WINTER 2020
VOL. 41
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NO. 3
Celebrating 60 Years of Young Americans for Freedom!
Inside: Interview with Young America’s Foundation President Ron Robinson
L I B ERTAS
December 21, 2020
Winter 2020
Dear Friends,
W
e must persist in the fight for freedom. Our passion at Young America’s Foundation is training the next generation of freedom fighters. The work of YAF began 60 years ago at the home of William F. Buckley, Jr., with the founding of Young Americans for Freedom. The Sharon Statement, adopted at that meeting on September 11, 1960, began with this simple, yet profound, declaration: In This Time of moral and political crisis, it is the responsibility of the youth of America to affirm certain eternal truths. (See page four for the complete text of the Sharon Statement.) We face another time of moral and political crisis. Those seeking to expand the reach of socialism are growing on our campuses and advancing in positions of authority. It is incumbent on those of us who believe in freedom to do more to advance our cause. At YAF, we are doing our part. In 2020, the principal way young people hear conservative ideas is through videos on YouTube. YAF leads the way with more than 356,000 subscribers and 145 million views on our YouTube channel, YouTube.com/YAFTV. In 2021, we want to expand our reach on social media. We also hope to sponsor more conservative speakers on more campuses across the country, grow the number of YAF chapters and members at colleges and schools, and start reaching students at a younger age with our optimistic conservative message. We will achieve these goals because of the solid foundation built over the past 60 years. This issue of Libertas highlights the rich history of YAF and the tremendous legacy of Ron Robinson. So many incredible leaders have been inspired by the programs organized by YAF under Ron’s leadership. We all owe him a debt of gratitude for his remarkable service to our country. In this issue, we also highlight the strong leadership of Ron’s partner in life and in the Conservative Movement— his wife, Michelle Easton. Michelle got started in YAF and continues her work today with the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women. In 1979, Ronald Reagan appropriately declared in a YAF convention address, “America is better off with leadership that reflects the philosophy, the principles, and the aspirations of Young Americans for Freedom.” YAF will continue to promote the values articulated by our early leaders, William F. Buckley, Jr., Barry Goldwater, and Ronald Reagan. The work we do at YAF is more important now than ever before, and we must do more than just resist. We must persist. Thank you.
Keep fighting for freedom,
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Volume 41
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Number 3
Special Feature: Celebrating 60 Years of Young Americans for Freedom 24 Sixty Years of Promoting Freedom
By Christopher Bedford, Senior Editor, The Federalist
28 Young Americans for Freedom: How It Influenced My Life and Career
By Michelle Easton, President, Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women
33 Why Young Americans for Freedom?
By Alisa Giannelli, Chairwoman, Lake Forest High School YAF
36 From Young Americans for Freedom to the White House By Kathleen Porter, Special Assistant, Office of the National Security Advisor
13 Advice for Conservatives in Uncertain Times: Take Advantage of Current Tax Incentives Now
By Kimberly Martin Begg, Esq., Director, Young America’s Foundation
15 A Life Advancing the Conservative Movement: An Interview with YAF President Ron Robinson
By Raj Kannappan, Editor, Libertas
39 Alumni Profile: An Interview with Candice Jackson
By Taylor Hathorn, Director of Alumni Relations, and Victor Bernson, Vice President & General Counsel, Young America’s Foundation
On the Cover:
Also in This Issue:
Since September 11, 1960, Young Americans for Freedom and its thousands of student activists, leaders, alumni, and supporters have boldly promoted the timeless principles of freedom as outlined in the Sharon Statement, YAF’s founding document (see page four). This issue of Libertas commemorates YAF’s rich, 60-year history and also highlights today’s activists and alumni who are advancing its mission on behalf of future generations.
