Yet, like the people he admires the most, Milton's most rewarding experience is, "Helping younger kids to make a change in their lives as a result of the simple things that I do with VAMP," a theater group he helps to direct. VAMP performs skits having to do with substance abuse, peer pressure, sex awareness. "The role playing is real and it helps kids overcome the problems they face on a daily basis. I tell kids, you can't let fear follow you, you need to develop an understanding about how to handle these problems," he stated.
At the same time, Milton serves on a Student Advisory Council that meets regularly with the superintendents of the D.C. schools. He has recommended many ways for students to take more of an active and vocal interest in politics, most recently organizing a mock election in 146 schools in the D.C. area. He has also helped to organize a youth summit throughout the city at which young people can express their views about everything from violence to public transportation. "This is very important," Milton said, "because as youth, all of us deal with violence, with education issues, we all should care who is President, and youth as a whole need to become aware." Awareness, however, is the first step. He says, "When kids see people like me getting involved, working for Congress, they realize that they can get involved, too. Kids think that parents handle everything for us, but we can communicate our views on these matters, too."
Milton's position as an adolescent working in an adult world might seem intimidating or difficult, however, he handles these types of situations just as well as he performs on stage. He contends that respect is gained by leaders when he shows, not tells. "One cannot just speak about their concern, one must go out and do something about it," Milton says. "You have to be about what you are saying, you have to know what you believe in."
That's why his mission is to get rid of some of the cynicism kids have about politics and politicians. "I want to bridge the gap between youth and politics," Milton says. He speaks of our time to come, "We are not generation X which suggests uncertainty and the unknown. We are generation next!" Milton believes that our generation is "proud to be diverse" and for that reason, sometimes we are feared by our elders because, he says, "It is human nature to be afraid of change." Our generation is not swayed by color, or the music we listen to, whether it is part of a black or white culture. Because of that, "Our generation is on the verge of greatness. However, we must change the laziness in our society and the cocky attitudes we have as Americans. Other countries have wonderful cultures that they are just as proud of," he states. "If we respect each other's differences, compromise can come about," he adds.
Clearly, you don't have to wait until you're thirty to get involved in the destiny of our nation and our generation. As Eric Clapton says,"Baby, if I could change the world..." if our generation is empowered by leaders like Milton Boyd, we can and will change the world.
