Liberation Fund Prom for incarcerated youth girls

Several young women and gender-expansive youth danced and partied at the LINE LA hotel on Friday night at the “Liberation Fund Prom”. The Liberation Fund Prom was hosted by Liberty Hill in recognition of the leadership of young people who are actively organizing to end social inequalities for young women and gender-expansive youth. Gender-expansive youth is an umbrella term for those who do not follow gender stereotypes, or who expand ideas of gender expression or gender identity.
The Liberation Fund was created in order to ensure that no young woman or young person across the gender spectrum spends time in ineffective and abusive systems. This dance was different from other proms being held this year in that the attendees had experienced LA County’s youth prison system and convened to ensure that no more girls and gender-expansive youth would ever be incarcerated in the system.
“Girls and gender-expansive youth who come through the justice system often miss out on the key milestones that other teens might take for granted,” said Lisa Small, senior director of Youth Justice at Liberty Hill Foundation. “The Liberation Prom offered a chance to dance the night away like any ordinary young person — but these youth are extraordinary, and they’re going to end incarceration in LA County for girls and gender-expansive youth.”
The event was a prom styled dance party. Youth leaders got their hair and make-up prepped for the evening with an exclusive “glam suite” at the hotel. All guests received flower corsages. Youth leaders were honored in a “sash ceremony” to recognize their extraordinary work. Afterwards, attendees danced under tinsel-decorated lights.
“I didn’t get to attend my own prom, so it was emotional for me to get dressed up and shine,” said Ka’lee Matthews, a youth fellow with Young Women’s Freedom Center, who received a sash in the sash ceremony. “The work we’re doing, I’m doing it for my younger sister and for all the girls who are still in the system.”
Additionally, the event included speakers who addressed the goals of the Liberation Fund grantee partners. The Liberation Fund grantee partners are a collaborative blueprint that will pave the way for Los Angeles County to become the largest jurisdiction in the nation to end the incarceration of girls and gender expansive youth.
“The proportion of girls and gender-expansive young people in the youth justice system has increased over the last 20 years,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez.
“The Liberation Fund is addressing the root causes of incarceration that are unique to this population. They are creating a Care First model that disrupts the school-to-prison pipeline and ends the incarceration of girls and gender-expansive youth in Los Angeles County.”
Organizations that joined the Liberation Fund Prom include Young Women’s Freedom Center, Students Deserve, Beloved Community Housing, and Arts for Healing and Justice Network.