This Week
This week, PA State Rep. Chris Rabb hosted a “Civic Therapy” event that brought together members of the NW Philadelphia community to discuss how we can resist. He kicked off the evening by encouraging everyone to throw obedience out the window. Then he emphatically called out, “Diversity!” “Equity!” “Inclusion!” and other words that many private organizations are proactively banning in response to Trump’s Executive Order 14151.
After Rep. Rabb’s kickoff and a small panel discussion, we all got up and found a table on the topic that most interested us: Immigration, Healthcare, Education, LGBTQIA+ and others. Each table had a volunteer facilitator representing an organization that did work related to the issue. It was a way to connect community members to each other and also to non-profits that are working on issues that matter most to them. Imagine if all our State Reps hosted events like this…
Rep. Rabb is an excellent speaker, and his opening set a tone of inspiration and empowerment.
Meet Sam Demma
My podcast guest this week is also an inspiring and empowering speaker. Sam Demma is only 25 years old and began his journey after a soccer injury pushed him to find a new passion beyond sports. He started by picking up trash around his community which turned into a 6-year project that mobilized young people to volunteer at 350 community cleanup events, filling over 3,000 bags of garbage!
As he recruited volunteers from local high schools, he discovered his superpower (h/t Aaron Mitchell) of connecting with audiences. He was able to engage young people from the stage. He now speaks throughout Canada and the U.S.
Sam described his purpose as “striving to build better humans.” He does this by helping young people (and adults) think about the negative stories they are carrying that keep them from pursuing their passions. He also asks them to consider what others might be carrying on their backs and to be kind. Sam uses the metaphor of a giant red backpack to bring this idea to life and encourages audiences to Empty Your Backpack (also the name of his book).
He shared a couple examples with me of how this works in real life. A 10-year-old boy is inspired to tell his dad, who does not treat him well, that he is going to live with his mom. A corporate leader is inspired to quit his job and start a bike repair shop, which had been his dream since childhood. I think about how the world would be different if more people felt free to make their own choices rather than acting on what others expect of them.
Sam also hosts a podcast called The High Performing Educator where he highlights educators who are positively influencing young people. One of the episodes is an interview with Mr. Loudfoot, the teacher that inspired Sam to take small, consistent actions to make a big difference. This was the message that led Sam to start picking up trash in his neighborhood, setting him on a journey that he continues today.
We might believe that to create positive change in the world, we need to influence policy and government. Yet the educators who help guide young people into adulthood can also create positive change. As Sam Demma strives to build better humans—by encouraging their self-awareness, their sensitivity to the struggles that others face, and the freedom to pursue their passions—he is also helping to build a better world.
Share this post