Q&A
Tanesha Grant emphasizes the importance of involving people with lived experience in anti-trafficking efforts
2:29:41
ยท
79 sec
Tanesha Grant responds to Council Member Stevens' question by emphasizing the importance of involving people with lived experience in anti-trafficking efforts. She highlights the unique perspective and trust that individuals with similar backgrounds can provide to vulnerable youth.
- Grant stresses that young people need to feel safe and are more likely to open up to those with similar experiences
- She urges the council to work with community-based organizations and individuals like herself who have lived experience
- Grant expresses concern about relying solely on agencies with problematic histories in supporting youth
Tanesha Grant
2:29:41
First of all, thank you for your question, Chair Stevens.
2:29:45
Our young people need to feel safe.
2:29:48
And most times, the people that are gonna make you feel safe is people that have had your lived experience.
2:29:55
So there's things that young people will talk to me about that they won't talk to social workers about, that they won't talk to people from ACS about, that they won't talk to the police about.
2:30:05
So it's really about encouraging you guys to work with people like me to make sure that when, the youth don't want to go to ACS or, to the police or to some of these larger nonprofit that you have people community based organizations, and people in the community like me that you can call as well.
2:30:28
But if we're not being pulled to the table to discuss these information these issues and to lend our support and our expertise, then we're kinda defeating the purpose.
2:30:38
If we're going straight to, let's give it to these agencies that we know have a horrible history of supporting our youth, then I just I just, you know, urge y'all to rethink that.
2:30:51
And I'm always here.
2:30:52
Cheers Cheers Stevens, Cheers Lewis, and Cheers DeLong.
2:30:56
Y'all all know me.
2:30:57
I'm not going nowhere.
Althea Stevens
2:30:59
No.
2:30:59
We really appreciate that.