Political Science Student Potts, KSU, Honored By NAACP For Campus Leadership

Press release from Kennesaw State University:

Apr 6, 2021

Political science student honored by NAACP for campus leadership

Madison Potts

KENNESAW, Ga.
(Apr 6, 2021) — Considering her dedication to social justice, inclusion and community engagement,
it’s no surprise that Kennesaw State University student Madison Potts views her national
award from the NAACP as a team accomplishment.

Potts, a senior majoring in political science, was honored as the Youth Activist of the Year as part of the 52nd annual NAACP Image Awards. The president of Kennesaw State’s NAACP student chapter, Potts was recognized for
her commitment to voter education and registration.

“It’s an amazing feeling to receive this recognition from an organization that means
so much to me,” Potts said. “I am inspired by my peers because many students from
our student chapter and other civically engaged organizations on campus put in so
much work and effort to make sure that no vote was left behind in this past election
season.”

Potts was nominated for the Youth Activist of the Year award by a fellow member of
the KSU chapter, and an NAACP committee selected her as the winner. Potts submitted an acceptance speech for a video that the organization shared online
leading up to the nationally televised Image Awards ceremony.

Potts joined the NAACP student chapter when she transferred to Kennesaw State in 2018
and developed into a leader, first as vice president and now president. She also serves
on the Georgia NAACP Youth and College Division Get Out The Vote Committee and the
Student Government Association Minority Student Advisory Board, and is one of 12 Owls chosen for the inaugural cohort
of Diversity Student Ambassadors for KSU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Under Potts’ leadership, the Kennesaw State NAACP chapter won a national competition
to attain the highest number of students who pledged to vote early in the November
2020 election and hosted what the NAACP described as the largest student-led voter
education and registration rally in Georgia prior to the 2021 Senate runoff. She also
created and led a coalition of student organizations that provided election information
and promoted voter registration through a social media campaign and information tables
they manned on campus.

“I wanted to make sure students felt that politics and our government are accessible
and that this is the time and place for us to be vocal and active in the process,”
Potts said. “Young people have to understand that being involved and using our voices
is the most powerful tool that we have in this democracy.”

Potts plans to continue her passion for social justice, advocacy and equality into
her career. After she graduates in May with her political science degree, a sociology minor and a certificate in diversity and community engagement, she aspires to a role in diversity and inclusion in corporate America.

“There is important work to be done,” Potts said. “It’s crucial that we dismantle
systems that aren’t inclusive and fair in order to ensure equality and justice for
all. We need to make sure that every voice is heard and that workspaces are culturally
diverse, because that is a more accurate reflection of our society as a whole.”

– Paul Floeckher

Photos by Jason Getz

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.

This press release was produced by Kennesaw State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.