Law Under Curious Minds Youth Advocates: A Black and Latinx Youth Centered Virtual Public Investigation of the Impact of COVID-19 in Chicago

Morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 disproportionately affects Black and Latinx families in Chicago and nationwide undermining children’s human rights to health, education, and a standard of living adequate for children's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development, as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This essay highlights how youth of color are also positioned to exercise their human right to be heard and to improve conditions for their communities when they can be community researchers and activists.  The Empowering Counseling Program (ECP) virtually engaged forty-six youth of color (ages 14-19) in Chicago as co-researchers in a participatory public investigation of their communities during the pandemic. The ECP’s rights-based after school and summer program, Law Under Curious Minds: Youth Advocates (LUCM), engaged youth in creating and administering a COVID-19 community needs assessment of citizens’ experiences and needs, co-analyzing data, co-creating action oriented projects, and co-presenting findings and projects to stakeholders and policymakers in a community forum. The implications of the ECP’s public investigation for the human rights of children are many. First, Black and Latinx youth are intent on exercising their right to be heard and are motivated towards positive social change for their communities. Second, a rights-based model of programming may be replicated, promoting youths’ participation, engagement, and benefit from after school and summer programs. Third, this form of assessment can lead to improved connections between families and resources, as well as policy improvements. Finally, this public investigation demonstrates that youth are capable allies in remedying human rights violations, highlighting the value of research orientations that center youth voice in human rights discussions.