HRC was proud to host its second annual the Mississippi Youth Leadership Summit in partnership with ACLU of Mississippi and Teen Health Mississippi to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Post submitted by HRC Mississippi Faith Organizer Daniel Ball

HRC was proud to host its second annual the Mississippi Youth Leadership Summit in partnership with ACLU of Mississippi and Teen Health Mississippi to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This summit brought together nearly 50 youth activists between the ages of 14-24 from across Mississippi to creatively explore ways to advocate for policies that improve the health and rights of young people in Mississippi.

HRC Mississippi Youth Leadership Summit

The summit involved multiple breakout sessions to allow participants to build their knowledge, skills and abilities to advocate for issues that impact their lives.Some of the issues discussed included fully comprehensive sex-education, anti-bullying and non-discrimination policies for LGBTQ people and updating Mississippi's hate crimes law to meet federal standards. The participants also attended “know your rights” and lobbying trainings that focused on utilizing their voices to raise awareness, empower and educate their peers on ways to create lasting changes in our state.

HRC Mississippi is committed to working across the Magnolia State to help improve the lives of our youth, especially LGBTQ young people. For more information on local events like the Mississippi Youth Leadership Summit, please reach out to Daniel Ball, HRC Mississippi faith organizer, at daniel.ball@hrc.org or visit our website at hrc.org/Mississippi.