Free the Youth Rally
This month, as many Angelenos paused to reflect on the election, members of the Liberation Fund did what they always do—stood up for justice.
Youth from the Young Women's Freedom Center, Youth Justice Coalition, and Students Deserve and many other Liberation Fund grantees, organized and participated in the recent Free the Youth Rally to demand the decarceration of girls and gender-expansive youth in Los Angeles County.
At the community-led action and teach-in, frontline youth organizers and activists passionately called for the immediate closure of Los Padrinos, Barry J. Nidorf, and all other youth jails in the county. They also advocated reallocation of $140 million towards community-based programs, as highlighted in the Youth Justice Reimagined model which was endorsed by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors in 2021.
Liberty Hill stands with them, providing grants and support through the Liberation Fund, because decarceration is only the first step. Through this innovative initiative, Liberty Hill continues to support community-based organizations who are experts in youth development, legal advocacy, housing, and organizing to prioritize the unique experiences of girls and gender expansive youth, and create strategies that meet their needs, while simultaneously addressing the systemic failures and practices that harm them.
Ka’lee Matthews, a youth fellow of the Young Women’s Freedom Center, emphasized, “[We’re] fighting to free all 50 of the girls and gender-expansive youth that are inside the juvenile justice system currently and create better alternatives for our girls when they come home.”
Together, we’re striving for a future where all girls and gender-expansive youth can truly thrive.
