October 20, 2025

Voting is always a right worth fighting for

We are in an election cycle, and it is always important to raise awareness about this essential, but vulnerable, right as a citizen of the United States of America. The thing about voting is that it took constitutional amendments and congressional acts for all citizens of the United States to have access to the ballot box. And yet, there are still citizens who do not have access without overcoming significant obstacles. 

Guest Presenters:  Montina Young Fraiser, CEO of CIA Media Group shared her insight on the importance of voting, full access to voting, and the impact of voter suppression

Elevating Youth Justice and Voice
Guest Presenters:   Rachel founded VOX ATL in 1993, after being inspired to "do something" in response to a 1988 U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that schools may restrict what is published in student newspapers. VOX ATL, a newspaper printed for and by teenagers, is also known as VOX Teen Communications, a youth development organization. Rachel has numerous awards and honors for her work at VOX ATL. Having recently stepped down, after 30 years, Rachel continues to pursue her calling with Youth Voice Matters.

Anthony is a recognized leader in the area of youth advocacy and empowerment and a core member of the Foster Youth In Action Network, which provides feedback, guidance, and technical assistance with policies, practice, and constituent engagement. After entering foster care at age 11, Anthony faced many challenges but found stability through his social worker; his mentor and adoptive mother, Angela Stover; and Families First. He has numerous awards and honors for his work and started Stover Consulting, which provides professional development, life skills leadership training and team building for young people and staff.

Guest Presenter:   Dr. Randi N. Smith, MD, MPH, Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Department of Surgery at Emory University. Dr. Smith also serves as a trauma surgeon and surgical ICU physician at Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta, where she developed the innovative and transformative IVYY Project at Grady.

"The Interrupting Violence with Youth and Young Adults (IVYY) Project at the Grady Health System is a hospital-based violence intervention program, offering wraparound services that are designed to reduce re-injury, retaliation and trauma symptoms of post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety related to potentially traumatic events. IVYY works closely with community partners to increase participants’ self-awareness, engage them with their own health care, and connect them to resources, ranging from after school, employment, education, court and legal programs, and more. Their approach is trauma-informed and centers the patient’s life experiences as key to interrupting the cycle of violence."

Team Presenters:  Rev. Anika Jones of Women in Transition and Tami Boyd of Living On Purpose ATL enlightened us with an informative and sobering presentation on the challenges experienced by and resources needed for women who are/have been incarcerated and are transitioning back into the community.