🙌🧡🙌

Stevie Wilson DIY Young Artists Residency — Interrupting Criminalization

I secured some funding last year to revive the Stevie Wilson DIY Young Artists Residency. I’m excited to announce that applications are open today until May 11 for young artists (ages 16-24) directly impacted by criminalization, policing, or punishment.

It's not easy to run youth training Institutes. As someone who has organized many such institutes over the years (as summer programs and regular school year ones), there are a number of important considerations. So I'm very interested in how More Perfect University does.

‼️Stop the Permanent Expansion of the Youth Curfew‼️

TOMORROW 🗣️ Tuesday 4/21, DC Council votes on the permanent juvenile curfew. Curfews aren’t prevention; they’re a failure to invest in youth.

Call & email DC council & tell them to vote no! Youth need opportunities, not over-policing.

1/13

Stop the Permanent Expansion of the Youth Curfew!!!

INTIMIDATION AND THREATS WITH PEPPER SPRAY
DON'T KEEP ANYONE SAFE!

Call and email your councilmembers today!

13/13

🤗💜🤗

Stop the Permanent Expansion of the Youth Curfew!!!

INTIMIDATION AND THREATS WITH PEPPER SPRAY
DON'T KEEP ANYONE SAFE!

Call and email your councilmembers today!

13/13

Claim:
Viral videos prove youth are up to no good whenever they gather in large groups.

Fact check:
Most young people are gathering to fill an unmet need of building community. The viral videos do not tell the whole story & are typically taken without context.

12/13

Claim:
Hosting teen events is “soft on crime" and rewards "bad behavior."

Fact check:
Investing in young people is smart, not "soft," and provides sustainable and fun ways to keep youth safe. It's not a reward, it's prevention.

11/13

Claim:
Enforcement will not harm youth because MPD will treat them with care & respect.

Fact check:
MPD, WMATA police, and the National Guard all patrol curfew zones, especially near public transportation sites, & witnesses have seen them harass and antagonize youth, some with pepper spray.

10/13

Claim:
The government should not be responsible for providing more teen programming.

Fact check:
Our tax dollars fund resources, spaces, & programming for all DC residents. The government is responsible for meeting the needs of its residents and for investing in communities, including youth.

9/13

Claim:
DPR teen events aren't working.

Fact check:
DPR hosted thousands of DC youth over two weekends for safe recreation & the young people want more of these events. While there are some adjustments that need to be made to improve the release from these events, they are successful overall.

8/13

The council's own report shows they know increased police contact causes significant harm for Black youth.

From the Committee On Judiciary And Public Safety Report,
April 9th 2026, Page 8

7/13

Claim:
Juvenile curfews are race-neutral.

Fact check:
Enforcement of curfews, or any other laws, has never been neutral. "Federal data shows that for decades, Black minors have been arrested for curfew and loitering charges at two or three times the rate of their white counterparts."

6/13

Claim:
Expanding the curfew doesn't harm youth, because nobody is getting arrested.

Fact check:
Even without arrest, contact with police while young is linked to emotional distress, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and higher likelihood of future criminal conduct.

5/13

Claim:
Young people are safer at home or in private

Fact check:
Many young people are not safe at home and may seek safety in numbers in public places.

4/13

Claim:
Curfew zones are effective deterrents for large teen gatherings.

Fact check:
Large teen gatherings have continued since the curfew zones were first introduced in July 2025, and some occur during the day so they are not even subject to the curfew

3/13

Claim:
Youth curfews improve public safety.

Fact check:
There is no conclusive evidence that youth curfews improve safety. In fact, there is evidence that curfews can displace or increase criminal

2/13

‼️Stop the Permanent Expansion of the Youth Curfew‼️

TOMORROW 🗣️ Tuesday 4/21, DC Council votes on the permanent juvenile curfew. Curfews aren’t prevention; they’re a failure to invest in youth.

Call & email DC council & tell them to vote no! Youth need opportunities, not over-policing.

1/13

Urgent Aid For Sahar’s Family Hi world , it’s Sahar

Sahar's son Odai needs foot surgery. It costs $4000. Since yesterday, we've raised 1181 pounds or $1564 towards the goal. There's $2436 left to go. If you can contribute any amount to the goal, I'd appreciate it. chuffed.org/project/1656... - it would be great to meet the goal by Friday.

🤗💜🤗

Learn. Speak Up. Share this.

WE do not support youth curfew zones or their unwarranted extension.

Love & Solidarity,
Critical Exposure

8/8

Youth Demands:

- Investments in youth-focused street outreach programs
- Increased funding for violence interruption & prevention.
- Greater resources to support families & facilitate home being a safe space for youth.
- Create low-barrier mental health counseling & resource hubs.

7/8

Youth Demands:

- Create after-school, late-night safe & weekend spaces for youth in the community to simply socialize & have fun.
- Investment in youth development programs for job placements, apprenticeships, & career exploration.
- Community mentorship for youth to connect with adult allies.

6/8

The presence of young people is not the crisis.

The lack of investment in them is.

5/8

Since January 1, 2025, 127 young people have been forcibly transported to the Youth Services Center in direct response to curfew violations.

Over 2,250 young people have been stopped by law enforcement since January 1, 2025.

4/8

Curfews do not create safety. They criminalize young people, particularly Black youth, for simply existing in their community & city.

Curfews push young people out of public spaces, increase unnecessary contact with the police, & ignore the real conditions that lead to harm in the first place.

3/8

Being outside shouldn’t be treated like a crime. Existing in your own city shouldn’t come with restrictions. Real safety doesn’t look like more curfews. It looks like investment, resources, and spaces where young people can actually thrive.

2/8

A fast-tracked youth curfew extension in DC is being pushed as protection, yet it risks doing what policies like this have always done: over-police, over-surveil, and criminalize Black & Latine youth.

We reject harmful curfew extensions!

1/8

Curfews are proven not to work, and yet the city continues to enact them.

Making sure that young people know where curfew zones are is a first step towards youth safety.

Here are the curfew zones for this weekend. Stay safe, everyone. Love and Solidarity 💜