July 2026
There is a fire against us. And in the end, the fire could burn us, or ignite us into an unstoppable force.
-Israh Azizi
As we look forward to our annual Activism@Work program, I am excited to share that we hired our community organizer, Sherman Semujju, who is a young Ugandan college student studying at Metropolitan State University (MSU). He will connect with middle schools, high schools, Community College of Aurora, nonprofits, and popular public spaces so that word about our program will get out to everyone and anyone who may be remotely interested in becoming a leader within our communities.
As I reflect on our luck in finding a capable community organizer, I am aware of what obstacles and challenges we are facing in our world. The world feels like it is figuratively and literally on fire. We have wars on all fronts and our federal government seems unhinged in contributing to the domestic and international violence. We have extreme heat waves throughout the globe and there seems no end in sight for the 40% of our earth that is in a major drought. Imagine, 60% of the population is directly exposed to this drought. Even here in Colorado, it is one of the driest, warmest years in our history. And there are dozens of forest fires north, west, and south of us.
We all know that climate change is real and changing our ‘normal;’ we know that the lack of resources is pitting nations against each other; we know that tensions are flaring between communities over leftovers; and we know that we are wary of each other.
So how do we develop young people to lead during such precarious times? We need young people to fully embrace all their identities and experiences because this process will enable them to connect with their different communities. It will help them to love themselves and love their people. This love provides the impetus to do the work that is necessary to help restore our human and natural communities. You cannot have one without the other; they are interconnected and therefore our work should integrate both.
I am more convinced that our program is essential for the challenges that lie ahead for all of us, especially young people. We want students who feel like they don’t matter; we want young people who feel that they don’t have a voice; we want people who feel invisible. Because we believe and know that they are the future of Aurora and beyond. They do matter, they do have a voice, and they have powerful presences. This is what our organization and our programs are all about - you and us working together for our communities.
Sam Joo
CEO and Founder
July 1, 2026