My advice for young progressives is to start advocating and sharing your ideas with the world. I am tired of young progressives who say that what they do or say will not make a difference. Young people have proven after the last election that we are extremely influential and we will fight for our convictions. Therefore, it is now our duty to continue our politically active reputation that we won after the election of Barack Obama. It is your job, as a young progressive, to become an active citizen! Whether that is writing to your Congressmen, participating in a political organization, going to DC to protest, or running for office, it is time to become active!
“I profoundly believe in advocating for immigration reform not only because my life has dramatically changed, but because it pains me to see so much young talent being wasted and rejected. For me it’s very difficult to accept the fact that many people who do not appreciate the opportunities the United States offers and who are not willing to become good citizens are easily given a visa, green card or citizenship based on a quota or their economic status while thousands of students, like myself, who are willing to work for the land that has given us everything, are rejected.”
“I'm really passionate about this fight for health care reform because I know too many people who go without any kind of insurance coverage... I'm one of them. I think young people often have to make a decision to do what they are passionate about or get adequate coverage.”
- Kaitlyn
University / Year of Graduation / Major or emphasis I graduated this May with a double major in political science and communications from Saint Joseph's College of Maine.
Groups/Publications/Organizations Involved with (in school and after) In school I was involved with Campus Progress and the College Democrats, Catholics United and the college campus ministry. My involvement there was with a lot of social justice work, opposing the School of the Americas and other work including a spring break workfest program. The summer before my senior year in college I even ran for State Representative in my hometown.
How did you become politicized? I started working in politics because I hated the Iraq War. I thought it was an unjust war that it never should have been waged.
What got you to where you are today? Hard work and a lot friends. When people respect the work that I've done, they will often ask me ways that they can help. By staying as organized as possible I have really been able to lean on my friends and support network. The alliance that we have has helped me move forward and inspired me. I love that in Maine, we have record numbers of young people stepping up for the progressive movement. Though I'm not one of them, we have a bunch of young people serving our state in the Maine Legislature too. I feel supported and that helps me work harder towards making a difference.
How did you get involved with Campus Progress? I got involved with Campus Progress in 2007. CP helped me get down to Washington, D.C. for a week where I learned how to lobby Congress for an end to our involvement in Iraq. After that training I really began to feel like one voice could make a difference. Quite honestly, CP was what helped me take an active role in progressive politics.
Tell us a little bit about your fight for Health Care Reform... For the last three months, I worked as a community organizer with the SEIU campaign called Change that Works in Maine. Change that Works allowed me to be a voice for health care reform in my community. I took part in the largest health care rally ever in Maine and helped to bus activists from other parts of Maine to the rally. I'm really passionate about this fight for health care reform because I know too many people who go without any kind of insurance coverage... I'm one of them. I think young people often have to make a decision to do what they are passionate about or get adequate coverage. This limits the innovation of our country and places a heavy burden on our economy. Something has to change; the insurance industry must change and I believe that a public option is the change we need.
What kind of opportunities and/or hurdles have you faced in your activism for reform and other issues? Well, in Maine our Senators and Congressional delegation have refused to hold town hall meetings. That makes it tough to get real conversation with them on health care policy to happen. Basically, it just means we have to follow them around and hold signs. That's just not real conversation! In Maine people have such respect for our political leaders that they will rarely question what they do. Constituents would rather question me for trying to make a difference than the leaders who are sitting still. Sometimes it's like facing a brick wall but I do think it's getting easier. Finally, next week Susan Collins is going to be participating in a health care "forum". The thing is, it's being sponsored by a fiscally conservative group, the Concord Coalition. She will be given an opportunity to answer questions from the crowd and I just don't believe she will be open to discussing reality since it's going to be sponsored by the Concord Coalition. The press probably won't even mention the sponsoring organizations and constituents will decide yet again, not to question her on her policy.
