In a constantly evolving world, and in our democracy where every voice matters, young voters stand at the forefront of change. To inspire this demographic to engage in the electoral process, it is passionate and talented activists like Sarah-Julia Marion who harness the power of visual storytelling, which acts as a catalyst for conversation and action amongst the youth. Going beyond traditional means to underscore the vital importance of voting, her work closes the gap betwee

“[Voting is] not something that's taught and it’s such an important process that impacts the rest of our lives. If you don't teach us now in high school… that's why we're not voting until we hit, maybe, 30… Then people are still more likely to just only vote for the president or vote for whoever they see on mainstream media. … That's why we try to [educate] because there's so much wrong with the systems that impact young people every day.”

The coolest thing about Ceci Schleinitz--among many cool things--is that she gets to mentor students who are just a few years younger than she. So, she’s like the cool aunt who is also wise and strict. After the election ends, she says,  it’s easy to sit back and think that the work is over. But think again. Because sometimes the greatest impact happens beyond the ballot. Sometimes, it’s those moments of quiet when young people discover the power of voting for the first time.

Was it the loss of his grandmother, or his curiosity, that led him to become the president of the University Park Undergraduate Association, the student representative to the Borough of State College’s City Council, and the chair of the Committee on Governmental and Community Relations? For Zion Sykes, the answer isn’t as simple as either/or—it’s both. 

Let’s travel back in time to 2020, the year the world shut down as coronavirus spread. I was sixteen years old, a sophomore in high school. Suddenly, my friends and I no longer communicated in the cafeteria during lunchtime or on the way to class. Our lives moved online.

I may not have a vote, but I do have a voice, and I intend to use it. Encouraging others to engage in the democratic process became my way of contributing, even if indirectly, to US democracy. For every person I convinced to register or to show up at the polls, I felt like I was speaking up for those of us left out. 

Every evening on my walk from Drexel’s library, I watch packed SEPTA buses pass by. Many are packed with healthcare workers from nearby hospitals and riders returning from medical appointments. Many are packed with students returning from college. Others are traveling to restaurants in Center City or a Flyers game. Over 750,000 rides are taken on public transit daily through SEPTA.

I used to wish my parents had forged the date on my birth certificate. Or at the very least, I’d been born two weeks earlier. 

Each day, another 50 or so 17-year-olds in Philadelphia turn 18, and soon it’ll be time to hand them the keys.

Deja Kilgore sits across from me at Philadelphia City Hall, leaning in with a quiet confidence, poised for our conversation.

I spoke with The Philadelphia Citizen’s Executive Editor about her experience editing and writing for The Citizen.

Preventing residents from exercising their constitutional right is unacceptable

At the Vote That Jawn press conference, student leaders from across Philadelphia and city officials reminded voters that their voice matters

The upcoming election carries a lot of weight for Philly, the biggest city in one of the biggest swing states.

Eight University of Pennsylvania students who attended Trend that Jawn offered their reflections from the evening.

At their annual event, #VoteThatJawn encourages young people to register and vote!

Today, we’ll dive into the ongoing legacy of Philadelphia, part of a long line of efforts to liberate people from oppression.

By Rae Norman Imagine a school that teaches “young people to function productively and meaningfully in society, or [gives] them the tools...

No one outside of its residents had ever really heard of the small Mississippi town before June 1964. That’s when the stories began.

Today in 2024, we find ourselves at the 60-year anniversary of some of the most influential few months of the Civil Rights Movement.

“Blacks [do] everything. Everything,” Ruby Doris Smith Robinson, declared in awe. And it was true.

It was June 21, 1964 and James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael “Mickey” Schwerner were setting out for Philadelphia, Mississippi

Freedom Summer volunteers had an orientation; here’s yours.

We woke up to a new world. But no worries,  we’ve got this