A former NYC public school student shares his story of how access to the arts was crucial during his childhood, and takes to task the severe impact that further budget cuts to the arts would have on students throughout NYC if approved by the City Council––a move that would lead “to a generation of disenfranchised children from the wonders of creativity, expression, and imagination.”

Hear directly from Young Jr., who has experienced the impact of arts education firsthand and underscores its dire importance in the lives of children: “As New York City Council Members and the Administration debate the City budget, they must invest more money into school arts programs and cultural institutions… The arts saved my life–we must let it save others too.”