What are your next steps? What's next for you in terms of activism or personal goals? Right now, I've decided to change things up a bit professionally. I am working for the Parks & Recreation Department in my hometown to launch an after-school program for 4th & 5th graders and promote teen programming. Once the after-school program has been launched in early September I am really interested in moving down to Washington, D.C.. I hope that I will be able to work for an organization that plans events and promotes the work of young progressive activists on a national scale.
Any words of advice for young progressives? Just keep working. Now that we've elected a Democratic majority, it's our time to work harder. Dream about the country you'd like to see and move towards it a little bit more everyday. Oh and keep in touch. Campus Progress does a great job assuring that community leaders are in contact with each other. I'd like to hear from you though so send me an e-mail! Let me know what you're up to and if there's anything I can do to help you and your group, I'd like to know that too!
Right-wing culture warrior David Horowitz has come out with yet another anti-academic-freedom book and accompanying campus tour. The book, “One-Party Classroom,” is a virtually unreconstructed rehash of his previous books, “The Professors” and “Indoctrination U.” In these works he announces the shocking news that they teach feminism in women’s and gender studies, social movements in courses on social movements, and Arab and Muslim culture and politics in Middle Eastern studies.
Hooman helped stop a previous Horowitizan effort in Texas a couple of years ago. His quick organizing and column was a major factor in the failure of legislation that would restrict the free exchange of ideas on campus. He is also helping to organize his campus's response to Horowitz's visit.
If you want to learn more about attacks on academic freedom and how to stop them, check out the Free Exchange on Campus Coalition. Campus Progress has been working with this coalition for years to stop right-wing attacks on students and faculty. If you would like to plan peaceful responses to David Horowitz on your campus, let us know at organize@campusprogress.org.
UPDATE: Check out video from the event below. Horowitz mentions Hooman's article and Campus Progress around 1:27:
Some in the UM administration have downplayed the role of SESJ and student activism in their decision:
Yet, UM Vice President Jim Foleyon Tuesday said the university didn't sever the contract with Russell because of the students' protest. The university has been looking into worker-rights violations by Russell for several years, far before the students got involved, he said.
The university came to its conclusion after discussing findings with the Workers Rights Consortium and the Fair Labor Association.
UM joined the WRC because of a SESJ campaign, and even the official UM press release announcing the decision mentioned SESJ.
Either way, SESJ is applauding the university’s decision, and will continue to work with the administration, students, and others to stop sweatshops.
The SESJ have received a Campus Progress Action Grant for several years for their anti-sweatshop activities, and were recipients of the 2008 Campus Progress “Action Campaign of the Year” award. Action grants range from $200-$1,000, and are awarded to students working on hard-hitting, progressive issue campaigns. The image in this update was taken at a 06-07 SESJ rally.
UPDATE: The Montana Kamin (the University of Montana - Missoula's student newspaper) ran an editorial on the SESJ victory today (3/5/09), and they also pointed out that this decision was directly linked to student activism:
With all respect due to Foley, who’s a smart guy, B.S. meters should be shooting through the roof on this one. [...] While it’s certainly plausible that Foley would have decided to sever ties with Russell if it had never appeared in the newspapers or been the focus of rallies, it’s far more likely that the issue would have died. So SESJ, your greatest achievement here was raising public awareness on a matter that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Just the other day, one of my friends asked me the commonly pondered question, “Wait, so why is marijuana illegal?” Let’s not joke around, the majority of today’s population has come to the realization that marijuana is at least not as bad as the “Reefer Madness” era tried to convince us it is and that police resources should be focused on serious crime. So what exactly is the real reason for prohibition? The answer is disconcerting. Marijuana prohibition in the United States was attributed purely to racism, in particular against Mexican immigrants and the black jazz culture. Newspapers printed headlines spreading racist ideas such as, “Marihuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." Claims that marijuana incited violence among minorities played a central role in building support for harsh drug laws within white communities.