4 The Sharon Statement
VOL. 41
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NO. 3
WINTER 2020
of Young Celebrating 60 Years
! Americans for Freedom
Young America’s Inside: Interview with Robinson Ron Foundation President
5 Kyle Ferrebee Named Executive Director of Young Americans
for Freedom 6 YAF Conferences Train Students to Advance Free Enterprise
Principles 7 9/11: Never Forget Project Reaches from Coast to Coast 8 Walker, Kengor, Knowles, and Campos-Duffy Headline
Standing Up for Faith & Freedom Seminar 9 YAF Supporters Gather with Like-Minded Conservatives in
Santa Barbara 10 Alumni Celebrate 60th Anniversary of Young Americans for
Freedom in Washington, D.C. 11 YAF’s Digital Programs Motivate Young People Nationwide 43 Join YAF’s Incoming President, Governor Scott Walker, and
His Wife, Tonette, at 2021 Reagan Ranch Getaway Weekends
Libertas, the Latin word for liberty, is a publication of Young America’s Foundation which highlights the programs, events, students, alumni, supporters, and staff of the Foundation. You may contact Libertas and Young America’s Foundation by writing to: Young America’s Foundation, National Headquarters, 11480 Commerce Park Drive, Sixth Floor, Reston, Virginia 20191; calling 800-USA-1776; or visiting yaf.org.
Governor Scott Walker CEO
Editor: Raj Kannappan; Publisher: Ron Robinson; Publication Design: Jonathan Briggs; Assistant Editors: Jolie Ballantyne, Victor Bernson, Spencer Brown, Kelleigh Clarke, Patrick X. Coyle, Kyle Ferrebee, Karalee Geis, Madison Habersetzer, Jaime Hahn, Taylor Hathorn, Clare Hinshaw, Jessica Jensen, Steve Mairella, Breana Marsh, Kevin McMahon, Chris Miranda, Tom Robinson, Jacob Roth, Karl Stahlfeld, Steve Trotman, and Jessica Warner; Washington, D.C., event photographers: David Keith and Bob Updegrove; California event photographer: Jacqueline Pilar. This document and all herein contents, images, stories, graphics, and design, fall unto copyright © 2005 to 2020 Young America’s Foundation, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Any use of Libertas’ content without the written permission of Young America’s Foundation is prohibited.
Young America’s Foundation Board Of Directors Ron Robinson President of the Board Ronald Pearson Vice President of the Board Frank Donatelli Secretary and Treasurer of the Board Kimberly Begg T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Wynton C. Hall Nicole Hoplin Kate Obenshain Keeler Peter Schweizer Thomas L. Phillips Director Emeritus
Reagan Ranch Board Of Governors Frank Donatelli Chairman Edwin Meese Co-Chairman Robert F. Agostinelli Governor George Allen Reagan Ranch Presidential Scholar Dr. Suzanne Becker Lisa M. Buestrin Robert Cummins George & Becky Norton Dunlop Bruce & Kathi Eberle Richard Gaby & Barbara Van Andel-Gaby Robert Giuffra, Jr. Timothy S. Goeglein Michael W. Grebe Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold Eric & Nicole Hoplin Ann Knapheide Mark Larson Rebekah Mercer Al Moore Dennis & Nancy Moore Doug & Pat Perry Thomas L. Phillips Rear Admiral JJ Quinn Ruppert & Cheryl Reinstadler Richard & Jane Schwartz Craig Shirley Owen & Bernadette Casey Smith Barbara S. Waddell Tonette Walker Jay Webber
National Journalism Center Board Of Governors T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Chairman Chris Bedford John Gizzi Emily Jashinsky Rich Lowry Alex Marlow The Honorable Alex Mooney Gabby Orr Katie Pavlich Ronald Pearson Kirby Wilbur Tom Winter Thomas L. Phillips Chairman Emeritus
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The Sharon Statement Adopted in conference at Sharon, Connecticut September 11, 1960
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In This Time of moral and political crisis, it is the responsibility of the youth of America to affirm certain eternal truths. WE, AS YOUNG CONSERVATIVES, BELIEVE: THAT foremost among the transcendent values is the individual’s use of his God-given free will, whence derives his right to be free from the restrictions of arbitrary force; THAT liberty is indivisible, and that political freedom cannot long exist without economic freedom; THAT the purposes of government are to protect these freedoms through the preservation of internal order, the provision of national defense, and the administration of justice; THAT when government ventures beyond these rightful functions, it