Where Young Voices Build Power
In the historically Black neighborhoods of South Atlanta—10 communities once known as Brownsville and among the first settled by Black people after emancipation—Project South is reclaiming a legacy and building a future. From its headquarters at the Mutual Aid Liberation Center, the organization confronts the pressures of gentrification and state violence with a powerful intervention: putting microphones, cameras and movement tools directly into the hands of young people.
For nearly two decades, Youth Speak Truth Radio (YST) has been a medium for justice. The weekly broadcast, produced by and for youth ages 12–19, has aired more than 300 current-affairs episodes that center young people’s voices, language and solutions. YST is more than journalism training—it’s a youth-led newsroom where storytelling becomes organizing, and organizing becomes power.
“It’s about building youth power and telling our own stories,” said Nautica Jenkins, youth program multimedia coordinator.
That power is multiplying. YST has already trained three new producers who started the program as student participants. It is also expanding access for more Brownsville youth to earn WRFG broadcast certifications, growing the youth board, and bringing even more young creative voices to the airwaves.
“It’s about building youth power and telling our own stories,”
Nautica Jenkins, Youth Programs Multimedia Coordinator
Project South will deepen its investment in the next generation through the Septima Clark Community Power Institute (SCCPI)—an intensive summer 2026 leadership program for youth ages 14–19. Named for the legendary movement educator who shaped the Civil Rights Movement across the South, SCCPI will guide fellows through workshops, community research, organizing practice, and dialogue with educators and activists. Participants will leave with tangible skills, a shared language for justice, and a clear pathway into youth-led organizing across Atlanta.
At Project South, young people aren’t preparing to lead someday. They’re leading now—and building the Brownsville their ancestors envisioned.