With marijuana prohibition eventually came prohibition of other popular drugs, and institutionalized racism flourished within the criminal justice system. Cleverly hidden under the false agenda of protecting citizens from scary drugs, politicians were able to enforce what can be considered the new Jim Crow laws, the “War on Drugs“. Though we have recently elected a black President, we still have a long way to go. Today, although African Americans comprise about 13% of the population, they make up about 59% of those convicted of drug offenses. Either police are failing to report an overwhelming majority of white drug convictions, or there is a serious problem of racial profiling. I’ll go with the latter.
Not only are African Americans unfairly targeted, their treatment within the criminal justice system is shockingly unjust. The policy of mandatory minimums for crack cocaine vs. powder cocaine is absurd. Mandatory sentencing for possession of five grams of crack cocaine, which has the same active ingredient as powder cocaine but is primarily more popular in lower income communities of color, is five years. On the other hand, it would take possession of five-hundred grams of powder cocaine for such a sentence.
And as far as felonies versus second chances? I’m sure you know the answer. Most white drug users will get away with treatment or probation, while the chances of black drug users receiving a felony charge is extremely higher. Now wait, there’s no chance the fact citizens with felony charges cannot vote has anything to do with this, is there? Can’t be…
The blatant racism underlying the drug war cannot remain hidden any longer. It’s up to us to uncover the realities, spread the message, and reform the laws. Students for Sensible Drug Policy, an organization with over 140 chapters against the drug war across the world, will be hosting its 10th Anniversary International Conference at the University of Maryland from November 21-23rd. Do your part to make a change and register today to connect with hundreds of students who understand the realities and believe in sensible drug policies focused on health and reasoning instead of racism and hysteria.
Great news – we have heard from a very good source that the House of Representatives will be voting on the Credit Card Holders’ Bill of Rights sometime early next week! The credit card industry has been lobbying hard to kill this legislation behind the scenes, and so the support of strong consumer protections for borrowers by Campus Progress readers and activists have shown to Congress so far has been crucial.
We can’t stop now – we need to keep up the pressure until the minute that Congress votes. Check out the action alert below for more information, and to take action:
With the rising costs of college, gasoline, food, health care, and other expenses, credit cards are becoming the “safety net” for an entire generation. Unfortunately, credit card companies are using unfair and even predatory practices to increase their profits at the expense of the financially vulnerable or inexperienced. Luckily, the House Financial Services Committee has recently passed the Credit Cardholder’s Bill of Rights, which will create several important protections for borrowers, and the bill will be voted on by the full House of Representatives next week, so take action now!
Pressure is building to bring the Credit Card Holder’s Bill of Rights to the House floor. The bill would stop some of the worst abuses of the credit card industry (see below for more info). Consumer groups are working hard to make sure this legislation is considered, despite the opposition of the industry. They need your help, however, so take action:
With the rising costs of college, gasoline, food, health care, and other expenses, credit cards are becoming the "safety net" for an entire generation. Unfortunately, credit card companies are using unfair and even predatory practices to increase their profits at the expense of the financially vulnerable or inexperienced. Luckily, the House Financial Services Committee has recently passed the Credit Cardholder’s Bill of Rights, which will create several important protections for borrowers. We need your help to make sure that this issue is considered on the House floor before the end of this legislative cycle.
After a full 10 years of contacting representatives, gathering signatures, writing articles, and spreading the outrage, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, along with hundreds of supporting organizations was sure their determined efforts would finally pay off and that Congressional leadership would follow through with their pledge to repeal the counterproductive Aid Elimination Penalty of the Higher Education Act. However, we have yet again been terribly deceived.
If you’ve ever wondered why you’re asked about drug offenses when applying for federal financial aid through FAFSA, thank Representative Mark Souder (R-IN), who somehow managed to slip the AEP into the Higher Education Act in 1998 without any debate or vote. Since then, this amendment has denied over 200,000 students federal financial aid, and in turn access to education. While we assume the reasoning behind Souder’s action was that he thought it would decrease drug abuse, it’s done the exact opposite by forcing students to drop out of school, therefore increasing their risk of drug abuse and criminal activity.
