LYVEF's Executive Director spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day doing what he loves best: speaking with students at a local high school in Racine, Wisconsin.

"If I'm saying, ‘I have a dream!' and there's nobody in the crowd, is there going to be change?" Robert "Biko" Baker asked as part of their discussion on non-violent community organizing.  Dozens of students took part in the workshop, which included simulations in which students learned to organize power to make change and ended with a neighborhood clean-up.

Read the article and see photos from the event in The Journal Times.

"During the leadership development trainings I do with young people from Milwaukee I used to say: We're going to save the world!" says Jayme Montgomery-Baker, who runs a youth empowerment organization based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "I believed it when I said it. It was just that Milwaukee was my worldview, so I was really talking about saving Milwaukee."

Montgomery-Baker, who was in Copenhagen, Denmark last week for the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Negotiations, said after her experience, she now has a very different view. "Meeting and working with young leaders as part of a global movement last week has made me think of that statement very differently. Together, we quite literally are saving the world, city by city."

Check out the rest of Heather Box's article in the Huffington Post!

Yesterday, the League’s Charlotte Chinana and I attended the White House’s Youth Clean Energy Forum. Like many of the 150 youth leaders in attendance, we were there to see what the White House has been doing to build the new green economy. Because you know what, it’s not all that cool that our broke generation is facing a future that involves a whole lot of water and a whole lot of debt.

Of course, there are numerous enviros in the administration who are invested in making sure that we build a clean economy that kicks the bejesus out of both the recession and climate change. But the pressures of the health care bill have put climate issues on the back burner. Even while the timeline towards environmental and economic disaster is a-tck-tck-tcking away.

From the start, you could tell that the administration takes the clean energy youth movement seriously. Not only did they bring in Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lisa Jackson, but they streamed the conversation live and opened it up to questions from Facebook. If you missed the action you can watch the video here. (It’s funny, the only time that I have been that close and personal with such important people is when I am watching the Daily Show, but I digress.)

Of course, just because the administration is sympathetic with many of the green movement’s causes doesn’t mean that everybody was on the same page, especially as it relates to the controversial topic of clean coal. After all, the Nobel Prize award winning Chu noted that “it is unlikely that America will back away from coal.” No surprise that many in the room and in cyberspace weren’t happy with that statement, and it got a lot of attention on Twitter.

Another unpopular statement came from the EPA’s Jackson, who skillfully dodged a question about mountain top removal, stating that the EPA was “looking” at mountain top removal permits.

Yet for me, it was Jackson’s pivot away from the controversial question that was the most poignant moment of the day. She noted that America is in a “transition period” and that it has only been recently that these types of issues could even be considered seriously, especially given the fact that so much of the world’s economy is dependent upon coal.

While it’s hard for me to accept the environmental destruction that is tied to dirty energy like coal, I do understand that we aren’t going to be able to change centuries-old bad habits over night. Yes, the environmental movement has the moral authority in this effort, but the truth is that America has a carbon addiction that won’t be easily kicked. I mean, look how hard its been for us to tackle racism or homophobia.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that we should stop pressing our government to be a leader on the issue. We should definitely continue to stand up for what we believe in.

But that also doesn’t mean that we should be naive enough to rest our futures on only one strategy. We have to figure out other ways to reduce our carbon footprint. After all, a recent EPA report noted that nonfood packaging and product make up to 37% the nation’s green house gas emissions. The battle for our future needs to be fought on many different fronts, and ultimately can only be won by us making huge cultural changes and challenge everything that we consume, not just coal.

Remember the Youth PROMISE Act? The piece of legislation that is going to reform juvenile justice by ensuring that kids aren't merely thrown into prisons? The one you wrote letters to Congress and the editors of your local papers about? As of December 2nd, 2009, it has cleared the House Judiciary Committee and is headed to the floor for voting.

Check this from ACLU, excerpt below:

WASHINGTON - December 2 - A bipartisan bill to combat youth violence was passed by the House Judiciary Committee today. The bill, H.R. 1064, would fund prevention and intervention programs that are comprehensive, community-centered and evidence-based efforts to combat gangs and youth violence. The Youth Prison, Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education Act, known as "Youth PROMISE," is sponsored by Representative Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA) and currently has over 230 cosponsors. The bill will now head to the floor for a final House vote.

The League is looking for a highly-motivated, organized, and experienced New Media Organizer. The New Media Organizer will assist in the management and expansion of the League's online platforms, utilizing our websites, email/phone lists, and social media platforms to accelerate list growth and effectively develop the League's online brand.

Interested in working in the well-oiled social justice machine that is The League of Young Voters? Click here to find out how to apply!

Act fast though.. we're only taking applications until January 31st, 2010.

Check out this interesting survey that just came our way!

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A majority of African Americans believe climate change is a growing problem that both government and individuals should take action now to mitigate the potential impacts, according to the results of a national poll conducted by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a research and policy institution in Washington, DC.

The survey of 750 African American adults found that more than half of respondents identified the issue as a "major problem," with 58 percent giving that response when it was described as "global warming" and 52 percent reacting that way when the term "climate change" was used. Only about ten percent in each group said global warming or climate change is not a problem.

A large majority of respondents said that government and individuals can do things to reduce global warming. About a third believe federal and state government can do a lot to mitigate the problem, while some three-quarters believe government can at least do something. A majority of African Americans express support for the cap-and-trade legislation passed earlier this year by the U.S. House of Representatives, and a large majority said they would be even more supportive with strong provisions for green jobs and incentives to buy more energy efficient cars and improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

The poll was the second that the Joint Center has conducted to determine African American views on climate change. The previous survey, released in July 2008, also found a majority of African Americans defining climate change as a problem that government must address.

