Student-Led U.S. Senate Candidate Forum Scheduled Oct. 24

Although research has shown that Generation Z and Millennial voters will account for 37 percent of eligible voters, there is a growing concern that young people will not show up to vote given the challenges in voting during the pandemic, possible disappointment with the political process and lack of knowledge about who the candidates are. To make a sound decision, voters need to be introduced to all the candidates.

The first Student-Led Candidate Forum will be hosted by Soulstice Inc. with support from the Southern Poverty Law Center. It will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum and be live-streamed on The Young Litigators Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/Younglitigatorsproject/)

Two students from Maynard Jackson High School and Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School will pose questions directly to seven U.S. Senate candidates about issues that directly or indirectly affect them, their families and their communities. The questions derived from surveys Soulstice sent to middle, high school and college students asking them what their concerns are.

The moderators are Emma Katz, a two-time participant in The Young Litigators Project and a freshman at Maynard Jackson High School, and Kemoni Dunn, a seventh grade student at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School.

Soulstice is a 501c(3) organization that operates entirely as a nonpartisan entity. The confirmed U.S. Senate candidates are Deborah Jackson, Annette Davis Jackson, Al Bartell, Derrick Grayson, Kandiss Taylor, Richard Winfield and Brian Slowinski.

Soulstice’s mission is to encourage change by empowering the next generation of leaders to take ownership of their education and life. One of the core programs developed and implemented by Soulstice Inc. is The Young Litigators Project. The program provides a unique opportunity for middle and high school students to gain an understanding of their rights and responsibilities under the U.S. Constitution. By dealing with public policy questions, the students become familiar with the role that the judicial branch plays in our democratic system.

With the assistance of volunteers, students write legal briefs in the fall on a current issue that directly or indirectly affects them. This year’s problem dealt with voter suppression. They learn to think on their feet while formulating and articulating persuasive arguments based on legal precedents and Constitutional concepts. They participate in the Moot Court competition in the spring where they defend their brief in front of a panel of judges. The panel included Georgia Supreme Court Justices, U.S. District Court Judges, Workers Compensation Judges, Juvenile Court Judges, U.S. Court of Appeals Judges, attorneys and law professors.

For more information about Soulstice, visit https://soulsticeinc.org/.

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