Call to Action: Teen Civics Ambassadors Talk Cultural Representation and Inclusion
The New York Public Library’s Teen Civics Ambassadors program brings together 10th–12th grade students to help develop job readiness and leadership skills with a focus on library resources, civics, and peer-to-peer engagement. Ambassadors work at library branches across the city where they create fun, exciting events, and resources for other teens encouraging them to become active participants in their communities
This past summer Ambassadors worked in small groups to identify issues, research possible solutions, and then present to local officials. The Call to Action blog series is dedicated to sharing these projects by inviting readers to learn and be a part of the Ambassadors' desire to make change in their communities. For more information about making change, view this resource page about NYC voting and elections for teens.
Teen Civics Ambassadors share data on representation in children's books
Throughout the summer, we engaged in research, group discussions, and trips to help expand our knowledge about civics issues. This program allowed us to dive deep into topics like gentrification, lack of cultural inclusion and representation, climate change, educational inequity, and mental health. By exploring these issues, we developed a stronger understanding of the impact of these issues not only in the city, but around the world.
We chose to focus on the lack of cultural inclusion and representation because when people are represented, they feel seen. The research began by focusing on specific root causes to tackle our broader issue. Our group looked into the historical aspects of cultural representation, examining segregation in schools, the impact of Jim Crow laws, and the ongoing effects on Black students' education.
Many students in our city today don’t see themselves represented in education. For instance, “While male students of color make up 43% of NYC’s public school demographic, only 8.3% of the entire teacher workforce is made up of Black, Latino and Asian men (NYC Men Teach).” Additionally, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center put out data in 2018 that only 10% of books for kids depicted African/African American characters, 7% depicted Asian Pacific Islander/Asian Pacific American characters, 5% depicted Latinx characters, and 1% depicted American Indians/First Nations characters.
Teen Ambassadors hold banned or challenged titles for teens at NYPL's Freedom to Read Day of Action
Young people are further negatively impacted when books are banned. Book bans are implemented because some people find issues in the content or ideas portrayed in certain books. Many of these book bans aren’t reasonable, because they shed light on important issues that need to be talked about. For example, according to 2023 data collected by Unite Against Book Bans, an initiative of the American Library Association, "47% of the books targeted for censorship were titles representing the voices and lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals." Those who support book bans want to sugarcoat and even hide serious topics through censorship.
When children don’t see themselves represented in their education or books, they are less likely to be fully supported and engaged. Organizations such as We Need Diverse Books and NYC Men Teach are working to create a better future for representation in these fields. We also believe that Teen Ambassadors at The New York Public Library could play a role in organizing and promoting cultural events, fairs, and books.
The Teen Civics Ambassador program is a great way to start this process of advocacy— applications are currently open!
Want to read about this topic? NYPL's Teen Voices magazine featuring essays from teens about why the freedom to read is important to them, then explore NYPL’s Teen Banned Book Club featuring diverse books that have been banned or challenged across the country. Previous titles include Each of Us a Desert by Mark Oshiro, All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes, and Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron. Our current Teen Banned Book Club title is Flamer by Mike Curato with upcoming titles Run by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, illustrated by L. Fury and Nate Powell, Go with the Flow by Karen Schneeman and Lily Williams, and The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen. Start reading today!