Regardless of the penalty's intentions, it has blatantly attacked hard-working students, people of color, and the lower and middle class. Since the FAFSA already requires satisfactory academic progress in order for a student to be eligible for federal financial aid, the AEP only affects hard-working students who have been doing well in school. While African-Americans make up a fairly small portion of the population, racial profiling leads to an absurdly disproportionate higher number of African-Americans arrested for drug offenses. And since middle and lower class families are depending solely on financial aid, it’s easy to see why wealthy families may not be too concerned.
Many members of Congress who were on our side initially have informed us that they became terrified of facing negative attacks, fearing they’d be labeled as “pro-drug”. In reality,it is precisely the Aid Elimination Penalty they are supporting that continues to increase drug abuse and decrease education. Anybody who is against racial profiling, increasing drug abuse, and decreasing education should be against this penalty. Please fill out this pre-written letter and demand an explanation from your local legislators! Unless they hear from their constituents, they won’t realize what their people want and will continue to follow their misguided instincts.
One thing that can be said about the current generation of young gays is that they are a smart and ambitious lot. Eugene Resnick, an openly gay candidate for National Membership Director of the College Democrats, definitely fits that mold. He's focused, savvy and "cliched as it sounds" committed to making a difference.
I had the chance to ask Eugene some questions about being openly gay, youth political involvement and why being a "gay Russian Jew from Brooklyn" can be an asset.
MC: There is more than a little hand-wringing from some older people over what they see as a lack of political involvement from younger people. You are clearly not living up to that image.
ER: I hope that I can make a difference in our society as cliché as that sounds. I want to raise the voice of those who have no voice. I understand what its like to be the one that's counted out. I see many young people who are very engaged and very much care about the society we live in and the changes we need enacted. Our generation understands the complexities ahead and the deep institutional problems that this country has faced.
For us, race, gender and sexuality don't really matter anymore as a factor in judgment of one's character. We are for the most part the first generation that transcends such superficial human traits and sees everyone on the same playing field. I hope to remain active, continue on by earning a higher education in law and public policy, and eventually serve the public by running for office. In the meantime, I hope to do whatever I can to engage my fellow young people in the political process so that they can be active members of our thriving democracy.
What Makes Eugene Run?
MC: Is that why you want to be National Membership Director for the College Democrats?
ER: I am running because I believe I have the foresight, experience, and passion needed to be successful in this position. The National Membership Director position requires an individual with an ability to build coalitions between groups and establish friendships and contacts with people that are not usual coalition partners.
With an election year this year that has so much Democratic enthusiasm for our candidate, Barack Obama, there is so much potential for massive growth in terms of membership in College Democrats organizations throughout the country. We can expand into all 50 states, forming local and state chapters at schools that have never had a College Democrats organization. There are many students across the country who feel ostracized for being a Democrat especially in more conservative regions, and this must end.
At a time with so much enthusiasm for change, there is much potential to be tapped into in terms of youth activism and involvement in politics that has not been seen since the 1960s. The role of the National Membership Director is to spearhead new chapters, get more students involved in College Democrats, and outreach to individuals of all backgrounds to ensure the Democratic Party grows and further diversifies. I believe I can help make that happen.
MC: What are some of the skills and experiences that make you qualified for that role?
ER: I served as Minority and Women's Affairs Coordinator at the University Democrats at the University of Virginia reaching out to various Black, Latino, Asian, LGBT and Women's groups on campus to get them more politically involved and have a voice within the Democratic Party. I formed the first ever statewide College Democrats organization in Virginia bringing together students from across the state to bring to the forefront the voice of college students in the Commonwealth.
