December 24, 2023—My mentor in faith, Daisaku Ikeda, recently passed away. He was a giant amongst philosophers and religious leaders; he was a citizen statesman who impacted the lives of millions of people worldwide. Dr. Ikeda advocated for many principles I deeply believe in, especially mentoring youth.
Dr. Ikeda believed in providing youth with encouragement that fostered their sense of identity, empowered them with courage and wisdom, and cultivated their responsibility for the destiny of humankind. He unequivocally believed that they have the fortitude and potential to have a positive impact on what the future could be, for themselves, as well as the communities where they lived.
Dr. Ikeda also believed that adults in their lives have the responsibility to provide judgment-free support and guidance to ensure the future success of youth. Through personal example, he demonstrated the importance of mentors continuously seeking to learn, grow, and change—change from the inside out—as the result of those experiences. In addition, Dr. Ikeda advocated that mentors make time to listen, dialogue, share, or hold space for whatever dreams youth seek to explore.
This is a very challenging time to be alive—especially for those who will inherit the future. The youth of the 21st century are having to contend with ongoing vestiges of systemic racism; social justice challenges; political dysfunction; environmental crises that continue to unfold; the effects of wars in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Europe, and the undeclared wars against youth of color throughout the United States.
Their lives are compounded by mutating viruses, housing insecurity, transportation costs, as well as escalating food prices. Their education is being short-circuited by efforts to erase from American history the experiences and contributions of people of color, women, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. And if they do have the opportunity to seek higher education, college tuition potentially will equate to decades of debt.
For those of us who have dedicated our lives to making the arts equitable, inclusive, and accessible, I believe it is time for us to make comprehensive plans to ensure that 2024 is the year we prioritize the mentoring of this generation of youth—not just future arts leaders, but any youth we encounter and with whom we have a relationship—from our children and relatives to the youth up the block. I am advocating that we develop a plan of action to promote and make accessible education programs and opportunities for creative expression—music, performance, literary, or visual arts endeavors—even if it means we have to donate our time or money to enhance community efforts.
As arts practitioners and leaders, I believe it is our responsibility to ensure that these youth understand how critical the arts are to their well-being and the development of needed life skills—curiosity, wonder, the capacity for discovery, exploration, and innovation, as well as for discernment and the ability to see; to observe, to know and to appreciate the many facets and aspects of beauty.
Each one of us is where we are today because a door opened—even if we had to push our way through it. We can share what we learned from our own gritty experiences or what we gained from someone who mentored us. No matter what time we make available, no matter what life lessons we share, it can and will make a difference in the life of one or more youth.
I urge you to make 2024 your best year—the year you deepen your intention and take action to expand opportunities for our 21st-century youth to engage with the arts. As always, I would like to know what you think. I invite you to share your comments below.
Happy holidays to you and your loved ones!