In the face of unprecedented attacks on the separation of church and state and on vulnerable communities across the country, it is so important for activists to connect with and support each other in the fight to protect all our rights. That’s one of the many reasons why I’m so grateful to run Americans United’s Youth Organizing Fellowship, a program that builds a community of activists who learn together and support each other, and that also empowers young activists to deepen their connections in their local communities.
While we’re already recruiting the next cohort of Youth Organizing Fellows who will start working with AU this fall, I want to take a moment to celebrate the work of our current Fellows who are advocating for the separation of church and state across the country.
Many of our Fellows have invited speakers to their communities or hosted their own conversations to spark new understandings about church-state separation. Some have also infused art and creativity into their actions, demonstrating how storytelling and education can take many forms.
The Youth Organizing Fellows have also been using what they’ve learned to educate folks online through blog posts and social media content. Lilly joined Americans United just last week for an Instagram Takeover: you can check out her content on our Instagram account including a live discussion with me and another Fellow, Kennya. And several Fellows have written for AU’s blog on a range of topics: anti-trans policies, Christian Nationalism in NYC, the legacy of the Scopes Monkey Trial, book bans, advocating for church-state separation across state lines, U.S. Supreme Court cases United States v. Skrmetti and Mahmoud v. Taylor, and the intersection of religious freedom and queer rights in the South.
A lot of the work done by our Youth Organizing Fellows is less visible but no less important: reaching out to old and new connections and having conversations, week after week, with their peers, colleagues and collaborators about what church-state separation is, why it matters and what we can do about it. We’re just halfway through the program and many more plans are in the works! As our Fellows move into the second half of the program, they shift from educating to mobilizing their communities to take action and join the movement.
Our Youth Organizing Fellows also attend the Summit for Religious Freedom in the spring, and Kennya wrote about her experience, “The summit reminded me that building a future rooted in freedom and justice takes all of us, working together and learning from one another.” That’s the exact spirit of the Youth Organizing Fellowship, and it’s amazing to watch what each cohort does to build relationships and utilize the resources provided by AU to make change in their communities.
If you’re a young activist who has hope that together we can build a future where every person is able to live as themselves and believe as they choose, go to www.au.org/youthfellows to learn more about the Youth Organizing Fellowship and how to apply.
Photo: Members of Americans United’s Youth Organizing Fellowship meet at AU’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., with National Organizer and Student Network Manager Alicia Johnson (front row, left) and President and CEO Rachel Laser (back row, fifth from left).
