Tennessee Voices, Episode 338: Jacob Aparicio, Oasis Center, MLK Day Youth Committee

David Plazas, Nashville Tennessean
·1 min read

In January, Nashville's Martin Luther King Jr. Day keynote speaker Dr. Michael Eric Dyson commended Jacob Aparicio for his denim jeans and boots-on-the-ground spirit.

Earlier in the program at Tennessee State University, Aparicio stirred up the crowd by saying "Young people have always been a catalyst to create change.” He was invited to speak as co-chair of the MLK Day Youth Committee.

On this episode of the Tennessee Voices video podcast, Aparicio talked about that moment and also the journey that led him from the Northeast U.S. to Tennessee.

Jacob Aparicio
Jacob Aparicio

Aparicio works as the Building Bridges and WE City program coordinator at the Oasis Center, which serves youth, to intervene in crisis and also develop young leaders.

He told me that he felt overlooked as a young person and now wants to advocate to elevate youth voices and equity.

Aparicio, who is of Puerto Rican and Peruvian descent, shared that he wants to help young people hone their passion in positive and productive ways.

Jacob Aparicio, co-chair of the MLK Day Youth Committee, made remarks at the Nashville MLK Day March and Convocation at Tennessee State University on Jan. 16, 2023.
Jacob Aparicio, co-chair of the MLK Day Youth Committee, made remarks at the Nashville MLK Day March and Convocation at Tennessee State University on Jan. 16, 2023.

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About Tennessee Voices

The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.

Watch past episodes:Tennessee Voices videocast

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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. He is of Colombian and Cuban descent, has studied or worked in several Spanish-speaking countries, and was the founding editor of Gaceta Tropical in Southwest Florida. He has lived in Tennessee since 2014. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Video podcast: Jacob Aparicio, Oasis Center, MLK Day Youth Committee