Equipping young people to vote and run for office, high housing costs, and the spectacle of politics: 2024 Gwen Ifill Legacy Fellows report on the 2024 election
October 29, 2024
ARLINGTON, VA — This summer, three Gwen Ifill Legacy Fellows reported stories in their communities with the support of their local PBS stations: Morgan Hawkins at WETA in Arlington, Virginia, Maria Witcher at Detroit Public Television in Detroit, Michigan and Aidan Booker at Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland, Ohio. Read more about them and watch their final projects below.
The Gwen Ifill Legacy Fellowship honors award-winning anchor, reporter, and author Gwen Ifill, the former PBS NewsHour co-anchor and managing editor, who died in November 2016 after complications from endometrial cancer. Ifill became one of the nation’s most respected political journalists: the first African-American woman to moderate a vice-presidential debate and the first to host a major weekly political affairs program.
Morgan Hawkins | WETA/PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs
Morgan Hawkins is a rising senior at the DC International School in Washington D.C. During her time working as a Gwen Ifill Fellow she reported a story on how young people are shaping our government.
According to a Tufts University poll, 57% of 18-34-year-olds say they are extremely likely to vote in this year’s election. Young political advocates like Santiago Mayer and Roxy Ndebumadu are transforming politics and government at the local and national levels.
Santiago Mayer is a first-generation immigrant who used social media to start a national youth voting non-profit organization, and Roxy Ndebumadu is a local Maryland councilwoman who helps young women run for office. Watch here.
Maria Witcher | Detroit Public Television
Maria Witcher is a recent graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan, and hopes to attend the University of Michigan. During her time as a Gwen Ifill Fellow she reported a story on how the cost of housing’s impact on young voters ahead of the 2024 election.
The American dream of owning a home — or even renting one — is turning into a nightmare. The cost of housing is one of the top concerns for young people in Detroit and nationally. Maria talks with experts from the University of Michigan about housing concerns and how the issue could drive young voters to the polls. Watch here.
Aidan Booker | Ideastream Public Media
Aidan Booker is a freshman at Arizona State University and a recent graduate of Twinsburg High School in Twinsburg, Ohio. During his time as a Gwen Ifill Fellow he reported a story on the surprising intersection of pro wrestling and politics.
Cleveland, a city with a storied history of professional wrestling, played host to some of the biggest stars in wrestling at the blockbuster SummerSlam event. But it was on the national stage this summer that pro wrestling stole the show. At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, wrestling icon Hulk Hogan offered a shirt-ripping endorsement of former President (and WWE Hall of Famer) Donald Trump. And not long after thousands filled the Browns stadium for SummerSlam, so too did thousands of Democrats flock to Chicago to cheer their champion, Vice President Kamala Harris, at the Democratic National Convention.
Just how much do the worlds of pro wrestling and politics have in common? Aidan talked to an expert to find out. Watch here.
