Announcing 2011 National Keynote Contest

Campus Progress and Colorlines.com announced their 2011 National Keynote Contest. The contest is a call for young people to speak their minds about racial justice for a chance to address over 1,000 attendees at the 2011 Campus Progress National Conference, July 6 in Washington, DC.

To enter, contestants are asked to submit a 1-3 minute long video addressing the question:

“In your own life, how are you changing the rules of our race conversation, and creating real solutions for racial and social justice?”

Videos submitted will be featured on a YouTube page where the public will vote for their favorite videos for the next month. After voting is closed, Campus Progress and Colorlines.com staff will pick the three grand prize winners from among the top five most popular video submissions.

“It’s our hope that the contest will serve as a way to leverage the voices of the passionate, motivated young people across the country who are making a difference on important issues, and inspire those around them to get involved as well,” said Campus Progress Events Associate Vincent Villano. “Colorlines.com is an incredible platform for discussion of racial and social justice issues, and Campus Progress could not be more excited to partner with them for this year’s contest.”

“Young people know that we are not living in a post-racial society and are frustrated by political discussions that leave race out of the equation,” said Colorlines.com Editorial Director Kai Wright. “We’re thrilled to partner with Campus Progress on this unique project and look forward to hearing from our nation’s future leaders on how they are creating solutions for racial and social justice.”

This is the second time Campus Progress has run a keynote contest in support of the National Conference. Last year’s winners included an undocumented student activist on immigration, a young man once caught up in gang violence who now advocates for peace, and a first-generation college student working to bring young people to the table in discussions about policies that impact their lives.

The 2011 Campus Progress National Conference will center on the theme “Turning Truth to Power,” emphasizing ways in which young people are turning their vision of a better world into a strong progressive youth movement that demands – and achieves – positive change.