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AAMU Student Wants to Spur Interest in Un-PAC Effort

March 10, 2021

"Young people have given up on government ..." - A Young Person

Count 蜜桃视频 A&M University students among organizers nationally who are committed to getting big money out of politics and fixing democracy to the extent that leaders can actually solve urgent problems.

As lawmakers were introducing H.R. 1 (the 鈥淔or the People Act鈥) on the congressional House floor last week, Sakura Dozier-Muhammad was uniting with more than 100 fellow students throughout the U.S. to launch a new student organization. 

SakuraUn-PAC is self-described as 鈥渢he first and only student organizing group in the country that is focusing specifically on democracy reform鈥 and the three-division (i.e., voting, campaign finance and ethics) H.R. 1.  The bill was designed to bolster American鈥檚 access to voting, decreasing the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and to put in place anti-corruption measures to 鈥渇ortify our democracy.鈥

A sophomore political science major from Savannah, Ga., Sakura says he was drawn to AAMU because of its 鈥渞ich heritage鈥 and the fact that it was his parents鈥 alma mater. 

鈥淭he student is more informed than one would think,鈥 responded Sakura, when asked about the political awareness and engagement of his peers.  鈥淢y friends and I canvassed door-to-door for the Bernie Sanders campaign last year, and while we were ready to answer questions about current events and hot-button issues, the students took us by surprise with in-depth responses about our political system and how it needs to be fixed.鈥

His vigorous campaign work made Sakura and other fellow supporters realize 鈥渉ow many things our government can do for us to better the lives of its people.鈥  One major take-away from all of that campaign work, noted Sakura, was the burning question, Why hasn鈥檛 this been done already?

Sakura reasons that a 鈥渂roken democracy won鈥檛 allow real change,鈥 all leading back to what he believes are moneyed interests controlling the political system and voter disenfranchisement.  His involvement with the Un-PAC movement fueled by H.R. 1 is underscored by his view that the drive would help 鈥渢ake big money out of politics.鈥  Opponents, however, view H.R. 1 as a means to federalize and micromanage state election processes by imposing what they deem to be unconstitutional mandates.

鈥淵oung people have given up on government,鈥 says Sakura.  鈥淪o many of them understand what needs to be fixed, but they acknowledge that the system is so corrupt that it seems impossible.鈥  The answer is not simple despair, though.  The answer, he believes, lies in youth motivation that 鈥渢akes charge and addresses the issues.鈥  It鈥檚 the same type of motivation that revealed itself and the power to make change during 2020鈥檚 summer protests, an energy so strong, he says, that it 鈥渃an right wrongs of the past.鈥

When asked what three things he would change, if he had the power to do so, Mr. Dozier-Muhammad replied that he would make people more empathetic, understanding and provocative, 鈥渟o that when we see our fellow human beings wronged, we have the right values to know when to step in to help.鈥

One of Sakura鈥檚 major influencers has been Dr. Cheryl Carpenter, a now retired English professor, who Sakura said was responsible for 鈥渙ne of the best classes鈥 he has ever taken.  The professor helped to relate class readings to students鈥 own struggles.  鈥淗er class was one of the factors that put me on the pathway to becoming a teacher.鈥

Although there is so much injustice and so much work to be done to beat it, Sakura is able to occasionally wear a smile because he knows he is part of a generation of young people who 鈥渨on鈥檛 go down without a fight.鈥

He encourages incoming students to take it slow.  鈥淭here鈥檚 no correct timeline for our lives, so take your time figuring out what you want to do and let it happen naturally,鈥 he says.  鈥淒on鈥檛 rush into a relationship or adulthood.鈥

                                                                                                                               -   Jerome Saintjones

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