The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) hosted its annual Summer Advocacy Institute in Washington, D.C. for rising junior and senior high school students giving students the tools they need to engage in their communities on issues around civil liberties and civil rights.
Gorham High School junior and Gorham Times intern Grace Flynn joined almost 1,000 students from every state in the country for the opportunity to receive first-hand experience from lawyers, lobbyists, community activists, and other experts dedicated to defending these constitutional rights.
Participating students engaged with lawyers and political activists to build expertise and knowledge in advocacy including issues such as criminal justice reform, voting rights, and religious freedom; participate in debates; and develop successful media and social networking strategies, all while observing policy development on Capitol Hill.
“I was interested in the program because I viewed it as a way to expand my connections within the activist community,” said Flynn. “I also saw it as an opportunity to educate myself on not only the issues present within the U.S. but the work being done to heal and solve them.”
The week culminated with a lobby day on July 25 where students participated in meetings with elected officials and/or congressional staff on Capitol Hill to bring attention to the cruel and inhumane conditions immigrant families are held in at the border, as well as the threat posed by law enforcement officers overreaching by using facial recognition technology. The day concluded with a large rally at the Capitol.
Photo courtesy of Grace Flynn“I’m continuing to process the experiences that I had at the ACLU Advocacy Institute and I don’t doubt that the impact of those experiences will ever fade. While the speakers we heard from were amazing, I’m most grateful for having met so many of the young activists I interacted with throughout the week,” said Flynn.
“The work my peers at the ACLU Institute are doing continues to astound me. Being able to see in person the overwhelming number of youth aspiring to make change in the world and putting in the work to make it happen gave me hope for the future.”
Flynn said her week at the ACLU Institute provided her with increased self-awareness and made her reflect on her role in the world.
“It showed me how any piece of action, regardless of how big or small, is vital to making the change you want to see happen,” said Flynn. “It also showed me how individualism is a large, but often overlooked, aspect of activism. The best way to create change is to understand yourself and your goals first. You won’t impact the world by trying to imitate it. It takes every type of person, utilizing their own unique passions, to impact the world.”
Flynn plans on using what she learned to more effectively advocate for justice, prosperity, and the fundamental rights of all people in her community. She plans on using her voice to better organize around issues in the community.
Flynn said the Institute modeled an open dialogue, which provided youth the space to express themselves without fear of judgement. This fostered growth for students through discussions with peers surrounding difficult topics. It made it easy to open up about their own experiences and understand others.
She hopes to bring this openness to other’s experiences back to Gorham, whether it be in the classroom or with friends, and said, “Each time a person is able to open their minds and show a willingness to learn, it becomes just a bit easier for another to share their story.”