Jackson Free Press

On Tuesday, Jan. 15, youth from all over Mississippi will come to Jackson to talk to state legislators. The American Civil Liberties Union is sponsoring the event, titled "From the Schoolhouse to the Statehouse." Participating students will present a proposed Mississippi Student Bill of Rights to senators and other local legislators.

Schoolhouse to the Statehouse starts at 10 a.m. with a march from Smith Park to the capitol building. Participants will meet on the south steps of the building for a press conference on the day's activities, followed by a training exercise on lobbying their legislators.

The Mississippi Student Bill of Rights, created at the Mississippi Youth Hip Hop Summit, contains 10 items—modeled after the U.S. Bill of Rights—that students want their schools to have. Examples include equal opportunities for all students, comprehensive sex education, and safer learning environments. Read the full bill at tinyurl.com/MSStudentBillofRights.

The Mississippi Youth Hip Hop Summit is an annual summer event for youth ages 10 to 18. Its goal is to promote social justice awareness, inform youth about their rights, and encourage leadership and responsibility in a creative culture.

"This is a youth-created movement, and that's what we want to emphasize," ACLU's Youth Advocacy Coordinator David Denney said. "We want policy-makers to see that youth should be treated as partners."

Visit the Mississippi Youth Hip Hop Summit Facebook page to RSVP. For more information, call 601-354-3408 extension 104 or email [email protected].