accumulates power which tends to diminish order and liberty; THAT the Constitution of the United States is the best arrangement yet devised for empowering government to fulfill its proper role, while restraining it from the concentration and abuse of power; THAT the genius of the Constitution—the division of powers—is summed up in the clause which reserves primacy to the several states, or to the people, in those spheres not specifically delegated to the Federal Government; THAT the market economy, allocating resources by the free play of supply and demand, is the single economic system compatible with the requirements of personal freedom and constitutional government, and that it is at the same time the most productive supplier of human needs; THAT when government interferes with the work of the market economy, it tends to reduce the moral and physical strength of the nation; that when it takes from one man to bestow on another, it diminishes the incentive of the first, the integrity of the second, and the moral autonomy of both; THAT we will be free only so long as the national sovereignty of the United States is secure; that history shows periods of freedom are rare, and can exist only when free citizens concertedly defend their rights against all enemies; THAT the forces of international Communism are, at present, the greatest single threat to these liberties; THAT the United States should stress victory over, rather than coexistence with, this menace; and THAT American foreign policy must be judged by this criterion: does it serve the just interests of the United States?
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Kyle Ferrebee Named Executive Director of Young Americans for Freedom Young America’s Foundation is pleased to name Kyle Ferrebee the executive director of Young Americans for Freedom, a project of the Foundation. As the national leader of Young Americans for Freedom, Ferrebee will build on YAF’s rich, 60-year legacy of bold conservative activism on college and high school campuses nationwide (see page 24). At 25 years old, Ferrebee is one of the youngest leaders of a national organization, exemplifying the Foundation’s success in developing patriotic and influential leaders. Young America’s Foundation Vice President Patrick Coyle, the previous executive director of Young Americans for Freedom, remarked, “It is exciting to see the growth in Young Americans for Freedom over the last few years through Kyle’s enthusiastic work. I look forward to seeing all of the new young leaders Kyle will bring to YAF as executive director.” “Kyle is one of the most experienced campus organizers in America,” stated Young Americans for Freedom National Chairman Grant Strobl. “His new role as executive director gives him the ability to grow YAF to new heights. I am excited
Kyle Ferrebee, executive director of Young Americans for Freedom, inspires student activists at the YAF Chapter Training Seminar in January 2020.
to engage with Kyle and the team on YAF’s strategic vision and see it in action.” Ferrebee previously served the Foundation as a program officer and later as the director of Young Americans for Freedom chapter services. Before joining the Foundation full-time, Ferrebee was the YAF chapter chairman at his alma mater, Wingate University, and served as a William & Berniece Grewcock Intern Scholar at YAF’s national headquarters. Throughout his tenure with the Foundation, Ferrebee has helped form more than 500 YAF chapters across the country. With the Foundation’s dedicated team, he guides thousands of students as they organize student activism projects, including demonstrations to secure U.S. borders, initiatives to support Second Amendment rights on campus, and rallies to protect historic statues, Ferrebee leads a rally against the tearing down of a statue of President Theodore Roosevelt, located in front of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. among others. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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YAF Conferences Train Students to Advance Free Enterprise Principles
9/11: Never Forget Project Reaches from Coast to Coast Each year, Young America’s Foundation organizes the Student activists from across the country attend the Road to Freedom Seminar at YAF’s national headquarters in Reston, Virginia.
