K.I.D.S. and the youth liberation conference

By Adele Carpenter

Fungus from the Drop Out Collective

"In the vast world of dry activist struggles and worthwhile (although typical) causes, there seemed to be a lack in flavor and a black hole vacuuming out the colors of youthful energy. Where many activists themselves flaunted the flag of idealism, crystal clear motives, and the mentality that they were so right on in their work, they also seemed to be alienating the youngest of the crowd with ageist criticisms. `I remember when I was young and idealistic too,' they would say, or `yes, they're going through their rebellious phase right now.' Worst of all was `they are too young to know what they are talking about, so it doesn't matter anyway. They'll understand when they are older.' Such was a reflection of the operational norm of society." ~K.I.D.S.' conference zine

Neither expected to be part of the activist community, nor always embraced when we are, feared and used as a scapegoat for society at large, and reduced to "precious resources" by those who support us, it is time for young people to stop accepting the top down approaches taken by the adults to "protect us." In truth it is the interests of the establishment that need to be protected from youth. Young people, naturally resistant to subordination and submission, can see an institution for what it is. It is no mistake that our lives are kept on hold for the first eighteen years while we "develop" (or are brainwashed) into rigid patterns of behavior based on class, race, age, and sex and "learn" (or are indoctrinated with) their methods of living and learning.

The word "radical" refers to the root, or the fundamentals of an issue (of course we only learned this in school in math class with radical numbers and square roots). To be radical is to go to the root of the problem. "Youth liberation" involves the liberation of the "spirit of youth. We aren't just freeing kids, we are freeing what it is to be a kid." It attacks the basic process in which youth's ideas are invalidated and ignored and the youth are simultaneously pumped full of manufactured propaganda and conditioned to accept the absurdities they can no longer identify. Youth liberation raises the bullshit flag on the adultocracy which insists that fun, pleasure, and idealism are things of childhood, and anybody who openly indulges in any of them is "immature."

The oppression of youth is something that may not be so easily recognizable, as we are all conditioned to accept it, even internalize that ageism and invalidate our peers or ourselves. However, the more familiar one becomes with the nature and motivating factors behind the oppression of youth, the more blaringly obvious these injustices become.

Emily Nepon from the Self Education Foundation

There are many groups that recognize the systematic oppression of youth and work in their own communities to counteract this. Their activities range from publishing and distributing zines, challenging unjust curfew laws, learning to deal with the ridiculous farce of a juvenile justice system, unschooling, battling commercialism in schools, fighting censorship, creating music and artwork, and just plain having fun.

Youth liberation is nothing new. Rebellious youth have been fucking shit up for as long as anyone can remember, but the movement, name of no name, lacks the cohesiveness and formal organization of many other liberation struggles (though this may be part of the beauty of it). Still, a stronger documentation of past youth liberation work and wider outreach are both desired to help revolutionary kids from having to start from scratch, like most youth liberation groups do.

K.I.D.S., a Portland-based youth liberation group decided that it was about time to call together the high council of cool kids...give a renewed sense of urgency and momentum to the movement...get kids hearts pounding in their chests.

It wasn't the lack of air in the gym or even the anti-climatic pomp and ceremony devoted to my high school graduation that was making me restless as I watched 435 smiling seniors eagerly snatch their long-waited-for, oh-so-important pieces of paper that would supposedly guarantee them all of the joy, wonder, and success that came with a 9 to 5 job, wave to mom and dad, and skip off stage. There was something else on my mind. I was gone. I was marching off somewhere in an army of bratty kids in red hoodies...their mission too important to stop for graduation ceremonies. The next day was the culmination of a year's worth of networking, publishing, and planning, plus late night flyering, slumber parties, and meetings ranging from super fun to super intense...the three day extravaganza taking place just in time to celebrate many kids escape from school.

Angie, Tim, and an unidentified bystander listen to Mike Males

Later, as I parked the car in front of Andrea's house I checked for essentials: hula hoop, bike, pots, pans, boombox, posterboard, markers, pogoball, and other instruments of mischief-making. I waltzed up to her door, still in cap and gown, celebration root beer in hand, and was greeted by a couple of giggles and what looked like some underground meeting of a secret society of rad kids, many having just hopped in, leaning against their back packs. The night before, we sat around figuring out the final details and trying our best to stay focused despite our nervousness and excitement. It was a short night. Kinko's felt the monstrous wrath of kids one final time, and before we knew it, it was the morning of the 16th.

