent behavior lead to time lost learning
• Young black people are more likely to be referred to juvenile court than white peers
• Disparities grow from here
• In 80's and 90's, Congress passed new laws against juvenile crimes and increased penalties against children
• Prosecuting youth permanently disadvantages them with a criminal record

People of Color and Ageism (Elders)

• Age is respected in colored communities
• Ageism is seen as secondary to racism, which is not true for elders
• Elders suffer from society's treatment
• Low chance to have good healthcare
• Bad housing and nutrition
• Poverty and violence lead to death of young parents -> elders responsible for children
• Hard to make money to care of them as getting a job is very difficult

Pratul

• Topic of Ageism is important because it can impact who can get a job or not
• If too old or too young, it may set someone back
• Minimum age requirement to work is 16 years old
• Some employers may not hire someone if they are too old
• At university, those who are the youngest may not have their voices heard
• Especially frustrating since the rules are about students and they might not have a say

Self Reflection Exercise Discussion Questions

Allies To Young People

Allies to Elders

Youth Oppression and Social Justice

• Adults need to create spaces for youth to lead
• Youth Participatory Action Research allows youth to research ageism and suggest solutions
• Research on issues in the education system such as the failings of No Child Left Behind and the GED
• Historical amnesia prevents adults from leading alone
• Powerlessness seen as a rite of passage

• Assume that they have long, productive futures
• Assume they have not given up on life
• Don't assume anything about their physical capabilities
• Know laws pertaining to elders and lobby non-ageist policies
• Elders and non-elders need to have confident, high expectations of elders

• Go to their space and their turf
• Assist young people to rely on each other and to take themselves and each other seriously
• Young people should be a central part of any organization, movement, etc.
• In meetings, ask young people to talk first
• Insist that young people are represented at every meeting

• Do you have any personal anecdotes of when you faced ageism?
• What are some ways besides the ones mentioned in the text to help elders who may face age discrimination?
• How has your intersectionality played a role in how you have faced age oppression?

Voices Overview

Themes

• Jasilyn Charger- Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota
• All Nations Fire protesting $3.8 Billion Dakota Access Pipeline
• Conflict between older and younger generations (Retirement is not the Golden years)
• Violence (rubber bullets, Beanbags)
• Language "Why are you doing this?"

Next Steps

• Thinking about our parents / older generations
• Historical Amnesia

Moving Out of the Oppression

Internalized Ageism

• Build support groups
• Put plans into action
• Have confident to the elders
• Lobby to establish non-ageist police on housing, health care, employment
• Organize with other elder to take leadership

Youth and Elder Oppression Voices and Next Steps

• Often feel and act inadequate
• Act as we believed the stereotypes
• Flattered to be thought younger
• Denying old age leads to ignoring, overlooking, minimizing old age oppression.

• Ageism is a problem
• Both youth discrimination and elder discrimination negatively impact almost everyone
• As a society, we must try to help those who face age oppression

TED Talk About Ageism

Kahoot Survey

https://create.kahoot.it/share/ageism-poll/eb840ab6-c9b0-4b9f-8d60-3e73fbfe8a83