It inspired me to serve two terms of national service with AmeriCorps and then commit to a career to help others build the spirit of civic service that is the bedrock of our country.
Since my first child was born in 2017, I’ve worried that he won’t have that same idealism. He was born into a time where lines are used to divide us—culturally, economically, and spiritually—instead of to unite us around our common aspirations.
When voting districts are surgically manipulated to keep power in the hands of the few, it fuels the common sentiment that the system is rigged.
But we have the tools and the momentum in our grasp to change it. Pennsylvanians, particularly young people, have either the skills or the motivation to lead us out of the wilderness and towards a more perfect union. I want to be a part of it, and I look forward to helping others bring their voice to the table.
Justin Villere has completed various freelance project management assignments with the Committee of Seventy since 2016, including American Experiments and Voices of Voting, both produced during the Democratic National Convention. Villere previously served as the managing director of Bike & Build, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that engaged young adults in volunteer service through long-distance cycling events.
