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UVA Center for Politics Receives Comcast Foundation Grant for Civic Education
Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative to host civic education workshops for West Virginia teachers this summer
07/12/10 | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Comcast Foundation has awarded a $90,000 grant to the University of Virginia Center for Politics to support its Youth Leadership Initiative. The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) develops free K-12 civic education resources designed to encourage student interest and participation in the American political process. The grant from the Comcast Foundation will allow YLI to host teacher workshops over the next three years across West Virginia. The first programs will be held from Tuesday, July 13 to Friday, July 16 in Beckley, Huntington, Wheeling, and Martinsburg. In August, YLI will host a statewide conference in Charleston featuring Gov. Joe Manchin III and others.
"We are grateful to Comcast for its generous contribution,” said Larry J. Sabato, Director of the Center for Politics, “The Comcast Foundation grant will help us to educate even more young people about the importance of civic engagement and becoming active in the political process."
All four regional workshop conferences will take place at the local Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA) from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and are open to the press:
Tuesday, July 13: Beckley, WV at RESA I (400 Neville Street)
Wednesday, July 14: Huntington, WV at RESA II (2001 McCoy Road)
View W.V. Public Broadcasting news article.
Thursday, July 15: Wheeling, WV at RESA VI (30 GC&P Road)
Friday, July 16: Martinsburg, WV at RESA VIII (109 S. College Street)
Center Intern Yiyu George Wang Recounts His Naturalization at Jefferson's Monticello.
07/09/10 | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - As a civically apathetic child for the majority of my years, I never thought much of becoming a U.S. citizen. From my point of view, U.S. citizenship was merely something that would have forced me to go through the much longer and slower moving “Foreign Arrivals” line when I visited China. It was not really until the 2008 election that I discovered a real interest in politics. I suppose the excitement of everyone around me finally caught on. Friends who I never thought cared at all about public policy were hotly debating the pros and cons of this and that idea. Many of my friends who turned 18 before the election boasted that they had voted for the first time. I was, simply put, very jealous.
Fast forward to the present: I took my oath of citizenship on the steps of Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, one of our greatest founding fathers. Perhaps even more important to me, Jefferson was the founder of the University of Virginia. Words cannot do justice to the emotions I felt that day.
It is a tribute to the unparalleled freedom of the United States that the newly naturalized citizens were allowed to make some remarks to the public. I volunteered to speak because I wanted to show my appreciation for my family, especially my mother and father for their support throughout the years.
However, I also wanted to address the public at large and leave them something meaningful, something to think about. I believe that the phrase “With great power, comes great responsibility,” applies not only to the powerful, but to all of us. With our great privileges of liberty comes our duty of participation. Interning this summer at the Center for Politics, with its mission of promoting the value of politics and the importance of civic engagement has certainly helped to reinforce that belief. During my remarks, it was a spur of the moment idea to quote President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” Those are words I hope to live by, as a new U.S. citizen.
State Department grant allows South Asian students to study U.S. history, society and politics with new media focus at Center for Politics.
06/09/10 | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics is hosting a Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders on New Media as part of a broader U.S. Department of State initiative designed to promote a better understanding of the U.S. abroad and to help develop future world leaders. The Center for Politics has organized a program that includes the study of U.S. history, government, and society with a particular focus on New Media. Twenty undergraduate students from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka will also have the opportunity to experience Charlottesville hospitality and recreational opportunities.
The Department of State is supplying the grant under the Fulbright-Hays Act with the purpose “to foster mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”
Some highlights of the Center for Politics program will include lectures by distinguished scholars and practitioners in the fields of media and politics, such as Virginia Supreme Court Justice Bill Mims, former U.S. Senator and Connecticut Governor Lowell Weicker, former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Ashley Wills, political journalist Craig Crawford, actress Daphne Maxwell Reid, Chief Stephen Adkins of the Chickahominy Tribe and Politics Professor Larry Sabato. The students will also receive hands-on experience in new media, serving in local internships with a variety of media outlets and organizations, and in community service.
