The Delaware Secretary of State has begun accepting nominations for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award. The award recognizes a gifted, civic-minded young Delawarean who has demonstrated leadership abilities, has a passion for social justice, and is improving the quality of life in their community.

“John Lewis was a heroic American who changed the course of history,” said Secretary of State Jeff Bullock. “I’m honored to have the privilege to present this prestigious award to a young Delawarean who has demonstrated a commitment and passion for social and community change. It is my hope that this award continues to inspire young folks to make a difference in their community.”

The John Lewis Youth Leadership Award was established by the National Association of Secretaries of State to honor the extraordinary accomplishments of the late Congressman John Lewis. His courageous achievements during the Civil Rights Movement and his long tenure of public service have inspired and will continue to inspire Americans for generations to come.

In 1961, at the age of 21, Lewis was one of the original thirteen Freedom Riders. In 1963, Lewis was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington and also one of the “Big Six” leaders who organized the march. In 1965, Lewis helped lead the Selma to Montgomery marches. The first march took place on March 7, 1965 at the Edmund Pettus Bridge where unarmed marchers were attacked by state troopers. The event later became known as “Bloody Sunday” and was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. Lewis’ activism at an early age continued throughout his life and he served as a U.S. Congressman for 33 years until he passed away in 2020.

Eligibility requirements for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award include:

• The recipient must be a resident of the State of Delaware.
• The recipient must be 25 years or younger by the close of the application submission window of October 20, 2023.
• The recipient is recognized in their community for being civic-minded and improving the quality of life in their community.
• The recipient has shown a meaningful commitment to address civil rights issues, including but not limited to voting rights, and to authentically bring about positive change in his or her community.
  • Examples could include youth leadership in a specific project or program, advocacy or even literature as the Congressman also won a National Book Award for young people’s literature.

Nominations for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award will be accepted beginning on September 5^th through October 20^th, 2023. An award recipient will be announced in November 2023.

Karelin Torres was the recipient of the 2022 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award. She was the first individual in Delaware to be honored with this award. To learn more about her civic engagement, visit https://sos.delaware.gov/johnlewisaward/karelin-torres/.

To learn more about the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award or to nominate a young individual, visit de.gov/johnlewisaward.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Rony Baltazar-Lopez at Rony.baltazar@delaware.gov.

The mission of the Delaware Department of State is to promote Delaware’s economy and generate state revenue; manage and facilitate citizen access to governmental, educational, and recreational information; preserve and promote Delaware history, art, and culture; assist and provide direct services to Delaware veterans and their families; promote equal opportunity and protection for all persons; provide regulatory, licensing, investigate and consumer services to protect the public’s health, safety, and economic welfare; and administer the State’s public and merit employment relations laws and government ethics laws. 

Wilmington – In his weekly message, Governor Markell highlights the importance of encouraging civic engagement among youth in Delaware.

“Studies show our students have an impressive commitment to volunteerism. They want to make a difference in our communities,” said Governor Markell. “So we need to ensure they understand just how much those communities are shaped by public servants, from how we support our schools to the capabilities of our police and fire departments.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: http://youtu.be/ud0id6IZEdA
Delaware.Gov:  http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
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 Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Encouraging Civic Engagement Among Youth

As Washington gridlock continues to damage Americans’ trust in government, we face serious challenges in attracting a new generation of our best and brightest to be involved in public service and engaged in shaping public policy. Young people increasingly believe that political involvement does not lead to tangible results. And they don’t believe it can meet the challenges we face. At a time when those challenges have never been greater for our state and nation, we’ve got to ensure our youth appreciate the relevance for them when decisions are made not only in Washington, but also in Dover, and in other local governments.

In recent visits to Delaware high schools, I’ve emphasized that civic engagement is one of the most powerful ways to give back to your community. But those discussions aren’t enough. I encourage all of you who have the opportunity to interact with our young people in educational settings – our teachers and mentors, and most especially our parents – to spread the message that Robert Kennedy so eloquently articulated: “The principle on which this country was founded,” he said, “is that direct participation in political activity is what makes a free society.”

Studies show our students have an impressive commitment to volunteerism. They want to make a difference in our communities. So we need to ensure they understand just how much those communities are shaped by public servants, from how we support our schools to the capabilities of our police and fire departments. By helping our youth understand the value of public service and political involvement – no matter their viewpoints – we’ll keep Delaware moving forward.