A key finding in this year’s survey is that 26 percent of African Americans think they – and others like them – can do a lot to reduce global warming, and an additional 44 percent believe they can take at least some measures to combat the problem. The survey results indicate that a majority of them recycle and purchase energy saving appliances and light bulbs, while nearly half of them purchased products in the last year that were better for the environment even though the products were more costly than similar non-environmentally friendly items.

"While African Americans are underrepresented in the public debates on climate change and environmental issues generally, they are as aware of these issues as other groups in American society, and committed to action – both personal and governmental – to deal with the problems associated with climate change," said Ralph B. Everett, President and CEO of the Joint Center.

Like all Americans, there are limits to what African Americans will buy into on public policy choices for the environment. The survey found that about half of black households having two or more cars, and while they are willing to pay more for energy in some circumstances, they oppose higher gasoline taxes. Similarly, while about two in five African Americans support building more nuclear power plants, fewer than one in four would support building a nuclear power plant in their own community.

Other key findings in the survey include:

Majorities of respondents thought climate change is already causing – or will soon cause – worsening public health (59 percent), economic instability (61 percent), increasing flooding, fires, and droughts (60 percent), and energy dependence (64 percent). Even larger majorities thought these would be problems for future generations if climate change is not stopped.

A majority of African Americans (59 percent) believe environmental conditions will be worse for future generations, while only one-in-six believe environmental conditions will be better.

With regard to their electric bills, a solid majority of African Americans (61 percent) are willing to pay an additional $10 per month to fight global warming, while 30 percent were willing to pay an additional $25 per month and 16 percent were willing to pay an additional $50 per month.

While opposition to gas tax increases is strong, a solid majority of African Americans (63 percent) believe that people they know would be willing to change their driving habits or drive less to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Findings from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies' National Survey Results.

African Americans on Climate Change and Conservation are from a random digit dialing telephone survey of 750 African American adults conducted between July 20, 2009 and July 30, 2008. The survey has a margin of error of + or - 3.6 percentage points. The full survey can be downloaded at www.JointCenter.org/Climate

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies is one of the nation's leading research and public policy institutions and the only one whose work focuses primarily on issues of particular concern to African Americans and other people of color. The Joint Center will mark its 40th Anniversary of service in 2010. To learn more, please visit www.JointCenter.org.

Our Tunnel Builder Institute Training Director Carey Jenkins came back from a weekend in D.C. with the Congressional Black Caucus 2009 Convention.  Check his interviews with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Debra Lee - CEO of BET Networks, Civil Rights Attorney Rose Landers, Rev. Yearwood of the Hip Hop Caucus, Andre Showell of BET News, Debra Olewabe and Maia Blankenship among others.

Check out this article, crossposted from 99Problems.org: During my time in high school, the closest I got to a green education was making a Bonzai tree during a Horticulture class, which I clumsily ruined in Gym class later that day. Luckily for kids who are still in high school, a few East Bay High Schools in Oakland, CA are leading the pack to green up their learning, by instituting green technical education programs. Ready for the best part? Half of all the students who were admitted are from ‘at risk’ communities. In cooperation with the Berkeley National Laboratory and local organizations such as the Ella Baker Center, Green Academy pilot programs will be instituted at Oakland Technical High School and El Cerrito High School to give students a ’school within a school’ education about sustainable energy technology as a career path. Gettin’ green isn’t just going to affect the science classes - the unified theme is going to be spread amongst all subject areas, from biology to history to environmental science. And yes, even English literature. Many of the staff at Berkeley Labs will also be available at these Green Academies for lab tours, talks and demonstrations as well as to provide summer internships for students to help them accelerate their careers in the green field. These Academies are going to spread like crazy: current legislation signed into law by the Governator provides about $42k in funding per school, for up to sixty schools across the state. And that’s just for a pilot program. By unifying an environmental worldview with a progressive education, the Green Academy programs are going to do wonders for these students and, consequently, those around them. Low-income communities - such as those in Oakland, CA - are extremely under served in the green movement. Educating these students will encourage and stimulate these communities economically and empower them to nurture the progressive leaders of tomorrow. Plus, of course, there’s that whole do-good-and-sleep-better-by-knowing-you’re-helping-the-environment thing.

Saturday, September 19th, 2009.

On this date in League History, the Tunnel Builder Institute hit New York City.

Members of the community, young and old, gathered to work with Carey Jenkins, National Training Director of the League of Young Voters Education Fund. Participants learned about the nature of power and using their voice to achieve their collective desires for their communities.

The passion and energy in the training room was huge and we can't wait to see these TBI grads making change in their communities!

Ready to hear something pretty much awesome? According to a recent report done by CIRCLE, the turnout of young African American voters in the 2008 election was the highest it had ever been! Check it:

"Although overall youth turnout was high in the 2008 presidential election, there were important differences in turnout rates. Young African Americans posted the highest turnout rate ever observed for any racial or ethnic group of young Americans since 1972. Fifty-eight percent of African-American youth voted on November 4th, the highest turnout rate of any youth racial/ethnic group since 1972.

"Moreover, among young people, African-American youth had the highest turnout: nearly six in ten young African Americans voted in the 2008 election."