More than 100 motivated students from nearly 30 states and 50 colleges, high schools, and homeschool associations participated in
two Young America’s Foundation free enterprise programs in Reston, Virginia—the second annual High School Free Enterprise Leaders Conference and the Road to Freedom Seminar. Thousands more joined these unique, weekend-long programs online through YAF’s livestream on YAFTV, the Foundation’s YouTube channel. YAF’s High School Free Enterprise Leaders Conference, generously made possible by longtime Foundation supporters Jim and Dulce Doss, and the Road to Freedom Seminar—developed specifically for college students—are “crash courses” on free market economics and business. Participants learn about the dangers of socialism and big government and the incredible benefits of free enterprise and entrepreneurship, perspectives rarely shared on their campuses. The lineup of faculty members at this year’s programs included Dr. Antony Davies, associate professor of economics at Duquesne University. Davies made the case for diversity of economic outcomes, arguing, “The easiest way to achieve outcome equality is to make everybody equally poor.” Magatte Wade, a serial entrepreneur from Senegal, contrasted her experiences starting businesses in her home country and in the United States. She defended the free
enterprise system, noting, “Capitalism is a system in which the playing field is level. Capitalism is a system in which we all have great ideas, and may the best one win.” Governor Scott Walker, CEO and president-elect of Young America’s Foundation, addressed attendees at the opening dinner banquet of the Road to Freedom Seminar, noting, “True freedom and prosperity are not born out of the clumsy hand of the government.” Also educating students during these programs were a variety of other faculty members, including Dr. Anne Rathbone Bradley, academic director at The Fund for American Studies; Rachel Bovard, senior director of policy at the Conservative Partnership Institute; Brian Brenberg, executive vice president and associate professor of business and economics at The King’s College; Andrés Guilarte, a Venezuelan pro-freedom activist; David Azerrad, assistant professor and research fellow at Hillsdale College; and Alex Epstein, president and founder of the Center for Industrial Progress, among others. Blake Weiner from the University of Wisconsin-Madison remarked, “Attending the Road to Freedom Seminar helped to reignite my admiration of our free enterprise system, and I cannot wait to return to my campus and help to raise awareness on these economic issues among my peers.”
YAF CEO Governor Scott Walker addresses college students at the Road to Freedom Seminar about the importance of being a happy warrior when engaging in debate on campus.
At YAF’s Road to Freedom Seminar, Venezuelan pro-freedom activist Andrés Guilarte educates college students about the pain and suffering caused by socialist policies in his country.
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Businesswoman Magatte Wade speaks passionately about the virtues of entrepreneurship at the High School Free Enterprise Leaders Conference, her first appearance at a YAF program.
Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Rachel Bovard of the Conservative Partnership Institute addresses Road to Freedom Seminar attendees on the dangers that monopolistic technology companies pose to individual freedom.
Young America’s Foundation students, alumni, and staff set up a display of American flags on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001.
largest nationwide campus activism initiative—the 9/11:
Never Forget Project—and 2020 was no exception. Since the Foundation launched this initiative in 2003, thousands of colleges, schools, and communities have organized Never Forget displays, resulting in more than 11 million flags displayed in remembrance of the individuals murdered by radical Islamists on September 11, 2001. In virtually all cases, the displays are created by students, not by administrators or faculty members. Indeed, if not for the actions of patriotic students, most of whom are too young to remember the attacks, educational institutions would largely ignore this anniversary. Despite many schools being closed this year, college and high school activists across the country created moving displays of 2,977 American flags representing each of the victims of 9/11. This year, YAF added two new, unique venues featuring Never Forget displays: the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. The displays and programs at these locations were livestreamed online, drawing thousands of viewers and media coverage from the Wall Street Journal, CQ Roll Call, and many other outlets. Congressional staff joined Foundation students, alumni, and staff to create the Never Forget display on the east front of the U.S. Capitol. This effort, organized by YAF’s Capitol Hill Outreach Director Karalee Geis, provided visitors with a place to stop for a moment of silence, prayer, and reflection. YAF staff were on hand to address visitor questions about the initiative and the Foundation’s work with young people nationwide. YAF also organized a Never Forget display and program on the front lawn of President Ronald Reagan’s Rancho del Cielo, owned and operated by the Foundation to inspire future generations with the principles of freedom. YAF staff and supporters, along with students from Providence School, jointly created the commemoration. During the program, guests heard from Bob and Margie Niehaus, sponsors of the Never Forget display at the Ranch who were present at the World Trade Center on 9/11. The Niehauses shared their moving survival story with the group and reminded students of the solemnity of the event, emphasizing that each of the 2,977 flags represents a life that was lost. Mrs. Niehaus reflected, “[The events of 9/11] formed us... It lit more inside of us to love our country even more than we had.”
