The San Diego Branch of the NAACP sponsored a bus that took 26 Lincoln High School students to Sacramento for a day of grass roots advocacy and lobbying.

With more state education budget cuts scheduled, Lincoln students joined their peers from Modesto, San Bernardino, Oakland, Stockton and elsewhere to take part in the NAACP’s Legislative Day at the Capitol. The day’s legislative theme was “Kids 1st.” Students were divided into 16 groups and given a crash course on lobbying and grassroots advocacy.The young lobbyists studied the education issues, and shared their personal stories of how the state’s inability to fund education adequately has impacted their academic success and future opportunities.

After lunch the teams walked four blocks to the Capitol building, unsure of what they were getting themselves into. With Senators and Assembly Members appointments made in advance, students spoke with courage, confidence and conviction to many of the state’s powerful lawmakers on how the budget cuts were hurting. Four hours and six meetings later, students bounced back to the debriefing, excited they had just took part in a civics rite of passage few have experienced.

During the debrief, testimonials from long-time NAACP legal advocates honored the Lincoln students’ contributions, descibing their advocacy using adjective like “amazing,” “passionate,” and “real.”