DC Metro Action is a listing of local actions, entertainment, volunteer opportunities and the occasional rant on a wide range of socially just issues.
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Action of the Day Many of these action alerts are found on the listservs and websites of organizations listed in our "Act Locally" section (Left).
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
The Kids Are Alright
Mother Jones has published its annual roundup of college campus activism, and two of our own made the list.
The Student Activist of the Year honor goes to Georgetown junior Nate Wright, who co-founded Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) and quickly launched a movement. By February there were 80 STAND chapters in 24 states, with thousands of students raising relief funds and lobbying Congress to pass the Darfur Genocide Accountability Act.
Among the Top Ten Activists Campuses is Howard University, which ranked number four for hosting Black Tuesday, a massive protest organized by a dozen historically black colleges to urge the Supreme Court to uphold affirmative action. Kicking things off with a teach-in and poetry slam on March 31, students then marched on the court, where thousands camped for the night. The next day, 6,000 students – 2,000 from Howard – rallied.
"I'm tired of hearing people say that the civil rights movement is dead and that this generation is doing nothing to help," organizer Andrea Van Dorn told the Howard Hilltop. "We are here to show the world that we are united and there are still activists."
DC Metro Action is published by Michael Schlesinger, a 32-year veteran of electoral and issue organizing who is committed to social justice and to increasing participation in the political process.
All original content (C) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Michael Schlesinger
