Jason Reynolds and Kessley Janvier — On Being Young In America

28 snips

May 8, 2025

Guest

Kessley Janvier

Guest

Jason Reynolds

In this engaging discussion, bestselling author Jason Reynolds, who has earned accolades including the Newbury and Coretta Scott King awards, joins Georgetown senior Kessley Janvier, a passionate advocate for social justice. They delve into the emotional journey of young adulthood, navigating hope and exhaustion amid societal challenges. The conversation highlights the vital need for connection and mentorship across generations, the balance between activism and well-being, and the transformative power of storytelling in inspiring change.

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INSIGHT

Authentic Activism Requires Sacrifice

Genuine activism is inconvenient and requires sacrifice beyond convenience.
If protesting puts your livelihood at risk, personal interest often outweighs collective fight.

INSIGHT

Child's Sound Resonates With Humanity

The resonant sound of a cooing child unites humanity beyond race, gender, or beliefs.
Respecting others simply because they are themselves can help move anti-racism work forward.

INSIGHT

Youth Awareness Isn’t Hypersensitivity

Younger generations are not overly sensitive but more aware and reject past complacency.
Naming and understanding problems help them refuse to tolerate injustice.

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A heavy complexity is on the shoulders of the young of our species in these years — humans growing up in this time. At the same time, from the digital revolution and AI to the ecology and society, they have wisdom and instincts in their bones that will be essential if we are all to flourish and not merely survive this century. In November 2024, the Georgetown University Collaborative on Global Children’s Issues brought Krista together with esteemed children’s and young adult writer Jason Reynolds and Georgetown student Kessley Janvier. The encounter between the three of them spans generations from the 20s to the 40s to the 60s and extended out to a room of people of all ages and walks of life. The wisdom that unfolded is as much about who we will be and how we will be as what we have before us to do, each in our own lives.

Jason Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author of over 20 books for children and young adults. From 2020–2022 he served as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Among many honors, he has received the Newbury, Printz, and Coretta Scott King awards and in 2024 was named a MacArthur Fellow. He is on faculty at Lesley University for the Writing for Young People MFA Program.

Kessley Janvier is a senior at Georgetown University, majoring in history. She’s former president of the Georgetown University NAACP. She has organized around reparations, as part of Hoyas Advocating for Slavery Accountability, and she has also led efforts to promote climate justice, police accountability, and racial justice.

Special thanks this week to Gillian Huebner, Ian Manzi, Rabbi Rachel Gartner and Derek Goldman.

On Being Young in America was sponsored by the Culture of Encounter Project and was convened by the Collaborative on Global Children's Issues, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University in collaboration with The On Being Project.

Find an excellent transcript of this show, edited by humans, on our show page.

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