Changemaker Spotlight: January 2021
Eugene Parrish
Americorps Member,
Changeist est. 2019
In one sentence, what do you do?
I am an AmeriCorps Member working with Changeist, a youth-led Saturday Program.
What drew you to the work you are doing with Changeist?
I was born and raised in Stockton, but I didn’t have a close connection with the city that I called home. I applied to be an AmeriCorp Member with Changeist in 2019 to get a hands-on connection within my community. Growing up, my peers and I heard alike language around that youth are the leaders of tomorrow, but when it was time for us to lead - we were told that our experiences were too juvenile to have a say. Changeist believes in the opposite, they believed that young folks are the leaders of today and that they can start making meaningful change in their communities today.
What inspires you about Stockton?
What inspires me most about my city is that we are resilient. There have been so many negative narratives made up about the city that I call home, but what inspires me is that we are still here and still standing strong. When I think of Stockton, I think about the great future this city is going to have with the influence and work of young people.
What advice do you have for those looking to make change in Stockton?
The only advice I can offer is what I have learned from community leaders in Stockton: we have to upset the setup, which includes speaking up and out for the voices most marginalized in our community. We have to make noise in the spaces that have been dormant too long.
You're an innovator in your field. With the world rapidly changing around us, how are you adapting and what support can Third City Coalition members offer?
In this current state of our ever-changing world, I adapt by taking it one day at a time. In the memory of my late mother, she always told me to stop dwelling so much on what the future may look like, the only guarantee is right now. I have to credit the mental health professionals that I sought out during this pandemic. Accessible, quality mental health is hard to come by these days and I’d like to see more of it being offered to Stockton residents. Third City Coalition can support this by advocating for mental health resources for our community.