This is Us

Learn about our set of diverse, hardworking, and accepting members who strive to help bring prosperity to the valley.

Since the club’s foundation in late 2019, the Truth to Power club has always been oriented around a consistent focus on community activism. Our first podcast, which we submitted to the 2019-2020 NPR Student Podcast Competition, was an authentic reflection on coping with anxiety as a high schooler facing the immense issues present in the status quo. Since then, we’ve shifted focus but remained consistent in presenting a teen point of view. It remains wholly important to us that we give back to the community we live in, but also that we remain authentic to our perspective as young people in the Rogue Valley.

For us, “Truth to Power” has always maintained a couple of meanings. Initially, we saw it as speaking truth to power in the face of corruption - speaking out against large corporations and unjust politicians who seem to shy away from the truth of the people, often not listening to the voices of whom their actions affect. Now, our conception of the name has evolved, and we additionally understand it to convey gaining the power that comes from amplifying the truth. As we share the truth of those who often go unheard, it reclaims the power from corrupt institutions who often abuse it, and instead, transfers it to the hands of the people.

The members of our group represent a wide variety of interests and identities, allowing us to approach a large assortment of topics within our projects. Oftentimes, we’ll have multiple projects going at once, whether it be organizing an event or working on different podcasts, and we’ll have club members working in a variety of topic areas. Regardless of how many different tasks we take on, we always make an effort to communicate with each other and check in each time we meet to offer support or encouragement to our other team members. One of the core goals we hope to maintain in the club is to foster a community where teens feel like they have an opportunity to express their opinions and to provide a platform for them to share their voices. By working to keep up a positive and safe environment, not only are we ensuring that we create a community within our own group, but we are also constantly encouraging each other to work as a team to create a healthy community within Southern Oregon.

Within Ashland, we see that people often tend to advocate for change and talk about the need to resolve certain injustices, but little action is taken after discussions are had. Thus, the work that we do in this club is always oriented around tangible actions that can be taken in the community in effort to adjust the systems in need of change in our area. We hope to inspire action, not just talk. Every Truth to Power Podcast is accompanied by a local service project that is connected to the topic. What would be the objective of pointing out problems if not to hope to provide some form of solvency?

We’ll continue to uplift and amplify voices of those unheard, and do so with open minds and full hearts. We’re excited to continue to speak Truth to Power, and we hope that you’ll do the same.