Top 10 Activist Campuses

Not all activism is created equal. MoJo takes an opinionated look at the country’s campuses.

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1. University of Oregon:
Lots of environmental activity. Before the 1992 elections, the Eugene campus registered 7,000 of its 15,000 students to vote, enough to replace a weak-on-higher-education incumbent and possibly to influence the defeat of the antigay Measure 9.
2. Brown:
Good mix of environmental, women’s, and diversity groups. The Center for Public Service sponsors student-staffed projects on topics such as AIDS awareness, literacy, and health.
3. University of Wisconsin:
Newly resurrected student government has battled for student rights. Environmental organizations produced a mock ancient forest that was gradually cut down and held an All Species Day on Halloween during which children dressed as endangered species.
4. University of North Carolina:
Birthplace of two national student organizations, the Student Environmental Action Coalition and the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education.
5. Rutgers:
Recently held forums on gay and lesbian rights and the death penalty. Very active women’s groups and an affordable education committee.
6. University of Michigan:
Birthplace of the Peace Corps maintains a mix of community service and traditional activism. As many as 40 percent of students are involved. Much activity during elections.
7. University of Colorado:
Activists pushed for curriculum reform, tenure for minority faculty, and housing rights for gay and lesbian couples.
8. CUNY and SUNY:
Massive student strikes protested tuition hikes that price some students out of an education. Diversity issues and curriculum reform have occasioned building takeovers, too.
9. Howard:
Media focus on the Nation of Islam’s presence has overshadowed activism such as community outreach and voter registration. Most frats and sororities require community service.
10. Marquette:
Nil on in-your-face activism and protest, but strong community service. Hosted the 1991 National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness Conference and sponsors an alternative spring break.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

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