Students from Santa Barbara’s Providence School gather at the Reagan Ranch to participate in YAF’s 9/11: Never Forget Project.
At the Reagan Ranch, Foundation supporters Bob and Margie Niehaus share with students and friends of YAF their harrowing first-hand account of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City.
An ROTC cadet at the University of Alabama helps to organize YAF’s flag display on campus. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Walker, Kengor, Knowles, and Campos-Duffy Headline YAF’s Standing Up for Faith & Freedom Seminar
YAF Supporters Gather with Like-Minded Conservatives in Santa Barbara Young America’s Foundation continued to offer loyal
Students from 12 states and the District of Columbia— representing 20 high schools, six colleges, and six homeschool programs—attended Young America’s Foundation’s unique seminar, Standing Up for Faith & Freedom: Reclaiming Your Catholic Campus from the Social Justice Warriors. Intended for students of all faiths attending Catholic schools, this program in Reston, Virginia, also drew thousands of viewers via YAF’s livestream on YAFTV, the Foundation’s YouTube channel. Young America’s Foundation developed the Standing Up for Faith & Freedom seminar to advance opportunities within the Conservative Movement that had been overlooked by existing efforts. Decades of teaching young people how to identify and respond to issues specific to
Students enjoy meeting with YAF CEO Governor Scott Walker following his remarks.
Young activists from 12 states and the District of Columbia gather at the Foundation’s national headquarters to learn from leading conservatives.
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Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles inspires attendees at YAF’s Standing Up for Faith & Freedom Seminar to boldly advance the principles of freedom at Catholic schools.
their campuses reveal that students at Catholic schools need specialized training—because at many Catholic schools, administrators and faculty use their status over students to distort Catholic social teaching and advance a radical leftist agenda. YAF is grateful to longtime supporters Ray and Susie Screbant for sponsoring this much-needed program. YAF President Ron Robinson and CEO Governor Scott Walker welcomed students to the weekend program. Fox News Contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy addressed the value of voluntary charity over government coercion, arguing, “It is our responsibility to care for our neighbors and our community. The government doesn’t tell us to do that. Our faith compels us to take care of those in need.” In a rousing speech, Daily Wire commentator Michael Knowles asked, “Pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust: Have you ever heard a more concise description of leftism?” Students also heard from Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund; Dr. Paul Kengor, author and Grove City College professor; Trent Horn, author and Catholic Answers staff apologist; Kimberly Martin Begg, general counsel and director of programs at the Ortner Family Foundation and Young America’s Foundation director; Jack Duffy, YAF student leader; Rev. Robert Sirico, president of The Acton Institute; and Patrick Reilly, president of the Cardinal Newman Society. YAF activist Catriona Fee stated following the program, “As a leader of The Catholic University of America’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter, I am now better equipped to combat leftism that comes to my campus in the name of Catholic social teaching.”
supporters opportunities to learn more about YAF’s ongoing student programs and engage with fellow patriotic Americans. Throughout the fall, the Foundation hosted a series of educational briefings for local supporters on the Mr. and Mrs. Alwal Anheuser Beims Moore Rooftop Terrace of the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California. These small gatherings allowed supporters to reconnect with conservative allies in the community and participate in discussions with Governor Scott Walker, YAF’s CEO and president-elect, about the future of the Foundation and our country. Program Officer Madison Habersetzer and Development Officer Alec Sackett reported on YAF’s unique and growing digital student programs (see page 11), including #CancelCON, the year’s largest free speech event; online lectures featuring Michael Knowles and Ben Shapiro; and live virtual tours of Rancho del Cielo, among others. YAF Vice President and Director of the Reagan Ranch Andrew Coffin concluded one particular gathering with a toast made by President Ronald Reagan during a
Loyal YAF supporters socialize during an informational gathering held on the rooftop of the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California.
