Students Organizing the South had the opportunity to be in community with many comrades from all over the U.S. this summer. In mid-June 2024, SOS brought a delegation to the Rising Majority Movement Congress. There our team discussed ways to build power within the youth sector amongst organizers whose ages ranged from 12 – 55.
In late June, SOS presented at the SVA Southern Summit, facilitating a much needed conversation on the status of youth organizing, featuring past and present fellows from NC and GA. The discussion highlighted ways to engage and promote youth voices at different education levels. The session hosted over 50 participants who were able to power map threats and opportunities while organizing with youth in the south. As a team we were able to strategize about our engagement and organizing for the important 2024 electoral year. In September we participated in the Carolina Youth Partnership Student Summit, hosted by the Beloved Community Center in Greensboro, NC.
Students Organizing the South is a program of SVA. It has hosted fall fellowships for 4 years – in that time we noticed students wanted more than 10 weeks of organizing support. In response, we created the Spring Organizing Advancement Program (SOAP) for fellows who wanted to learn more about building power. The six SOAP students received community training tailored to their interests within the movement and expanded their networks to community members who were also doing similar work. Five of the SOAP graduates are returning as lead fellows for our 2024 fall fellowship. This will allow them to bridge the gap with students on the campus and increase their leadership skills as they continue to build their leadership.
The 2024 fall fellowship, like most things in movement, has been adapted to meet community needs. As we prepare to kick-off the ten week program, we anticipate an influx of student input and community influence that will shape the program to be relevant to the needs of the movement. True to our commitment to youth in the south, we have expanded to new states across the south. Our fellows will begin the fellowship with an opening 2-day retreat in historic downtown Greensboro, NC. We look forward to providing trainings for our fellows and the broader community, expanding the ways that students engage in GOTV efforts and electoral politics on HBCU campuses across the south.