My tenure as President of the statewide organization resulted in the recent merger with the Virginia Young Democrats forming a massive young Democratic organization in Virginia poised to register large amounts of new young voters, have their voices heard by getting them to the polls, but mostly importantly have young people engaged in the American political discourse. I currently am interning in Washington, DC with the National Stonewall Democrats specifically working on field operations across the country, helping chapters build membership and outreach along with helping them target certain races this election cycle.
Being Gay Not What it Used to Be
MC: Has been openly gay hurt or helped you in taking on leadership roles with the College Democrats?
ER: Being openly gay has helped me in taking on leadership roles with the College Democrats. My first election was when I ran for Minority and Women's Affairs Coordinator at the University Democrats at the University of Virginia. I ran on the platform of not only being a fresh face, but also by taking ownership of my multiple minority identity. I was the "gay Russian Jew from Brooklyn" running in a race in a majority white, Anglo-Saxon Protestant, institution in the South.
One might think I was tokenized into the minority leadership role, but I stood up as a voice for the LGBT community at the University on the Board of Directors. Now I have risen up the ladder into leadership statewide. I have a large network of friends and colleagues with whom I am politically and academically involved who serve as my support system. I have never felt hindered being openly gay and that is a reflection of how our generation is so vastly different from any other in American history.
MC: What do you say to other young people to help them realize their political power?
ER: Facebook is a powerful tool and it has proven to be an extremely effective way of mobilizing people to become involved in a cause. I tell other young people I meet who may be cynical or wary of politics if at all interested is that that they have a stake in society. Young people today are vastly different from generations before and there are a multitude of problems that this country is facing today that need to be fixed and we are the generation to make it happen. We are over the race divisions of the 50s and 60s and the gay baiting of the 80s and 90s. We grew up with gay Student Body Presidents, blacks and whites, Latinos and Asians sitting at the same table, and females occupying a majority of the education system. We are Generation Y.
I let people know that there must be an issue that affects them whether its outrageous gas prices, denial of their civil rights as gay or black or Latino or an immigrant, predatory student loans that haunt students for years to come, high college costs, difficulty getting health insurance as a young independent person, or having their friends or family member die for a war that was poorly executed and under false pretenses. I tell them that they have a stake in this election and in the future with all these issues that impact them one way or another.
The Missoulian just published a great article on the Students for Economic and Social Justice, a student group at the University of Montana (UM) that has received a Campus Progress Action Grant for several years in a row for its anti-sweatshop campaign.
The group has already convinced the UM to join the Worker Rights Consortium, and is currently attempting to get their campus to join the Designated Suppliers Program. After running into an impasse in negotiations with the UM administration, they occupied the college president’s office.
Here is an excerpt of the Missoulian article:
Eight of the students involved with the sit-in were arrested and later given three-day suspensions for trespassing and violating the campus student conduct code.
While their activities raised the ire of campus officials, the UM group also garnered national accolades.
Earlier this month, the group was notified it had been awarded the Action Campaign of the Year by Campus Progress, an arm of the Center for American Progress, a Washington-based nonpartisan progressive organization. […]
“We were all pretty pleased to get that sort of validation,” Newman said. “Not only for our work but for the cause in general. There are lots of schools working on these issues. The more attention we can bring to them is all the better.”
The University of Houston Students for Fair Trade, who have received a Campus Progress Action Grant, were featured in the Houston Chronicle yesterday for their long running and energetic campaign make all coffee sold on campus fair trade certified.
Students carrying a giant replica of a coffee bean stormed Chancellor Renu Khator's office at the University of Houston on Monday, the latest skirmish in their two-year campaign to force the school to offer only fair-trade coffee in a library kiosk. […]
The student government association last year approved a resolution supporting the proposal. Letters and other documents distributed by the student group indicated Aramark plans to install a Starbucks in the library, building the kiosk with $60,000 in student fees. (Starbucks buys some fair-trade coffee but not exclusively.)
