Latest Posts
ELECTIONS
The More We Learned, The More We Cared: How YMP Teenagers Analyzed Election Coverage
By Zaniyah Clayborne
The solution-circle experience inspired the students. “It opened my mind to the range of problems that are apparent in Mississippi, and I think that we as the youth can help create the change,” YMP student journalist Kirstyn Lyles said.
With Much on the Line, the U.S. Latino Vote Can Tip the Scale
By Caitlyn Russell
For Darlyn Bustillo, this election is particularly impactful because it highlights the growing influence of Latino voters in the United States.
YMP Students: We Get Very Little Civics, Elections Training In School
By Ava Washington
Nakisha Davis said incorporating interactive activities into youth lessons on politics would help give them a better understanding of the content, particularly if teachers made use of “things such as mock elections, role playing, field trips and guest speakers.”
Opinion | Trump Can Run With 34 Felonies, But Many Mississippians Cannot Vote on Nov. 5
By Kaitlyn Poole
The case of Donald Trump, who has been indicted for 34 felonies and is still allowed to run for president, highlights the inconsistencies in how disenfranchisement laws are applied. Denying felons the right to vote is unfair because it perpetuates inequality, hinders rehabilitation, contradicts democratic values and has
‘Tears of Joy and Pride’: Don’t Be Discouraged, #MakeVotingATrend
By McKenzie Matthews
“Voting is a powerful tool,” Rev. Day says. “If people would just talk about treating each other right and fair and stop saying that it’s politics, people would go out and vote more.”
From Partisanship to Gridlock: Why Legislation Gets Stuck, Rejected
By Laila Henderson
Political parties have become more racially diverse, as Black and Brown candidates win more seats in the House and Senate.
The How and the Why: Education Is Key to Motivating Young People to Vote
By Hannah Evans
“At MS Votes, one way we encourage young people to vote is to really explain to them that voting is one of the most powerful tools to use to voice your opinion and make a direct change on what’s going on,” Maisie Brown
Studying Civics Can Educate Mississippians, Americans on Voting Process, Importance
By Kierra Rand
As voters choose state and local officials, their wishes can have a heavy impact on local legislation. That means it is easier for citizens to be heard on local levels due to the elected officials being closer to them geographically.
IN-DEPTH
ISSUE FOCUS | Reducing Child Poverty Through the Child Tax Credit
The Child Tax Credit was a part of the American Rescue Plan of 2021. The plan, also known as the COVID-19 Stimulus Package, was a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill, which Congress passed, and President Joe Biden signed into law on March 11, 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act’s purpose was to speed up the country’s recovery from the economic downturn that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CTC gave $2,000 per child to parents who have children aged 6-17 and $3,600 per child under age 6.
ISSUE FOCUS | Education and Opportunity for Young People
YMP Students writes on various issues in eduation such as teacher pay, lack of civic classes and discrimination in the classroom.
ISSUE FOCUS: The Past, The Present and The Future of Women’s Rights Issues
By Kirstyn Lyles, Kaitlyn Poole, McKenzie Matthews, Zaniyah Clayborne
Despite the world’s progression into the digital age, the fact remains that women have been fighting for the rights that men have been given since birth for centuries.
ISSUE FOCUS: Redlining, Voting Suppression and Felony Voting Bans Not Just Relics of Past
By Paris Braggs, Caitlyn Russell, Jeremy Thomas and La’Ziyah Walker
“If you look at who makes the laws, if you look at how things are passed, if you look at how processes are created—most of those things are created by folks who are voted into office.” – Maisie Brown
Examining School Equity: Why ‘Equality’ Alone Does Not Serve All Students
“When it comes to equity you want to make sure that students have access to what it is they need so they can be successful,” said Tonja Murphy.
MEET THE STUDENTS
Braden Overby is Passionate About ‘Doing Good for the Most People’
Braden Overby is a native of Mendenhall, Miss., and a senior at Simpson Academy. He hopes to continue his education in law and public policy.
The Lively Spirit of Kierra Rand: Mixing Vibrancy with Introversion
Kierra Rand first attended Galloway Elementary, then Northwest Middle School and is currently attending Jim Hill High School—all in Jackson, Miss., so she has had an authentic “City with Soul” experience.
YMP Gives Student-Mentor Paris Braggs A Sense of Purpose and Direction
Paris Braggs is now 17 and is going into her senior year at Callaway High School.
Hannah Evans’ Journalism Dream Started in Elementary School
Evans is a rising junior at Madison Central High School where she is a member of many organizations, including High Tech Video Production.
Many Moves Later, Jeremy Thomas Is ‘Trying To Be Like Mansa Musa’
Now 16, Thomas lives in Bolton with his mother, stepfather and younger brother. His mother seemed to work a lot when he was younger, “probably to afford to move around,” he quips, but it appears to him she has settled down more.
