Asian Empowerment Festival

You may remember 18-year-old Senta Johnson from the “Black Lives Matter Festival” in July 2020, at the height of the global pandemic. There she was, this young Filipino woman with such genuine joy for life, and it seems an affinity for causes more seasoned adults shy away from. She was the lead organizer for the 2020 “Black Lives Matter Festival” and has been a consistent presence at protests and rallies calling for change and social justice across the board. Johnson believes in “Love in Action.” In other words, Do something…Show that you care. This young woman shows that she cares, and she does it on many levels.
The daughter of an immigrant from the Philippines, Johnson has a keen awareness of ethnic biases and racial hatred. Recently, boys from her high school were convicted of hate crimes toward an Asian American business owner. Johnson has become extremely passionate about the rise in hateful acts directed at Asian Americans and other people of color. The term “China Virus” has become a normalized slur in America’s vocabulary when referring to Covid-19.
A social justice issue that does not attract much attention is the plight of the Asian American community. In 2020 there were 3800 anti-Asian hate crimes reported. The numbers reflect a 150% increase in xenophobic actions across America, with 97 of them in Pennsylvania and 59 in New Jersey, according to research from Stop AAPI Hate, which launched in March 2020.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/stop-asian-hate-crimes-philadelphia-aapi-violence-coronavirus-20210318.html
Johnson has attended the vigils for the victims of the racially charged shootings in Atlanta. She’s internalized the pain of the victim’s families and has turned that pain into action by putting together the Festival for Asian Empowerment.
Since I last encountered her at the Black Lives Matter event, Johnson has become President of the Media NAACP Youth Council; spearheaded numerous community events surrounding voter registration, youth empowerment, and diversity-informed curriculum changes. She’s also started her first year at Drexel University, majoring in Global Studies with a concentration in Sustainability. Johnson hopes to use her academics to spread awareness and lead projects regarding environmental preservation.
The Asian Empowerment Festival will feature Philadelphia Councilwoman Helen Gym, the first Asian American woman elected to city council along with a wide range of other speakers from the political, business, and private sectors. Students and other youth will have ample opportunity to voice their concerns and express their sentiments. There will be local minority business owners showcasing their products and services, diversity-related literature, live music, children’s activities, and much more.
Please come out on Saturday, May 1, 2021, from 2 pm to 5 pm on the lawn at the Media County Courthouse. It promises to be an interesting and informative experience, one that is certain to leave you with a better understanding of the world in which we live and the people with whom we share it. Hosted by the NAACP Media Youth Council, this event urges everyone to take a stance against xenophobia.
You have the sense that Senta Johnson will never stop seeking what seems to be unattainable and won’t settle for what’s unacceptable. This isn’t the last you’ll be hearing from this indomitable young woman. She is definitely poised to accomplish great things in the future. Today, many people see our youth as not having direction; but that’s not Johnson. Senta Johnson is an example of courage and commitment, and I am excited to see where this journey takes her.