Congressional luncheon in January 1981, minutes after the return of American hostages from Iran: So, we can all drink to this one: To all of us together, doing what we all know we can do to make this country what it should be, what it can be, and what it has always been.
Additionally, intimate groups of Foundation supporters and friends from seven states (California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, and Texas) participated in YAF’s Reagan Ranch Getaway Weekends. They joined hosts, Foundation President Ron Robinson; his wife, Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women President Michelle Easton; YAF CEO Governor Scott Walker; his wife, Reagan Ranch Board of Governors member Tonette Walker; YAF Vice President and Chief of Staff Jessica Jensen; and YAF Director of Development Jason Barbour. Guests enjoyed opening luncheons with remarks from Governor Walker, followed by private tours of the Reagan Ranch and Reagan Ranch Center. The weekends concluded with scenic trolley tours around the historic sites of Santa Barbara and dinners filled with discussion about the importance of preserving freedom for future generations. Foundation supporters join YAF President Ron Robinson; his wife, Michelle Easton; YAF CEO Governor Scott Walker; and his wife, Tonette, at a Reagan Ranch Getaway Weekend. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Alumni Celebrate 60th Anniversary of Young Americans for Freedom in Washington, D.C.
YAF’s Digital Programs Motivate Young People Nationwide
Young America’s Foundation celebrated 60 years of Young Americans for Freedom—established on September
During the COVID-19 pandemic,
11, 1960, with the signing of the Sharon Statement (see page four)—with three nights of receptions at YAF’s William & Berniece Grewcock Capitol Hill Townhouse. Alumni spanning six decades of activism attended the programs in Washington, D.C. The first night kicked off with a tour of the townhouse by Capitol Hill Outreach Director Karalee Geis. Guests enjoyed discussing the influence of YAF on their lives and careers, as well as hearing briefings from Foundation President Ron Robinson, Director of Alumni Relations Taylor Hathorn, Young Americans for Freedom Executive Director Kyle Ferrebee, and National Chairman Grant Strobl. In addition to current Foundation leaders, attendees at the dinner included YAF alumni Donald Devine, Frank Donatelli, Michelle Easton, Bruce Eberle, Fran Griffin, Jeff Hollingsworth, Emmy Lewis, George McDonnell, Ron Pearson, Roger Ream, Loren Smith, and Randy Teague. The second night’s attendees included YAF alumni currently involved in public policy and media. Guests shared highlights from their YAF activism efforts and discussed the future of the organization. YAF alumnus Lee Edwards delivered the keynote address on his book, Goldwater: The
are finding Young America’s
students across the country
Foundation’s digital programs a
YAF alumnus and chairman of the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors Frank Donatelli (right) presents Foundation President Ron Robinson (left) with YAF’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Man Who Made a Revolution, drawing parallels between many of the problems in government bureaucracy today and when Senator Barry Goldwater ran for President in 1964. The final night of celebrations included a reception with YAF alumni, current activists, and staff. Hathorn emceed the program, which featured remarks from Grant Strobl and Sharon Conference attendee Bill Madden, who reflected on that consequential gathering six decades ago at the home of William F. Buckley, Jr., in Sharon, Connecticut. YAF alumnus and chairman of the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors Frank Donatelli concluded the evening by presenting Ron Robinson—who will retire from his role as Foundation president in early 2021—with YAF’s Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of his 43 years of service. Early members of Young Americans for Freedom enjoy a toast during a dinner celebrating YAF’s 60th anniversary at Young America’s Foundation’s William & Berniece Grewcock Capitol Hill Townhouse in Washington, D.C.
