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IN FOCUS: ARTICLE |
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Jasmine Marshall: Making a Difference in the Twin Cities
by Amy Bryant, 10.30.07
Abuse is not just physical — it can be verbal and emotional, and can hurt just as much. |
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Jasmine "Jazzy" Marshall, 16, remembers the day her close friend told her she was pregnant. "I had recently joined the Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota (PPMNS) Twin Cities Teen Council, and it was the same day I learned about pregnancy prevention. I couldn't help wishing that I'd been able to talk to my friend about what I had learned earlier."
As part of the teen council, Jazzy, who lives in Minnesota, works to reduce the level of ignorance, promote acceptance, and stress the significance of communication between teens and the important people in their lives. "We go to schools and after-school programs and teach our peers about issues like birth control, sexually transmitted infections, body image, and healthy relationships," she says.
In the Trenches
Jazzy worries about the number of myths that teens hear about sexual health. "A common myth that a lot of teens believe is that using two condoms (male and male or male and female) is more effective than one," she says. "Not only is this not true, but using two condoms actually puts you more at risk for condom breakage."
Advocacy work is also part of the PPMNS program. "We call voters and remind them to vote," Jazzy says. "We also participated in a 'Take Back the Night' rally, in which we chanted and held signs to let citizens know we're here and that we recognize that sexual violence is a problem."
The Youth Leaders Summit
Last spring, Jazzy took part in the very first Planned Parenthood Young Leaders Summit, which was held at the Planned Parenthood 2007 Annual Conference and Health Care Institute. Teens from around the country and the Philippines came together to collaborate, brainstorm, learn, and put forward a bold, new agenda for the next generation of activists. The teens learned the basic skills of social justice work, from grassroots organizing to speaking effectively to the media on issues of sexual health and reproductive rights.
"I really enjoyed meeting teens like myself from around the United States," Jazzy says. "It's crazy, because you normally only look at what's going on in your state and your area. So bringing us all together was really fun and we all created a tight bond. It motivated me to become a better advocate and speak out on what I believe — I realized that the youth of today are tomorrow's hope."
Making Connections
After participating in an internship that focused on juvenile delinquency, Jazzy worked to link the teen council with troubled kids in the area. "At first it didn't look like it was going to happen," Jazzy says. But she persevered: "I'm now working with a group of boys from a juvenile detention center as my own project!"
The thing Jazzy loves most about her work? "Knowing that I'm making a difference, and that even though I'm a teen, I still have a voice and a place where I can be heard."
To find out how you can get involved in your area, call the Planned Parenthood affiliate nearest you at 1-800-230-PLAN. |
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