WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:01:48.9580000" NOTE recognizability:0.821 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.8324124 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.360 A first of its kind in New Orleans, NOTE Confidence: 0.8324124 00:00:02.360 --> 00:00:04.180 a youth town hall meeting where he NOTE Confidence: 0.8324124 00:00:04.180 --> 00:00:05.868 was held today in Central City. NOTE Confidence: 0.8324124 00:00:05.870 --> 00:00:07.655 That event gave teenagers a chance to NOTE Confidence: 0.8324124 00:00:07.655 --> 00:00:09.588 make their own voices heard on the NOTE Confidence: 0.8324124 00:00:09.588 --> 00:00:11.262 biggest issues facing the city today, NOTE Confidence: 0.8324124 00:00:11.270 --> 00:00:12.104 including violent crime. NOTE Confidence: 0.8324124 00:00:12.104 --> 00:00:14.354 Sam Winstrom spoke to some of the young NOTE Confidence: 0.8324124 00:00:14.354 --> 00:00:16.394 women who have a message for city leaders. NOTE Confidence: 0.91994476 00:00:20.380 --> 00:00:21.720 If you want to see the NOTE Confidence: 0.91994476 00:00:21.720 --> 00:00:24.102 future of New Orleans, you don't NOTE Confidence: 0.91994476 00:00:24.102 --> 00:00:26.360 have to look far. The city's NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:26.360 --> 00:00:28.145 teenagers are dealing with the NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:28.145 --> 00:00:30.379 same problems as the rest of us. NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:30.380 --> 00:00:32.060 The violent crime, the pandemic, NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:32.060 --> 00:00:34.070 and the uncertainty that comes with NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:34.070 --> 00:00:36.002 it all. People really need to NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:36.002 --> 00:00:37.750 understand that people are scared. NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:37.750 --> 00:00:38.758 We're terrified. That's NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:38.760 --> 00:00:41.412 why dancing grounds and the New NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:41.412 --> 00:00:43.180 Orleans Youth Association came NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:43.251 --> 00:00:45.960 together for the Nola Youth Town hall. NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:47.563 It's a chance for teenagers in our NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:47.563 --> 00:00:49.324 city to talk about their problems NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:49.324 --> 00:00:50.688 and advocate for themselves. NOTE Confidence: 0.8453166 00:00:50.690 --> 00:00:51.798 I'm urging adults to NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:00:51.800 --> 00:00:52.908 really listen to young NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:00:52.908 --> 00:00:54.310 people and hear that, yes, NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:00:54.310 --> 00:00:56.340 it may be cyclical because we haven't NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:00:56.340 --> 00:00:57.908 addressed the root of the issue. NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:00:57.910 --> 00:00:59.578 So that's what we did and NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:00:59.580 --> 00:01:01.804 what they had to say might surprise you. NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:01.810 --> 00:01:03.749 We're scared like I just want to NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:03.750 --> 00:01:05.400 say that like we're scared and NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:05.400 --> 00:01:07.381 that's why I think that some kids NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:07.381 --> 00:01:09.025 are just not going to school. NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:09.030 --> 00:01:10.770 We don't feel heard kids don't NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:10.770 --> 00:01:12.090 have enough like chances to NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:12.090 --> 00:01:14.036 get what's out in their head and NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:14.036 --> 00:01:16.397 they get it out in a different way. NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:17.472 Ending up doing something NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:17.472 --> 00:01:18.544 that they really regret. NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:18.550 --> 00:01:19.360 Eventually we're gonna NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:19.360 --> 00:01:20.440 have a next generation. NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:20.440 --> 00:01:22.127 We're gonna have kids and I want NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:22.127 --> 00:01:23.930 them to have a secret community. NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:23.930 --> 00:01:26.225 And we grew up and give us a voice NOTE Confidence: 0.7846418 00:01:26.225 --> 00:01:28.236 and give us a chance to speak NOTE Confidence: 0.82882535 00:01:28.240 --> 00:01:29.850 our mind. Because to build a NOTE Confidence: 0.82882535 00:01:29.850 --> 00:01:32.301 better future, we need to listen NOTE Confidence: 0.82882535 00:01:32.301 --> 00:01:35.480 to each other today. Sam windstrom NOTE Confidence: 0.83603513 00:01:37.460 --> 00:01:39.668 Eyewitness News. Today's event was put NOTE Confidence: 0.83603513 00:01:39.670 --> 00:01:42.190 on by dancing grounds and the New Orleans NOTE Confidence: 0.83603513 00:01:42.190 --> 00:01:44.169 Youth Alliance for information about NOTE Confidence: 0.83603513 00:01:44.169 --> 00:01:46.314 future events from those organizations. NOTE Confidence: 0.83603513 00:01:46.320 --> 00:01:48.958 Head on over to our website, wwltv.com.