The Study of the U.S. Institutes are designed and funded by the Study of the U.S. Branch in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Study of the U.S. Institute participants are among over 40,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. For more than sixty years, ECA has funded and supported programs that seek to promote mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Other ECA programs include the Fulbright Program and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. For more information about ECA programs, visit http://exchanges.state.gov/.
“Locked Out: The Fall of Massive Resistance” Nominated for “Best Documentary” EMMY Award
06/04/10 | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - The University of Virginia Center for Politics’ latest documentary, “Locked Out: The Fall of Massive Resistance,” has been nominated for an EMMY Award. The documentary was produced in conjunction with the Community Idea Stations, and directed by Mason Mills, a longtime partner of the Center for Politics. The nomination through the Capital chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was announced on May 10, and winners will be announced at the 52nd EMMY Awards Dinner held in Washington, DC on June 5.
The one-hour documentary, “Locked Out: The Fall of Massive Resistance,” explores the tragedies and triumphs of the children of Virginia who found themselves on the front lines of a cultural war that desegregated Virginia's public schools, and forever altered American history. “Locked Out” features personal interviews with former students, Virginia Governors Linwood Holton and Douglas Wilder, and recognized civil rights historians.
Center for Politics Director Larry Sabato said, “We are very proud to receive this prestigious nomination. Segregation and Massive Resistance left an indelible stain on the South. Every citizen should hear firsthand about the mistakes of the past so that, working together, we can ensure that they never happen again.”
Over the past year, “Locked Out” has aired on PBS stations across the nation and was shown as a featured film at the Virginia Film Festival last fall. In addition, many Virginia organizations and schools have hosted screenings to bring attention to this crucial time in American history.
John Felton, Vice President and General Manager of the Community Idea Stations said, “We are proud of our national public television production relationship with the Center for Politics. We leverage their unique abilities on an intellectual level combined with our ability at The Community Idea Stations to produce documentaries that resonate with hundreds of thousands of public television viewers. An EMMY nomination is quite coveted in the television industry, especially so given that we are judged by our media peers.”
Center for Politics Presents Music and Politics of the 1960s
Legendary artist Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary to perform
04/21/10 | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA –The U.Va. Center for Politics is pleased to present Peter Yarrow of the 1960s musical group, Peter, Paul and Mary, on Wednesday, April 28 at 8 p.m. at Old Cabell Hall for a look back at the Music and Politics of the 1960s. The event is the start of the Center's Golden Anniversaries Series - a new, annual series of programs, symposia, documentaries, public lectures, travel opportunities and teaching resources aimed as commemorating the landmark political events of the 1960s.
For 49 years, Peter Yarrow was a member of the Grammy award-winning folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. The late Coretta Scott King once proclaimed, "Peter, Paul and Mary are not only three of the greatest folk artists ever, but also three of the performing arts' most outstanding champions of social justice and peace."
During the last decade, Peter has devoted himself primarily to founding and heading the work of Operation Respect, an educational non-profit dedicated to assuring children and youth a caring, safe and respectful climate of learning where students' academic, social and emotional development can take place in a welcoming environment, conducive to learning.
Introduction by Professor Larry J. Sabato, Director of the Center for Politics. The event is free and open to the public, however tickets are required from the University of Virginia Arts Box Office. Please visit http://tickets.artsboxoffice.virginia.edu/ for more information.
Questions? Please e-mail cfp-programs@virginia.edu or call (434) 243-3540.
Former Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder to speak at U.Va.
First African-American governor in U.S. history to address Larry Sabato’s class
03/03/10 | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder will speak to Larry Sabato’s Introduction to American Politics class on Wednesday, March 3 at 3 PM at the Wilson Hall Auditorium on the Grounds of the University of Virginia. The first African-American governor elected in the United States since Reconstruction and a grandson of slaves, Wilder will discuss his experiences in Virginia politics and share his trademark perspective on current issues facing the country and the Commonwealth. The event is hosted and sponsored by the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Wilder, a Democrat, served as Virginia’s 66th governor from 1990 to 1994. Before his time as governor, he served as a state senator from Richmond for 16 years before being elected to the Lieutenant Governorship in 1985, becoming the first African-American to win statewide election in Virginia history. In 2004, Wilder was elected to serve as the mayor of Richmond, a position to which he did not seek reelection in 2008. He currently serves as an adjunct professor of public policy at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Even after leaving public office Wilder has remained an outspoken voice on the issues facing Virginia, including gun control and taxes. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, he was courted by both the Republican and Democratic candidates before ultimately declining to make an endorsement.
