On Monday, May 4, through the Building Bridges program, local youth had the opportunity to hear from Tommy Bouyer, an African American man who lived in the South during the Civil Rights Movement. Bouyer spoke about participating in sit-in protests in one of the most racist towns in America and described being beaten and stripped of his humanity during the fight for equality.

Building Bridges is an initiative in partnership with the White Plains Youth Bureau that aims to bring together a diverse group of students through roundtable discussions, guest speakers and more.

Topics range from stereotypes and community to what it means to be a leader means during times of hardship.

Students in grades 9–12 meet at Bethel Baptist Church every other Monday from 6–7 p.m.

Jack Kriegel, a junior at The Leffell School, said his favorite part of the program is “meeting and listening to other people that I may not have known or been in contact with. There are a lot of people whom I’ve spoken to and gotten the opportunity to, you know, ‘break bread’ with.”

Looking ahead, the program hopes to take students to the Holocaust Museum and the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. to help students gain greater insight into the history and struggles of different communities.

Frank Williams, director of the White Plains Youth Bureau and organizer of Building Bridges, said he hopes students become “the voice of action” through the program.

“It’s an incredible community, and my only regret is not joining sooner,” said Danielle Mitchell, a White Plains High School senior.

On June 1, Building Bridges will host its final meeting of the 2025–2026 school year. The event will feature plenty of food and interesting discussion. The organizers encourage interested students to attend!