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OP-ED The Youth Voice Shouldn’t Be Optional — It Should Be Mandatory

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE—Every town hall, policy hearing, and community roundtable on the future consistently ignores one group: our youth. We speak about their future, legislate around their needs, and implement policies that will directly shape the trajectory of their lives—but rarely do we fully invite them into the room. And even when we do, it’s often […]

Published

9 months ago

August 8, 2025

Oakland Post

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE—Every town hall, policy hearing, and community roundtable on the future consistently ignores one group: our youth.

We speak about their future, legislate around their needs, and implement policies that will directly shape the trajectory of their lives—but rarely do we fully invite them into the room. And even when we do, it’s often symbolic. A token seat, a moment at the mic, a photo op for the press. That isn’t inclusion. Its performance.

Let’s be clear: the youth voice shouldn’t be optional. It should be mandatory.

Young people aren’t just observing the consequences of today’s decisions—they’re living them. They ride overcrowded and sometimes unsafe school buses. They sit in classrooms impacted by teacher shortages and crumbling infrastructure. They grow up in communities where access to healthy food, affordable housing, and stable internet remains inconsistent. Many witness their families struggling with the rising cost of living, gun violence, and health care disparities. They feel the effects of climate change not in theory, but in their everyday lives—through record heatwaves, flooding, and school closures.

And yet, when it comes to shaping the policies that address these challenges, youth are too often told to “wait their turn,” as if civic responsibility and political voice have an age restriction.

The truth is, young people already have the passion, the clarity, and the power to lead. What they lack is access.

We must stop treating youth engagement as a feel-good checkbox or a public relations gesture. When students organize national walkouts demanding safer schools, when teen activists speak at climate summits or testify before Congress, and when young entrepreneurs launch nonprofits and tech solutions to tackle inequality, they are modeling exactly the kind of leadership we say we want—not someday, but now.

Real Youth Leadership Across the Nation

Across the country, young people are stepping up—and making a measurable impact:

In Chicago, youth involved in the Mikva Challenge have helped shape city budget priorities and criminal justice reform through youth policy councils embedded in government.
In Oakland, student organizers successfully lobbied for the elimination of school police, leading to a reinvestment in student support services and restorative justice programs.
In Florida, the March For Our Lives movement—founded by high school students in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting—has transformed national conversations on gun safety and led to new state and federal legislation.
In Alaska, young Indigenous leaders are pushing for climate justice and land protection, blending traditional knowledge with modern advocacy.

These aren’t fringe examples. These are proof points that when we empower youth with tools, access, and decision-making authority, everyone benefits.

As 17-year-old activist Naila Williams of New York said during a youth policy summit, “We are not the leaders of tomorrow. We are the leaders right now. Tomorrow isn’t promised—but our futures are already being negotiated.”

What the Data Shows

According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University:

Communities that actively integrate youth in decision-making—through school boards, advisory councils, or participatory budgeting—see higher civic engagement, better school attendance, and more equitable policy outcomes.
In Takoma Park, Maryland, 16- and 17-year-olds were granted the right to vote in municipal elections, and in the first year, they turned out at twice the turnout rate of older voters.
States and districts that invest in youth leadership programs, like California’s Youth Empowerment Commission or Boston’s Youth Council, report stronger trust between youth and government and increased diversity in leadership pipelines.

These outcomes are not abstract. They are the direct result of institutionalizing youth voice—not just inviting it.

Building a Culture of Youth Power

Imagine every city council, school board, and state legislature with a required youth representative—empowered, trained, and given real voting authority. Imagine town halls held at high schools, not just country clubs. Imagine public budgets co-developed by youth and adult stakeholders. This isn’t a radical vision. It’s what authentic democracy should look like.

Youth engagement must be woven into the structure of our institutions: government, philanthropy, nonprofits, media, and business. That means funding leadership training, creating pathways from classrooms to boardrooms, and ensuring youth can serve on commissions, task forces, and legislative bodies—with pay, mentorship, and real influence.

This also means rethinking how we define expertise. Experience is not just something gained over decades—it’s also lived daily by the 14-year-old facing housing insecurity, or the 19-year-old leading a climate strike, or the 16-year-old navigating mental health care for themselves and their peers. These experiences deserve weight in decision-making rooms.

The Stakes Are Too High to Exclude the Youth Voice

As someone who has worked in education, run after-school programs, and partnered with youth nationwide, I’ve seen firsthand the brilliance and urgency that young people bring when given the space to lead. I’ve also seen how often that brilliance is overlooked because of outdated hierarchies, adultism, or fear of disruption.

But disruption is exactly what we need.

This is not about giving young people a seat at a table we’ve already set. It’s about rebuilding the table with their leadership as part of its foundation.

The issues facing our country—economic inequality, gun violence, climate change, and the erosion of democracy—are too urgent for incrementalism. If we want real, sustainable, forward-thinking solutions, we need to listen to those who will live with the consequences of every decision we make.

Young people are ready. They’ve been ready. The only question is: Are we ready to follow their lead?

It’s time we stop treating youth engagement as a luxury, a side project, or a one-time grant-funded initiative. The youth voice isn’t charity. It’s not extra. It’s a necessity.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

1 week ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

1 week ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

Published

1 week ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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