Thirty youth leaders from the Oakland-based Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center will spend six weeks this summer studying and taking action as part of the Freedom Center’s 2021 To Us, You Matter Civic Engagement Tour.

They will visit in 40 cities, towns, sovereign Indian Nations and cultural/historic sites to meet with elected officials, civil rights leaders, judges, tribal leaders, labor, cultural and community representatives and activists. 

The summer of study and action, engaging with communities and developing their leadership skills will run from June 26 through August 6. The delegation is critically analyzing social conditions and injustices and working together to identify positive solutions through community organization and political action. 

Selected stops on the Civic Engagement Tour include the California counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Sacramento and Yolo, and Pierce and King Counties in the state of Washington. For information, visit www.mlkfreedomcenter.org .

The high school-aged young people on the tour earned their places by being nominated by leaders and public servants from the communities they represent (including teachers, principals and elected officials). They share a passion for making a difference and a commitment to this rigorous and rewarding summer intensive.

“The Freedom Center is committed to going forward into new learning experiences. We are not headed backwards, but forwards into the work of strengthening our nation’s democracy,” said Freedom Center Executive Director Roy Wilson. “A fair and equitable education system is necessary for democracy.”

Participation in the ‘To Us, You Matter Civic Engagement Tour’ is a transformative experience assisting students in developig a life-long commitment to the common good. In addition to travel, participants carry out multiple in-person classes and individual writing sessions every day. 

They will dialogue with the people of California and Washington about their hopes and dreams for a just future and meet with elected officials and community leaders.

As a result, participants develop critical and analytical thinking skills necessary for college and career, cultivate the ability to make decisions that benefit the common good and contribute to the construction and defense of a stronger democracy.

About the Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Center

Civic engagement at the Martin Luther King Jr Freedom Center brings together individuals and organizations of diverse ages, races and socioeconomic backgrounds, working side-by-side for a healthy democracy.

The Freedom Center brings best practices from our nation’s Civil Rights Movement to the forefront in community education, training, and practice, building strong community partnerships with proven results.  www.mlkfreedomcenter.org

Christy Price

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