2023

George Harris

George Harris was nominated for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award for Winter of 2023. George has demonstrated a consistent and meaningful commitment to addressing civil rights issues, voting rights, and to authentically bring about positive change in his community.  He has worked within the community to help engage youth and assisted with several projects within the California Secretary of State’s Office to increase voter engagement.  

 In 2015, George became the chair of the 79th District Youth Advisory Council. The Council’s mission is to educate youth of the city and help understand local issues from the youth’s perspective. At this time, George met monthly with then Assemblymember now Secretary of State, Shirley N, Weber, PhD., discussing potential bills that could improve San Diego conditions, learning the state legislative process, and helping run community events. George continued his pursuit of civic service through his education, earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in political science at the University of California (UC) Santa Barbara and California State University (CSU), Sacramento respectively.  

In 2022, George produced and published award-winning research on voter ID laws citing the negative impact these laws often have on marginalized voters. The title of his research, “Photo ID Law’s Impact on American Voter Turnout Rates: An Extensive Report of Voter Suppression in the United States Democracy,” examines voter participation in all 50 states during the 2020 election cycle. The report highlights the harming effect of current voter ID policies and the historical trend of voting policies on black voters. George was honored by the CSU Research Symposium and at the CSU Sacramento Grand Slam competition. Additionally, he received the Outstanding Graduate Student award from the CSU Sacramento’s, Political Science Department and was a recipient of the Frederick M. Roberts College Scholarship. 

George continues to work in the Sacramento community.  He recently joined the Zeta Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, where he works  with high schools at the Alpha Academy, educating and inspiring students to help them realize their dreams of higher education.  George will continue his commitment by working as a Legislative Aide for Senator Nancy Skinner in the Ninth Senate District of California, a district that represents the densest concentration of eligible black voters in the state.  

2022

Alex Edgar

Alex Edgar was nominated for the John Lewis Service Award for Winter of 2022 for his exemplary commitment to civic engagement and civic leadership. Alex is a second-year student at UC Berkeley studying Political Science with a concentration in Political Behavior and minors in Public Policy, Political Economy, and Education. He is passionate about developing policy solutions to pressing social problems to create education systems and democratic institutions that are more responsive to the will and needs of the American people. More than anything, he loves working with his peers to inspire Generation Z to become the most civically engaged generation in American history.

Alex is an Intern to the Executive Director at the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement, a Criminal Justice Research Intern at the Constitutional Rights Foundation, and an ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge Intern. He also serves as the Director of the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition and Civic Engagement Coordinator for the UC Student Association.

Alex became a Voter's Choice Act Ambassador for the California Secretary of State in 2022. As a Voter’s Choice Act Ambassador, Alex, along with 40 other trusted messengers, elected officials, and community leaders, partnered with the Secretary of State’s Office and counties to educate voters in communities across the state. Additionally, Alex is the creator and facilitator of the “Civic Engagement 101” course at the Goldman School of Public Policy and co-chairs both the Chancellor’s Civic Engagement Committee and the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Advisory Board on Student Civic & Voter Empowerment.

Through his various roles, Alex has become a strong student voice in the youth-vote space, being published in Forbes and featured in a CBS News Bay Area segment. Alex has also spoken and moderated panels on voting rights and civic education at the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School; the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago; The Andrew Goodman Foundation; The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice; Ronald Reagan Presidential Institute, and UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement.

Dominick Williams

Dominick Williams was nominted for the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award for Winter 2022. Dominick embodies the true meaning of public service and civil rights advocate.  Through his collective works in the legislature and the community at large, he has demonstrated a commitment to being a voice and advocating for improvement of the lives of underserved and underrepresented populations in the State of California and advancing social justice. Dominick Williams is a critical thinker who has utilized his life experience, skills and passion to help bring social and political change. He is not afraid to speak about his past and challenge the systems of inequality and oppression. 

While Dominick was a student at UC Berkley, he spoke at legislative informational hearings. On one of these occasions he met with then Assemblymember and now Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber. During his presentation, he was energetic, candid and very passionate about the issues facing students and the black community while sharing his personal story. This is when Secretary Weber learned of Dominick’s struggles and hardships as a first generation, indigent Black college student who experienced hunger and near homelessness.  Dominick also spoke at subsequent hearings sponsored by the Assemblymember on his college campus on various issues, including racial justice and community safety, Black student and faculty retention rates, the need for Black and other psychologists of color, and a well-known California constitutional law, Proposition 209, which bans affirmative action for those who have experienced public discrimination.  

Dominick has consistently demonstrated the passion, drive and love for these hard issues that are required to successfully advocate for these issues. He is collaborative, thoughtful and extends himself beyond his normal duties to get the job done for the team. This is reflected in his volunteer responsibility to monitor and serve as liaison to California’s historic Reparations Task Force which was created by Secretary Shirley N. Weber, PhD.