The first day was kind of slow. Kids chatted and milled in and out of the zine and tabling room on the second floor of Portland State University's Smith Memorial Center. People had come from all over: Portland, Seattle, Olympia, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Canada. Plus, many youth advocacy and liberation groups were represented: Sacramento's Dropout, Phillie's Self Education Foundation, the Florida contingent of youth lib-ers, Peacefire, Seattle's Oblivion, Juvenile Rights Project, and several individuals who have made contributions as zinesters, artists and activists. We could hardly go wrong with so many cool kids around. We were bound to have a good time. By afternoon the group of about 100 people gathered for introductions and what turned out to be a very productive discussion on building a movement. Tim Groves and Emily of Philadelphia's Self Education Foundation facilitated as everyone threw out their ideas on what a society free of ageism would be like. Zip and Angie served a delicious dinner of Pad Thai before the evening festivities started up. Performances by Deversion, Uptown Shem and Sarah O Donnell were followed by some energetic games of human bowling, indoor volleyball, campfire singing, and a session of hardcore musical chairs that remained mostly non-violent.

Mike Males runs down the numbers

Nine a.m. the next morning and it looked like people must have had a late night. Workshops that day included Juvenile Rights, Unschooling, Repairing Sex Ed., Childhood and Lifecycle Development, Queer Youth Issues, Internet Censorship, Counter Military Recruiting Tactics, Psychiatric Oppression of Youth, and Ageism Affecting Everyone (including seniors). After filling up on PBJ and watermelon, a series of exciting freeskool classes took place: Pirate Radio, Self Defense, Talking to your Parents about Dropping Out, D.I.Y. Hip Hop, Bike Repair, How to Make Money Traveling, Zine Making, Small Comics, and Silk Screening. Things were starting to pick up. When the silk screening class showed up wearing patches reading "Youth Gone Wild," it was clear people were getting into it. That evening Mike Males, author of Scapegoat Generation and Framing Youth, gave an enlightening presentation on how anti-youth measures like curfews and California's Proposition 21 are being imposed on youth who are actually showing decreasing crime trends, despite the massive reactionary blaming of youth that would have us believe otherwise.

Saturday night the first ever Freeskool Prom was hosted. Tons of kids, many dressed up for the occasion, came to bust a move. At midnight, a group of about 20 renegade riders, rumored to be from the youth liberation conference, crashed the Bike Gallery's high profile 3,000 person strong "Full Moon Ride," in what has now become known as "Critical Ass." A landmark night in youth liberation history, the 20 bikers gained converts among the surprised bicyclists and managed to evade police for hours and over fifteen miles until they crossed the finish line as one big naked clot in front of hundreds. Besides being a hell of a lot of fun, this was indicative of the utter coolness resonating throughout the city from the downtown conference.

Zip, zinester and hellraiser extraordinaire

Among Sunday's workshops were D.I.Y. labor organizing, History of Compulsory Schooling, Preventing Activist Burnout, Surviving School, Money: Fun(d)raising as movement building, K.I.D.S. Q&A, Schools in a True Democracy, and Radical Parenting. The Teen Pony and the founder of Portland's City Repair Project joined us for an afternoon lemonade party and presentation. At 4 p.m., the kids, following in the wake of that morning's Pride parade, took over Burnside and other city streets with drums and bikes in a celebration of youth. Singing Skid Row songs and banging instruments, we were not harassed once by the police and received a good response from most of the spectators.

A closing discussion on the youth liberation movement was held before everyone went their separate ways. Everyone agreed they had had a good time, but that a youth liberation summer camp would have been more appropriate since they were just getting to know everyone. Most people seemed heartened by the conference, reminded of the potential of youth liberation. The conference had embodied what makes the movement fundamentally different from others: 100% uncompromising, unco-opted, original, spontaneous, straight-up, kid-style fun.

For more information, or to receive a copy of "Revolution Kid Style:"

K.I.D.S.
PO Box 2624
Portland, OR 97208
(503) 242-1560
pdxkids@hotmail.com