Young people have always stood at the front of this movement. National Action Network was built on the belief that any fight for civil rights is only as strong as the young voices leading it. From classrooms to city streets to state capitals, young people have shaped every era of change in this country, and NAN is committed to giving the next generation the platform, training and support to make civic engagement and policy influence the standard, not the exception.
NAN exists because a movement needs pipelines, not just moments. With chapters across the nation, the Youth & College Division is focused on matching that same reach and energy at the next generation level, through growth, sustainability and real development for young leaders.
We are not only the voices of tomorrow. We are the voices of today.
The NAN Youth & College Division exists to advance a modern civil rights agenda: one standard of justice, dignity and equal opportunity for every person, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, criminal record, economic status, gender, gender expression or sexuality. Our work is to equip young people to make community engagement and policy influence the norm, not the exception.
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Sign Up NowNAN Youth Huddle is a youth and young adult initiative built around community service, STEM training, civic engagement, health and wellness, self empowerment, performing arts and mentorship, operating under Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network.
Ashley Sharpton founded the Huddle in 2013, in the wake of the non indictment of George Zimmerman, as a space for raw, honest conversation among young people. It still meets every Monday.
NAN 20th Anniversary celebration
Huddle youth have helped lead marches, rallies, social media campaigns and lie ins nationwide, pushing for real change around racial injustice.
Ashley Sharpton is an activist, community organizer, entertainment and media entrepreneur, podcast host and social media manager. She is the youngest daughter of Rev. Al Sharpton and Dr. Kathy Jordan Sharpton, and the younger sibling of Dominique Sharpton-Bright. Ashley graduated from Poly Prep Country Day School in 2005 with honors, then studied sociology at Hampton University after earning four scholarships to Hampton and other leading HBCUs. She was instrumental in growing National Action Network's digital footprint through Youth Move and Youth Huddle, work that led to her serving as a live social media commentator from the White House during President Obama's 2014, 2015 and 2016 State of the Union addresses.
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Christian Matthew is the National Assistant Director of the Youth & College Division at the National Action Network, an ordained minister and community organizer based in New York. He has organized young people nationwide around civil rights, civic engagement and youth voter mobilization, and has served in public service roles at the local level and in Washington, including with the National Security Council and the White House.
Peace in the Streets march
Youth Huddle at the podium