- 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 | March 26, 2024
Fed-Up Progressive Justices Are Calling Out the Majority’s Agenda
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Blog Post | March 19, 2024
The GOP’s IVF Flip-Flopping Shows It’s Caught in Its Own Trap
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Blog Post | March 12, 2024
The MAGA Enemies List is Growing, and So Are the Odds That You’re On It
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Blog Post | March 5, 2024
Exposing Deepfakes Should Top 2024’s Voter Education Agenda
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Blog Post | February 26, 2024
President Biden Deserves a Well-Earned Victory Lap on Judges
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Blog Post | February 20, 2024
A Radical and Counterintuitive Proposition To Save Democracy: Forgiveness
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Blog Post | February 12, 2024
Five Executive Orders Biden Can Issue To Protect Elections Before It’s Too Late
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Blog Post | February 8, 2024
This Black History Month, Fight for the Freedom to Learn
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Blog Post | February 5, 2024
Norman Lear: A Hollywood Legend’s Lasting DC Legacy
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Blog Post | January 30, 2024
Clarence Thomas Cannot Be Allowed To Decide if Trump is Above the Law