For Immediate Release:
July 31, 2023
Press Contact:
Carmel Pryor
press@allianceforyouthaction.org
WASHINGTON – Today, the Alliance for Youth Action welcomes Georgia Youth Justice Coalition to the Alliance Network. Founded in 2021, Georgia Youth Justice Coalition (GYJC) is a grassroots collective of Black, brown, LGBTQ+, working class, and allied students advocating for youth power and justice in Georgia from the classroom to the capitol.
During the 2022 midterms, GYJC youth organizers ran the largest youth-mobilizing-youth effort in Georgia with over 95,000 face-to-face conversations with young Georgia voters, focusing on young Black and brown voters who make up over 45% of the youth electorate in Georgia. They toured the state to engage Georgia’s next generation and hold elected officials accountable to parents, caregivers, educators, students, and young Georgians at the ballot box. Their impact reverberates far beyond electoral and legislative victories; they embrace, uplift, and empower young Georgians, their families, and their communities to shape and define Georgia’s identity, fostering an environment of strength, resilience, and unity. Read more about GYJC and their work to build youth power in Georgia here.
“By bringing the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition into our network, we’re fielding a bold, year-round, multiracial youth movement in Georgia, a movement built by young people who have been historically and systematically under-resourced” said Dakota Hall, Executive Director of the Alliance for Youth Action. “The Alliance is committed to investing into local organizing so every young person has a political home in their community that centers the issues young people care about most, and GYJC is doing just that. Their efforts underscore the essential role of a robust, multiracial youth movement in politics. I am personally thrilled and deeply invested in the mission of GYJC to amplify the voices of young Georgians. Together, we envision a future where the democracy in Georgia is representative of all its people. By investing in these young trailblazers, we are fostering a powerful vision: a resilient multiracial democracy, built by young people for all people.”
“When I first began organizing my community in high school for bold climate action, young Georgians did not have access to a youth-led political home that united urban, rural, and suburban communities across the state. In two years, the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition has built that space and dedicated our time to advocating for young, ordinary Georgians from all walks of life. Today, we take an exciting next step in our journey to build our movement and instill hope that a better future is possible by joining the Alliance for Youth Action,” said Jordan Madden, Advocacy Director for the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition. “We’ve already taken on big fights and won, helping defeat extremist school board candidates, expand ballot access on Georgia’s college campuses, and defend public funds for public schools. By working with the Alliance, we can empower even more young Georgians to make their voices heard in 2023, 2024, and beyond.”
“The Alliance’s expansion to include the Georgia Youth Justice Coalition sends an unmistakable message that young people have the power to transform what is possible for Georgia, for the South, and for our country,” said Marrow Woods, Student Power Hub Director at Georgia Youth Justice Coalition. “At GYJC, we are confronting systems of power that for too long have been leveraged to oppress our people. To take on that work, to build a real sense of community, and to cultivate lifelong organizers in the process requires care, resources, relationships, and sustained investment. By joining the Alliance for Youth Action in this work, we can help ensure that young Georgians see their issues centered in the laws, elections, and decisions that govern our lives and determine our future. Together, we can build a joyful movement and meet young Georgians wherever they are across our state.”
If you would like to speak with Georgia Youth Justice Coalition leaders and/or Dakota Hall, please contact Vice President of Communications and Engagement Carmel Pryor (press@allianceforyouthaction.org).
###