- Young Elected Officials
- Public Safety and Police Reform
- Voting Rights
Svante Myrick is the President of People For the American Way.
He is one of the most dynamic young, progressive Black leaders today. Previously, he served as executive director of People For and led campaigns focused on transforming public safety, racial equity, voting rights, and empowering young elected officials. Myrick garnered national media attention as the youngest-ever mayor of Ithaca, New York, where he was a leading reformer on drug policy, the environment and public safety.
Myrick’s personal story is compelling and laid the groundwork for his life of service and civic engagement. Raised by his mother, he and his family faced homelessness throughout their lives and relied on school lunch programs and other critical public services. After attending Cornell University, Myrick served as assistant director of student and young alumni programs at the college and tutored Ithaca youth. These experiences shaped his leadership in Ithaca, where he put progressive values into action to improve the lives of the people in his community. As mayor, Myrick’s innovative leadership included a plan to address the heroin epidemic through supervised injection sites, prevention, treatment, and law enforcement.
Myrick previously served as director of People For’s youth leadership programs. He is a recipient of the John F. Kennedy Frontier Award and People For the American Way Barbara Jordan Leadership Award, and was named by Rolling Stone as a “Hot Do-Gooder” “public servant to watch,” and in Forbes Magazine’s “30 under 30.” Myrick has been interviewed by local and national TV, radio, and print outlets including CNN, USA Today, and The New York Times on issues such as progressive leadership, racial justice, and millennial civic engagement.
Svante Myrick's Areas of Expertise
All Posts
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Blog Post | September 25, 2023
Svante Myrick for The Hill: No Labels’ Friendly Facade Masks its Threat to America’s Future
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Blog Post | September 22, 2023
The Right’s War on Prosecutors is a Direct Attack on Voters
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Blog Post | September 21, 2023
Svante Myrick for The Hill: Virginia’s elections are a bellwether for conservative policy nationwide
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Blog Post | September 15, 2023
The Latest Hit to the Supreme Court’s Credibility Shows it Won’t Police Itself
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Blog Post | September 13, 2023
Bogus ‘Edutainment’ May Be Coming To a Classroom Near You
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Blog Post | September 13, 2023
What it meant to speak at the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington
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Blog Post | September 11, 2023
Republicans have made it clear: No state is safe from abortion bans
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Blog Post | September 11, 2023
Svante Myrick for The Hill: Alabama’s not the only state that’s drawing up racist voting maps
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Blog Post | September 8, 2023
The Right’s War On Prosecutors is a Direct Attack On Voters: Svante Myrick for The Hill
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Blog Post | September 5, 2023
Even if Trump Skips the Debates, His Indictments Will Take Center Stage