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In the face of continued voter suppression, attacks on LGBTQIA+ and reproductive rights, various conflicts abroad, climate change, and more, one thing is clear: young people have always been at the forefront of movements for change. Our Andrew Goodman Ambassadors are some of the many young people facing these issues head-on, and they live the legacy of Andrew Goodman, James Earl Chaney, and Michael Schwerner in doing so.

Young people understand voting is our way to have a say in addressing the issues calling for change. 2024 marks an important General Election, the first since the post-COVID-19 ‘new normal’ set in. In addition, The Andrew Goodman Foundation is honoring the 60th Anniversary of Freedom Summer this year, along with the 10th Anniversary of the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Program. As we look back over the semester, we are reminded of the why in the actions we take to move forward. Ready for the challenge, our Ambassadors carry the torch lit sixty years ago.

Over the course of the Spring 2024 Semester, Andrew Goodman Ambassadors:

• Registered 3,612 voters
• Hosted 316 events
• Recruited 54 poll workers
• Engaged with 14,967 people

Voter Registration and Institutionalization

• A sustained effort by multiple cohorts of Andrew Goodman Ambassadors at Allegheny College since 2019, this semester, they have successfully advocated for Election Day to take place on “Gator Day,” a day free from classes for the campus in Meadville, Pennsylvania, ahead of the 2024 General Election.
• On April 2nd, for the first time ever, students at Pace University in New York City registered to vote with their residence hall address. Students and residential staff were assigned the Student Center as their polling place for the New YorkPresidential Primary. Andrew Goodman Ambassadors tabled outside of the student center all day on April 2nd and hosted a news watch party in the evening.
• Andrew Goodman Ambassadors at the University of Baltimore secured a slot during the involvement fair of their campus’s new student orientation, where they were able to register over 65 new students to vote and additional pledges to vote with plans to follow up with those students to make sure they make it to the polls.
  
• The campus team at North Carolina A&T State University was able to register 3,500 students this semester. The Campus Team created events that engaged thousands of students at once, like their March to the Polls and Black Joy Jamboree. They also focused on the community surrounding the campus by partnering with North Carolina Black Alliance and neighboring HBCUs like Bennett College.
• A highlight for the Campus Team at Spelman College was how the cast from the hit television show “A Different World” visited Spelman College and the Atlanta University Center as part of a HBCU tour. During their visit, they specifically asked for civic engagement organizations on campus to table in order to make sure students are ready and eligible to vote this coming election season.

Civic and Voter Education

• The Campus Team at The University of Mississippi commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Summer Project in Mississippi during their 2024 annual Voting Summit, which included activities such as video screenings, panel discussions, and voter registration drives for UM students, staff, faculty, and community members. Additionally, the summit included an experiential learning day trip to Philadelphia, MS, home to Freedom Summer events, including the murders of activists James Earl Chaney, Michael Schwermer, and Andrew Goodman.
• At Elizabeth City State University, the Campus Team hosted a Black Joy Jamboree, they partnered with the divine nine sororities and fraternities and the civic engagement office on campus to host tables, food and civic engagement trivia. The jamboree was followed with a march to the polls to encourage students to get out the vote.
• Andrew Goodman Ambassadors Sydney Karlin and Sarah Glisson at Ramapo College of New Jersey hosted the 60th Anniversary of Freedom Summer Installation on their campus during Civic Engagement Week. The installation was an interactive exhibit highlighting the history of the 1964 Freedom Summer in Mississippi. The display included a historical timeline of the events of the 1960s, Goodman’s authentic volunteer application, and testimonies from Freedom Summer volunteers. Attendees also had the opportunity to make custom protest pins and complete an authentic literacy test used in Louisiana during the Jim Crow era. On the back wall of the installation, there were protest posters giving those who walked through a visual of some slogans used during the Civil Rights Movement. In the corner of the room, a screen played a pre-recorded interview with Robert Masters, another Queens College student volunteer and friend of Goodman, who recently sat down with Mattea and Glisson to share his story.
• Andrew Goodman Ambassadors at the University of Louisville partnered with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth to knock on doors and mobilize Louisville community members ahead of the Kentucky primary.
• The Campus Team at Tuskegee University hosted a “Learn Your Roots” panel to educate students on the formation of a second congressional district in Alabama. The panelists included Alabama Forward representative Evan Milligan, Alabama State Representative Jeremy Gray, and County Commissioner-Elect Elise Colbert. 

Youth Voting Rights and Issues Advocacy

• The Campus Team at Towson University held its yearly Tiger Pride Day in Annapolis. This event allows TU students and the campus community to actively participate in civic engagement and promote social responsibility while raising awareness about important social and legislative matters. Tiger Pride Day serves as an educational platform for TU students to learn about advocacy and to become voices for their communities. During the event, students took part in various activities such as attending general assembly sessions, meeting with legislators, and participating in committee hearings to express their backing for specific legislation and to connect with policymakers. 
• Combining civic engagement with the wonderful world of drag, the Campus Team at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, part of the Pointers Vote Coalition, hosted an event titled “Drag Me To The Polls,” featuring drag performers alongside voter registration and information tabling.
• University of Central Arkansas hosted a Ballot Initiative Fair where community partners were able to set up tables to educate students about various issues/ballot initiatives and have interested students that wanted to support sign on. This was a great opportunity for students to experience direct democracy on their campus. 
• Karen Woodbury, Andrew Goodman Ambassador at the University of D.C., targeted students at the University’s community college in order to reach students focused on entering the workforce. She found that most of these students come from a lower socioeconomic status than the students who attend the university. As a result, she partnered with the National Urban League to find new ways to make voting accessible for these students ahead of the upcoming election. 
• Ambassadors at Iowa State University created major-specific voting stickers to hand out to students who are less inclined to vote and be civically engaged based on the campuses 2022 NSLVE data.The team also has programming planned to target these specific student populations.

Our Campus Teams’ advocacy and diligence throughout the Spring ‘24 semester demonstrate how young people are making their voices heard in the collective conversation asking, where do we go from here?  With the 2024 Election on the horizon, The Andrew Goodman Foundation is excitedly planning our ninth National Civic Leadership Training Summit (NCLTS), ‘64-’24: The 60th Anniversary of Freedom Summer to take place on July 31-August 1. Stay tuned for more updates on NCLTS and our Vote Everywhere Campus Teams, including Pace University and Allegheny College, coming soon to our blog.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mia Matthews is the Program and Communications Manager at The Andrew Goodman Foundation. In her position, she works with student leaders and in communications surrounding their work. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.