Five on Friday: March 16
Happy Friday! MAP’s Five on Friday kicks off the weekend by sharing five things we loved this week. Join in with us by sharing five things you’re loving in the comments below!
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There’s a stereotype that young people don’t care, but it’s safe to say that that the recent national movement of student activists shatters that myth. In fact, throughout pivotal moments in history—the Vietnam War, or the women’s civil rights movements—young people have led the call for change. But this time it’s different. It’s not just college students, who are often viewed as the face of activism, leading the call to action, it’s students at the K-12 level—students who, because of their age, haven’t had the chance to cast a vote. What’s even more unique? Their passion—and their collective power to amplify it—can’t be ignored. Nancy Thomas, Director of Tufts University’s Institute for Democracy and Higher Education, sits down with NPR to discuss how student activism isn’t just making a comeback, it’s making a difference.
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This week, MAP’s Congressional Future Caucus Vice Chair Stephanie Murphy sat down with Roll Call to share her unique background, career path, and fun facts you probably don’t know about her. What surprised her most about Congress? “There’s actually quite a bit that can be achieved in a bipartisan way where you work with people on the other side of the aisle and move things forward on behalf of your constituents.”
What do we love most about the interview? Rep. Murphy names Future Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Carlos Curbelo as her closest across-the-aisle friend.
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Our staff pick this week comes from MAP’s Program Coordinator, Caroline Dvorsky: “I’m incredibly inspired by this week’s National School Walkout Day. Throughout history, young people have been on the frontlines of creating change and these students are the next generation of leaders.”
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Our Wisconsin Future Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Adam Neylon and Amanda Stuck chatted with WisconsinEye about the Caucus’ bipartisan work to make a difference in the lives of young Wisconsinites.
Although hailing from opposite parties, they’ve formed a consensus on a number of issues, like education reform and the use of technology. They also agree on the importance of having the Future Caucus.
The best part of the Future Caucus? Neylon says, “Having a platform to discuss these issues and bring new people in.”
When asked how the Caucus is working to defeat the gridlock stifling America’s governmental and political system, Stuck attributed the Future Caucus for creating a natural space to build trust and relationships with colleagues across the aisle in order to have civil conversations about areas of common ground.
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While some leaders remain divided, our Future Caucus members have met in the middle to call for commonsense, bipartisan solutions to our nation’s most pressing and toughest issue: gun violence. We’re proud to see our Congressional Future Caucus members, like Rep. Tulsi Gabbard above, lead the call for reform that puts people—especially our nation’s youngest–over divisive party politics.
