Cierra Lemott 
The Activation Tour 2024 YJAM Edition touched down in Chicago and attendees, performers and organizers alike had a great time building community and showcasing their musical talents.
Held at Healthy Hood, this event was filled with youth impacted by someone they know or themselves being incarcerated. The event consisted of a panel featuring youth speaking on their experience with the criminal justice system. The event’s purpose was to bring more awareness to youth incarceration and put a stop to it.
DayOne, founder, creator and organizer of this event, helped with securing funding as well as planning the event overall. He said that this event started as just a thought that later turned into an entire tour.
“For the better part of this year, we’ve been traveling the country, connecting with communities and using music, arts and culture to really amplify what change could look like and to impact the issues that are really facing young people all across the country,” said DayOne.
This section of the tour is centered around Youth Justice Action Month. Instead of having thoughts and ideas of what a better world could look like, the creators of this event are using their talents to spread what they know while improving the lives of others in the process.
Live performances also took place. Performing artists include DayOneNotDayTwo, Chairman Allen, Z Saj, InciteTheMindfulRapper, Saan, Afeni and Recoe Chi. There was high energy from the artists and the crowd and a lot of love shown to all of the performers.
Attendees were also broken into groups where they discussed issues that youth face in their daily lives, including youth incarceration, as well as solutions to these common and difficult issues.
“What does the future look like with true peace? No youth incarceration, no more bars, except for rap bars,” said Chairman Allen, DayOne’s co-chair of Healthy Hood.
More events like this should happen for the youth to develop a sense of community while also learning from their peers and generating solutions to these deep-rooted issues that many youth encounter.
By Cierra Lemott, Columbia College Chicago alum
Instagram: @kodakscamera
X: @LemottCierra
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