Spotlight on MSIs: Turning Student Activism into Votes

Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) have long histories of civic engagement among their students and communities. For example, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) were often at the center of civil rights protests and marches, including student-led sit-ins at various eating establishments in the 1960s (Williamson, 2004). This legacy remains active in students that attend these institutions today, including recent activism in Black Lives Matter and March for Our Lives. However, despite being civically active, many MSI students today continue to face barriers getting to the polls, with one recent study finding that HBCU students turned out at lower rates than students at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) (Thomas et al., 2017). Despite these barriers, many MSIs persist and advocate for student democratic engagement. This report serves to highlight some of those MSIs which are overcoming barriers to voting for their students—institutions that serve as role models for turning student activism into votes.