This Whopper™ of a victory must be even tastier (sorry - couldn’t resist) as it comes after the discovery that Burger King hired a company to spy on the Student/Farmworker Alliance.
Mother Jones magazine is running a survey to figure out if young people like you think the future of activism lies in personal choices like buying environmentally friendly cleaning products or if activism is something else. Weigh in on their survey here.
Registration just opened for the 2008 Campus Progress National Conference. If you thought last year's conference was great, just wait for this year's event. Past keynotes have been Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Nancy Pelosi. And if one day of hearing from amazing speakers, networking with students activists from all 50 states, and building the skills you'll need to transform your campus into a progressive bastion in the fall aren't enough, then don't worry, Campus Progress has you covered.
On July 7th, Campus Progress is organizing with USSA and the Student PIRGs a Grassroots Training Day.
On July 9th, Campus Progress and The Nation present their annual National Youth Journalism Conference. Speakers already confirmed include Eugene Robinson, Asra Nomani, Katrina vanden Heuvel, and Mathew Yglesias.
All of these events fill up quickly so apply to attend today!
I had the opportunity to attend the Young People For (YP4) National Summit in Washington D.C. as a 2008 Young People For Felllow. It was a great opportunity to meet other fellows from across the nation and a wonderful learning experience through the workshops and the speakers presented. A workshop that I found particularly interesting was the one on "elevator pitches". The term "Elevator Pitches" points out the reality that generally we have a very short time to make our point across, so we have to deliver our message as quickly as if we were to have a moment to talk to someone in an elevator. I also liked the session called "Fishbowl Reflections" which gave the YP4 fellows the opportunity to share their thoughts among each other about the sessions they had already attended. I learned a lot from Van Jones presentation about how to create jobs through the environment and how to present the environmental causes to marginalized communities in such way that the community can visualize the positive impact environmental causes may have on their community. The energy of the people at the conference was tremendous. From Elody Gyekis mural project to Haya-Abdel Latif's work with international students, if you had a particular area of interest you could find someone at the conference that could share his/her experience with you. I encourage people look at the website and learn more about this excellent event. http://www.youngpeoplefor.org
Inside Higher Ed has a piece up today discussing student gun control activism in the wake of last semester’s Virginia Tech shootings. The piece profiles student-led groups--Protest Easy Guns and Students for Concealed Carry on Campus--that rally around different ends of the gun control debate.
But is gun control really the issue here? I’m all for responsible gun purchase and registry guidelines, but students could better leverage their influence by lobbying for mental health care reforms on their campuses. Andy Guess notes that task forces reviewing the killings “faulted university policies and pointed to the effects of confusing mental health laws” in addition to loopholes in gun laws—but students don’t seem to be picking up that cause.
Universities have a history of distancing themselves from troubled students, sending them packing or to the margins instead of supporting and helping them. Shouldn’t progressives be fighting for effective, accessible mental health care on campus? It’s a more comprehensive solution that gets at the root of the Virginia Tech situation—a student who felt that violence was an appropriate outlet on campus—and benefits students with a variety of mental health needs.
Please remember that Campus Progress' terms of use do not allow promoting or endorsing any particular political party or candidate for office. Posts or comments that do this will be deleted.
My advice for young progressives is to start advocating and sharing your ideas with the world. I am tired of young progressives who say that what they do or say will not make a difference. Young people have proven after the last election that we are extremely influential and we will fight for our convictions. Therefore, it is now our duty to continue our politically active reputation that we won after the election of Barack Obama. It is your job, as a young progressive, to become an active citizen! Whether that is writing to your Congressmen, participating in a political organization, going to DC to protest, or running for office, it is time to become active! 
“I'm really passionate about this fight for health care reform because I know too many people who go without any kind of insurance coverage... I'm one of them. I think young people often have to make a decision to do what they are passionate about or get adequate coverage.”
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