Black Lives Matter

Youth Arts Collective stands with our friends, associates, donors, and surrounding community in the crucial fight against inequality, injustice, police brutality, and ongoing systemic racism. We are committed to play a part in this changing paradigm. We must all do better. Black Lives Matter.

Twenty years ago, we opened YAC on Martin Luther King’s birthday – a date we chose to always remind us of his guiding dream of equality for all people as we mentor young artists from all races, religions, nationalities, and walks of life. YAC is a diverse collective of peers and their mentors who inspire and support each other and our community through long-term mentoring and alliances.

We’ve built a community for YACsters where they are respected, valued, and feel safe. Their voices are heard, expressed, and nurtured. And we also have their backs well into adulthood. YACsters have gone on to consciously carve out creative and useful lives, caring about and enhancing the communities where they live.

Do art. Be kind.

Consider donating to and/or volunteering for these local organizations:

The Village Project in Seaside provides counseling services, after-school programs and assistance to under-served members of our community.

Whites for Racial Equity is a good site to find educational resources, community building opportunities.

Monterey County NAACP. Their mission is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination

The ACLU of Northern California is an enduring guardian of justice, fairness, equality, and freedom, working to protect and advance civil liberties for all Californians.

Reading suggestions by local authors:

Combined Destinies: Whites Sharing Grief About Racism by Ann Todd Jealous and Caroline Haskell