It’s 3am on Friday April 22nd, more than 10 college aged youth are gathering at Faith Community Church and the Beloved Community Center in Greensboro, NC awaiting the arrival of a bus in the middle of the night. The bus would later stop in Raleigh and New Bern, NC to pick up other riders. This gathering headed to Washington DC is organized by the NoCap fellowship program of SVA.

NoCap is a strong advocate for student voices concerning policy, activism, voting rights, leadership development and opportunities. On that weekend, 20 students and community members traveled to Washington DC, visited the landmark National African American historical museum of history and culture. Met with several organizations that lead the fight to cancel student debt, decriminalize marijuana and train the next generation of community organizers and student leaders. NoCap has joined organizations across the US South and the country to work on Black youth empowerment and student debt cancellation. This dedicated work bore fruit when President Biden, in response to grassroots pressure, took actions to reduce student debt burden that disproportionately impacts BIPOC and working class youth. The Biden Administration canceled billions in debts for students with disabilities and victims of fraudulent for-profit schools. There is a long way to go for a student debt-cancellation, and NoCap is dedicated to continuing movement building.

Events like NoCap’s bus tour builds friendships and fosters intergenerational conversations that are just the tip of the iceberg for what NoCap has planned for this summer and fall. Look below for more information, photos and videos from the event and be sure to sign up for the Southern Vision Alliance newsletter