The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Young Democrats will host an event titled “Vanguard: Celebrating Black Elected Leadership,” highlighting leadership in the city of Lincoln, on April 9 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Heritage Room at the Nebraska Union. The event is open to the public and students.
The event was originally scheduled for February to celebrate Black History Month, but was postponed due to a snowstorm and rescheduled for April.
The panel will include four Black elected leaders across Lincoln, including City Council members Bennie Shobe and Sändra Washington, along with Lincoln Public Schools Board members John Goodwin and Marilyn Johnson-Farr. The panelists will talk about their experience in politics as Black Americans in Nebraska.
Troy Kallhoff, the president of UNL Young Democrats, said that the event will include discussions about the unique experiences the panelists have faced with politics.
“It’s gonna talk about their paths, in their own right as individuals, going from the beginning of their career in politics to now and talking about how it’s like being a Democrat elected in a red state,” Kallhoff said.
The event aims to highlight diversity within the Democratic Party and general leadership, according to Kalhoff.
“We all have our own diverse backgrounds and experiences, and we want to promote the diversity that we have within our leadership here in Lincoln and be able to help,” Kallhoff said.
The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session, allowing attendees to engage directly with the speakers.
“The objective of the event is to familiarize students and the people of Lincoln with the fact that Lincoln has won a democratic supermajority on both the city council and the city school board,” Khallhoff said. “Especially in a state where there’s not a lot of representation in the Black community, just the fact that we get to have four of our great leaders here in the state come and talk to us.”
The event is free and UNL Young Democrats will provide food and drinks for attendees. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP before the event.
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