Giving A Voice To The Youth

By Sterling Davies | OBSERVER Staff Writer When 18-year-old Donsray Hicks III went to a Kings game in February and ran into an old friend, he didn’t know it would lead to door-to-door surveys and projects at River Cats games that only deepened his passion for public policy and civic engagement. After being introduced to a youth engagement program within his high school, he busied himself with jobs and roles in his community to not only help his family but also others who have gone through similar struggles. As a kid, Hicks remembers his family’s housing instability and occasionally living with relatives. His brothers were also in and out of jail during his childhood, and when he was 14, his twin sister died after an illness. Struggling with these traumas has heightened his purpose in life to advocate for his community and others. “I try to make the best out of what I’m given in every day of life,” he said. DonsRayHicks III, 18, one of the young men who graduated from the 2024 cohort, emphasized the importance of community advocacy. Madelaine Church, OBSERVER. Hicks was one of 18 young men who graduated from the fifth cohort of the My...