Student Spotlight! Itane Coleman

Hello,

As a UNCG student and member of the UNCG Guarantee Program, I wanted to share the information below. Although my internship with Democracy NC will be coming to a close in a few weeks, I am reaching out to groups and individuals on our campus who may be interested in participating in a Twitter Chat. Given the surge of police brutality and disenfranchisement of the Black community, our organization is starting up a new campaign called #YoungBlackandVoting.

#YoungBlackandVoting is an important campaign that launches this week through Election Day. It is a digital advocacy effort that is inspired by the phrase “young, gifted, and Black,” which has deep roots in the Civil Rights Movement. To be young, Black, and gifted is to celebrate oneself and one’s Blackness. To be young, Black, and voting is to celebrate oneself and one’s voting power as a Black person in America. Through the #YoungBlackandVoting campaign, Democracy NC has the power to affect and even shape the political narrative so that young Black voters stop feeling left out in this crucial election year.

To get more young Black voters engaged, we will create empowering and inspiring messages to help young Black voters feel a positive connection to the political process leading up to the November 2016 General Election and beyond. Like #votehot, #youngblackandvoting will be a vital part of our messaging moving forward and is a hashtag we encourage you to embrace in your work to mobilize communities of color. Please feel free to share this with any other Guarantee students or individuals who may be interested in participating.

We are still finalizing the day/time of our Twitter Chat, but if you all are interested, please let me know and I will get the necessary information to you once our communications team decides on an official day for the launch of our campaign on Twitter.

Onward,

Itané O. Coleman

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, May 2017

Political Science and African American Studies Double Major

Desk Assistant | Office of Housing and Residence Life

Kaleidoscope Social Justice Peer Educator | Office of Intercultural Engagement

Civic Engagement Election Project Fellow | Office of Leadership and Service Learning

"We do not have to simply accept inequality. We can choose a different future."

- Melissa Harris-Perry