IMAN Leader Spotlight: Aaron Felton
Youth leader Aaron Felton recently sat down with Communications Coordinator Dallas Wright to reflect on his introduction to IMAN, as well as some this year’s brightest moments. Aaron is currently serving as IMAN Arts & Culture Engagement Ally through a Public Allies fellowship, while also majoring in Computer Science at Richard J. Daley College on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
Aaron, how did you first get involved with IMAN?
I got involved at IMAN in early 2015 through BuildOn, which is an org I was connected to through Gage Park High School. Several youth at my school were volunteering at IMAN’s Farmers Market, and so I decided to join that effort as a part of my BuildOn service. I started out supporting the music and artistic aspects of the market, and then I began connecting to more campaigns and more programs at IMAN as time passed.
I loved the community at IMAN when I first got there. It seemed that my networks were already interconnected with the staff and other leaders at IMAN. Everyone knew someone that I knew, through music or art or community building. People had great things to say about IMAN, and that opened me up to having a great relationship with IMAN folks.
What have been some highlights of your time as an IMAN leader?
Visiting the White House this year for the Eid Dinner and seeing the President was an amazing experience. I feel truly blessed to have done that. I also traveled to Atlanta to support the first CommUNITY Café there this past April. Spending time on the road with other leaders and staff, I’ll carry memories of that for a long time. That was a special trip, because I got to enjoy a few of my favorite artists while I was volunteering and I was also able to tour the city of Atlanta. I’ll also never forget the Ta’leef Collective retreat in California that I attended this fall. In addition to learning more about my faith and bonding with others from across the country, that retreat was a really beneficial space for leadership development.
What advice do you have for young people looking to make an impact in their communities?
Don’t keep quiet about the changes you want to see in your community. A lot of young people, including myself, we complain about how things are and we complain about the elders not listening to us. I’ve learned that this isn’t really the case. Young people do have a voice, and we can assert our influence in everything that the community does. Whether it’s in schools, on the streets, whatever. We can affect how our community looks. So I would say to my fellow youth leaders, keep speaking up and stay assertive.