As part of ongoing efforts to motivate young people to engage in the political process, the League of Young Voters Education Fund (LYVEF) recently teamed up with the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s (NCBCP) Black Youth Vote! (BYV!) for an innovative civic participation training at North High School in Des Moines, IA. The youth later participated in the Black and Brown Forum Presidential Debate.
Organizers underscored the importance of voting in the Jan. 3, 2008 primary even though people of color make up less than six percent of the Iowa population. “We are working diligently to educate young people on the role the primaries play in the political process,” said Rob “Biko” Baker, LYVEF organizing director. “We used edutainment – spoken word and writing exercises – to tie the struggles faced by young adults to the power of the vote.”
» Read more: Black Youth Vote! National Civic Education Training Tour Promotes Voting In Iowa
