33rd Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Distinguished Program

33rd Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Distinguished Program Equality: Youth Activism and the Pursuit of Equity and Inclusion The Declaration’s ringing endorsement that all men are created equal seemingly placed equality at the heart of the American experiment. But the country’s commitment to equality has always been sporadic and problematic. For instance, the word equality does not appear anywhere in the U.S. Constitution (an omission only corrected through later amendments). Even full political equality has proven difficult as evidenced by the Civil Rights struggle to bring an end to segregation, let alone more robust ideas of equality involving a more comprehensive social safety net. Young people have often embraced the ideal of equality, fighting for a society that enables all people to participate in civic life. On July 4, 1936, the American Youth Congress issued its Declaration of the Rights of American Youth, asking for the guarantee of “full educational opportunities, steady employment at adequate wages, security in time of need, civil rights, religious freedom and peace.” Some 25 years later, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) led a similar charge for equal rights, and today youth lead the charge for racial equity, LBGTQ+ rights, gun control, reproductive rights and many other social justice causes. This panel considers the role of youth activism–past and present–in the pursuit of equality for all. Panelists: Kei Smith, DePaul University student who is a member of the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network. Active in labor and LBGTQ+ rights movements. Wesley Hogan, The John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute, Duke University.  A specialist on the history of SNCC and youth activism. Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, Co-founder of Ascend Strategy Labs and an ABC News contributor. Moderator: Professor Margie Rung