Panel discussion to be held on Generation Z and racial justice

Five young adults who’ve led recent efforts to bring about social change along the Midpeninsula will share their perspectives on racial justice and advocacy in a virtual panel discussion on Thursday, Aug. 6, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Moderated by former Stanford University Dean of Freshmen and Undergraduate Advising Julie Lythcott-Haims, “Youth Rising Up: Can Gen Z Lead on Social Change?” will feature Ayinde Bomar Olukotun, Divya Ganesan, Cleo Goodwin, Hele’ine Grewe and Makayla Miller. The free, public event is being presented by Embarcadero Media and the nonprofit Youth Community Service (YCS).

Olukotun, a 2020 graduate of Menlo School, was one of the organizers of the Palo Alto community protest on June 6. An incoming freshman at Pomona College, he will be studying public policy.

Ganesan is a rising senior at Castilleja School and former president of the Palo Alto Youth Council. She co-founded Real Talk, a student-led group engaging high school students in civil discourse and engagement, and also spearheaded a #2020ready campaign to engage Palo Alto youth voters.

Goodwin graduated from Gunn High School in 2018 and was a speaker at Palo Alto’s Juneteenth rally and march in downtown Palo Alto. After attending De Anza College and studying communications, Goodwin will be transferring to North Carolina Central for the upcoming academic year.

Hele’ine Grewe is a rising senior at Menlo-Atherton High School who also works part-time for the U.S. Census and as a graphic designer. The daughter of a Black father and Tongan mother, Grewe has been active in various social justice and environmental campaigns and organizations. Raised in East Palo Alto, she is the eldest of four children.

Makayla Miller, a recent graduate of Palo Alto High School, co-organized and spoke at Palo Alto’s Juneteenth march and Menlo Park’s Black LGBTQIA Lives Matter rally and march. The former president of Black Scholars United at Paly, she’s currently a student at Louisiana State University.

Lythcott-Haims is a former corporate lawyer and author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto “How to Raise an Adult.” Her second book is the award-winning prose poetry memoir “Real American,” which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. A third book, “Your Turn: How to Be an Adult,” will be published in April 2021. She serves on the boards of Foundation for a College Education, Global Citizen Year and Common Sense Media.

Registration is required to attend the event, which will be hosted on Zoom. Click here to reserve a spot.