Press Release

Beyond Charlottesville

JSA & USA: No Place for Hate

In 1934, a group of high school students and their teacher--dismayed by the rise of Nazism and buoyed by the promise of democracy--founded the Junior State of America.

Our belief then, and our belief today, is that racism and other hate-driven ideologies are incompatible with a democratic society, and have no place in the Junior State of America or the United States of America.

We stand with people everywhere who reject racism and hatred. And we urge all Americans to come together--with goodwill and across difference--to help build a stronger union.

As the largest student-led group in the United States--with more than 10,000 members in 34 US states and territories, and more than 400,000 alumni--the Junior State of America joins the call for civility, nonviolent dialogue, and respect for the dignity and rights of all. We join with hundreds of millions of our fellow Americans in our desire to build a nation where people “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

The Junior State of America is a civil, all-partisan, welcoming community of students, teachers, alumni, board, staff, and supporters. We respect and care for each other, recognizing that the values that unite us as members of the Junior State community are grounded in learning, together, how to live, together, in a democratic society.

Our members are diverse politically, demographically, and geographically, yet we share a common belief in the power of people of good will working together to build a democratic society. As we learn together every day, finding commonalities, exploring differences, fostering understanding, and learning collaboratively is incredibly difficult. These are also the necessary skills for building and maintaining an inclusive, free, and durable democracy.