Youth leadership isn’t just a single event or awareness month. Across the country, students in CDF’s Black Student Leadership Network(BSLN) are organizing around the issues shaping their campuses and communities, from education funding to voter participation.
Two student leaders, Lahmi Simmons of Winston-Salem State University and JerMeny Israel of Florida A&M University, are helping move that work forward through campaigns rooted in civic engagement and community impact.
Lahmi Simmons: Organizing for Education Justice
As BSLN’s Campus Ambassador at Winston-Salem State University, Lahmi Simmons has helped lead a year-long campaign focused on civic engagement, educational justice, and student wellness.
The campaign began in the summer of 2025 with a student-led protest and press conference calling attention to a $46 million funding deficit affecting Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, a budget crisis that drew widespread concern across the community. The action also connected with a local CDF Freedom Schools® partner, Lit City, strengthening ties between campus advocacy and community efforts.
Since then, Lahmi and fellow students have continued educating their campus about voting rights, local policy decisions, and the long-term impact of disinvestment in public education. Their work has included campus outreach, partnerships, and political education initiatives designed to help students better understand how policy decisions affect their schools and communities.
This spring, that effort continues through a series of events, including a Campus Wellness Day pop-up focused on environmental, social, and political wellness, a virtual panel titled “Know Your Rights: Politics is Personal,” and a Black Faculty Roundtable, exploring traditions of Black intellectual resistance and the impact of public school disinvestment.
“We have worked to promote holistic wellness, advocate for students’ rights, and equip our campus community with the knowledge necessary to become informed change agents,” Lahmi said.
JerMeny Israel: Expanding Voter Awareness
At Florida A&M University, JerMeny Israel has focused her campaign on voter education and civic responsibility among fellow students. Her work centers on helping students understand both the power of their voices and the practical steps they can take to participate in the democratic process.
Through a campus event, more than 100 students gathered to learn about voter education, civic responsibility, and the importance of participating in elections. The event created space for students to ask questions, access information about voting, and reflect on the role civic participation plays in shaping their communities.
For JerMeny, the goal was not only turnout, but awareness.
“It increased awareness and the importance of voting and empowered students to register to vote,” JerMeny said.
Efforts like these reflect a broader commitment among BSLN students to strengthen civic engagement on their campuses and ensure that young people have the information and tools they need to participate fully in democracy.
Youth Leadership Continuing Forward
Students across the Black Student Leadership Network are carrying forward a long legacy of advocacy while building new approaches to civic engagement on their campuses. Their campaigns reflect how young leaders are turning knowledge into action and creating space for their peers to get involved.
###
Learn more about CDF’s Black Student Leadership Network and the work students are leading across the country.
Author: Organizing Manager, Student & Youth, Tiffany Brooks