IT ALL BEGAN IN 2020
The Civic Engagement and Social Justice Program was created in September 2020 as the world was emerging from a summer defined by youth activism following the murder of George Floyd. Just a few months prior, Legal Outreach held a virtual student forum to provide a safe space for students to process their emotions and share their thoughts regarding the deaths of African Americans at the hands of the police. The students exhibited a high degree of anger, frustration and disenchantment with the behavior of the police and the operations of the criminal justice system. Yet, they passionately expressed hope because of the protests and a desire to channel their emotions into concrete steps to work towards social justice and racial equality.
It was through this forum that a group of thirty students came together as the inaugural members of the Civic Engagement and Social Justice Council. These thirty sophomores, juniors, and seniors, all people of color and all deeply moved by the Black Lives Matter protests, took a stand to enact change in their communities with the help of education. Since September 2020, the Council has tackled issues of policing, student MetroCards, voter pre-registration, food insecurity, and more. The program has also expanded to include a Leadership Institute for freshman students to gain advocacy and leadership skills.