"Careers in Politics and Policy” to highlight U.Va. graduates
Center for Politics, Batten School, and University Career Services partner for panel
03/02/10 | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – A panel of University of Virginia graduates will show current students a path towards careers in public service at an event sponsored by the U.Va. Center for Politics, Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and University Career Services. The free student event “Careers in Politics and Policy” will be held on Tuesday, March 2 at 6 PM in the Kaleidoscope Room in Newcomb Hall on the University of Virginia grounds.
Students will be able to see how these panelists reached their current positions and hear advice on how to chart their own course. The event will also offer current students the opportunity to network and make connections with graduates who already have careers in their field of interest. Panelists have jobs in political campaigns, local government, legislative offices on Capitol Hill, and federal agencies, some in the beginning of their careers and others serving in high-level positions with years of experience. Attendees will hear not only about entry-level positions and how to attain them, but also will pick up tips and advice on how to turn an interest in politics and policy into a life-long career. There will be a question and answer period for students to learn more from these politics and policy professionals.
Panelists will include:
- Nicholas Feucht, City of Richmond Economic and Community Development Office
- Logan Pugh, U.S. Senate office of Sen. Olympia Snowe
- Lara Robillard, Principal Analyst at the Congressional Budget Office
- Anna Scholl, Finance Director for Congressman Tom Perriello
- Frank Talbot, Legislative Assistant for Republican Whip Eric Cantor
2010 and Beyond!
University of Virginia Center for Politics and POLITICO to Host Elections Preview
12/01/09 | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Democratic National Committee Chairman Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) will deliver the keynote speeches at the American Democracy Conference sponsored by the University of Virginia Center for Politics and POLITICO. Kaine and Cornyn will offer their insights as key leaders and strategists for their respective parties, as well as their perspectives as elected officials who have run successful campaigns.
The 11th annual American Democracy Conference will be held at the Newseum in Washington, DC on Thursday, December 3 and will preview the 2010 midterm elections, look ahead to 2012, and examine the Obama administration’s first year. Keynote speeches will begin at 1 PM with panel discussions to follow until 5 PM, featuring elected officials, party insiders, key strategists, and prominent journalists. The conference is free and open to the public with advance registration, available at the Center for Politics' website: http://www.centerforpolitics.org/adc.html
Professor Larry J. Sabato, director of the Center for Politics, and John F. Harris, editor-in-chief of POLITICO, will each moderate panel discussions. The conference will also feature a special panel with the executive directors of the DCCC, NRCC, DSCC, and the NRSC, who will oversee their parties’ U.S. House and Senate campaigns in 2010.
Other panelists will include:
- Mike Allen, Chief White House Correspondent for POLITICO
- Paul Begala, advisor to President Clinton and CNN contributor
- Roy Blunt, U.S. Representative (R-MO) and former Republican Whip
- Alex Castellanos, Senior communications adviser to the RNC and CNN contributor
- Tom Cole, U.S. Representative (R-OK) and former NRCC chairman
- Roland Martin, CNN contributor and political columnist
- Kiki McLean, Democratic strategist and former Hillary Clinton advisor
- Susan Page, Washington bureau chief for USA Today
- Jennifer Palmieri, former deputy press secretary to President Clinton
- Leslie Sanchez, Republican strategist and former CNN contributor
- Juan Williams, political analyst for NPR and Fox News
The American Democracy Conference grew out of the first National Post Election Conference in 1998. The conference examines not only the most recent election cycle, but also current campaigns, upcoming elections and prospects for the future of American democracy. The conference is based on the idea that elections are the seminal event in the life of a democracy, setting the direction of the country while shedding light on the state of America's political health.