Reimagining Democracy for Gen Z

Young people across the country are getting involved with politics at all levels, and young women in particular are breaking barriers to engage in civic dialogue and address political polarization. From young trailblazers building a government from the ground up, to the TikTok revolution, we live in an era where young people have found diverse pathways to engage with issues they care about, build their own political identities and engage in political activism. 

Join young political activists, a sitting Senator, documentary filmmakers, and an historian of this political moment in a discussion about the state of youth civic engagement, the gender gap in politics, and the future of democratic participation in the next generation.

This discussion will build on themes in the documentary film Girls State (Winner of 2 Emmy Awards), which will be shown at the Brattle Theater the following day. A political coming-of-age story and a stirring reimagination of what it means to govern, Girls State follows 500 adolescent girls from all across Missouri as they come together for a week-long immersion in a sophisticated democratic laboratory. Both the filmmakers and one of the subjects of the film will join the panel discussion in the Forum.

Featuring:

• Jill Lepore (Moderator), David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School
• Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine, Co-Directors of Girls State (2024) and Boys State (2020) 
• Olivia Julianna, Political activist, abortion rights advocate, and strategist from Texas 
• Senator Laphonza Butler, (D-CA) (joining virtually) 
• Tochi Ihekona, Student, Howard University

All JFK Jr. Forums are publicly livestreamed on our YouTube channel.

Please note: Girls State is the follow-up film to Boys State (winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, 2020), which follows 1,100 teenage boys coming together for a week-long annual program to build their own state government. Girls State and Boys State will screen as a double feature at the Brattle Theatre the following day, September 25, 2024, starting at 5:00pm. A post-screening Q&A with the filmmakers and two subjects from Girls State will follow the screenings. For more information, please visit: https://brattlefilm.org/movies/girls-state/.