valuable resource to connect with Young America’s Foundation partners with the No Safe Spaces documentary project to host #CancelCON, the largest free speech event of the year. conservative leaders and learn how to effectively advance the cause of freedom. Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, Knowles, through YAF partnered with the No Safe Spaces documentary YAF’s Logan Family Lecture Series, headlined an event titled project to host #CancelCON, the largest free speech event of “Amy Barrett vs. the Heretics.” Knowles underscored Judge the year. The two-hour livestream program was hosted by Barrett’s personal and professional strengths, noting, “The commentators Ben Shapiro, Adam Carolla, Dennis Prager, and story of Judge Barrett’s family—biological and adopted—is a Dave Rubin; and featured Michael Knowles, Senator Ted Cruz, magnificent inspiration.” and YAF CEO and President-Elect Governor Scott Walker. Emceed by YAF Program Officer Madison Habersetzer, The all-star lineup of free speech advocates took questions these virtual programs drew hundreds of thousands of viewers from, and offered advice to, students on how they can and provided a rallying cry for conservatives across America as effectively respond to cancel culture, the increasingly popular the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Barrett to the highest court in practice of ostracizing or banning individuals from social and the country. professional circles for their viewpoints. Additionally, while many students may not be able to visit The Foundation also hosted two live, virtual lectures the Reagan Ranch—Ronald Reagan’s historic Presidential featuring the Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, America’s mostproperty owned and operated by YAF since 1998—in person, requested campus speaker, and Michael Knowles, author and the Foundation continued to offer virtual tours to young co-host of Verdict With Ted Cruz. people nationwide. Through YAF’s Fred & Lynda Allen Lecture Series, Numerous schools and student groups have participated Shapiro—in a lecture titled “Fill the Seat”—laid out a in these online experiences, not only learning about the place compelling case for President Donald Trump to nominate a Ronald Reagan called home for 25 years, but also gaining an judge to the Supreme Court and fill the vacancy left by the late appreciation for his character, freedom philosophy, and lasting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. accomplishments. Following President Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy
Ben Shapiro, co-founder of the Daily Wire, participates in a question-andanswer session with YAF Program Officer Madison Habersetzer during a livestream event made possible by Fred and Lynda Allen.
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Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
Through Young America’s Foundation’s Logan Family Lecture Series, the Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles makes the case for Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Advice for Conservatives in Uncertain Times: Take Advantage of Current Tax Incentives Now By Kimberly Martin Begg, Esq., Director, Young America’s Foundation
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n the midst of a worldwide pandemic, state-mandated lockdowns, election irregularities, and changes in national leadership, conservatives are asking:
Is more uncertainty coming? Will a Biden-Harris administration lead to an undoing of the Trump tax laws? What can I do now to prepare? It is wise for conservatives to take advantage of current opportunities to advance their ideas now, in anticipation of increasingly burdensome tax laws in 2021 and beyond. Current law rewards conservatives for making gifts to 501(c)(3) organizations, including Young America’s Foundation. Consider:
• Individuals and married couples who itemize can
deduct 100% of their Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and carry over excess contributions for up to five additional years (subject to the usual limitation of 60% of AGI), as long as their gifts are made on or before December 31, 2020.
• Those who take the standard deduction can take a
special, above-the-line deduction for charitable gifts of up to $300, as long as their gifts are made on or before December 31, 2020.
• Individuals who are 70 ½ years old or older can make tax-free transfers of up to $100,000 from an IRA, as long as transfers are “rolled over” directly to the organization.
Another bright spot in current law is that many estates are now exempt from the death tax—but that may not remain the case for long. Federal and state death taxes have changed every
year since 2001, with leftist activists pushing for increased rates and lower thresholds every year. Conservatives eager to protect America’s freedoms would be wise to:
• Accelerate gifts—including intended bequests—to take advantage of the 2020 tax laws before they expire.
• Make IRA “rollover” gifts now and every year that the law is in effect.
• Meet with an attorney to update estate plans to include bequests to 501(c)(3) organizations that will not be taxed, even under an expansion of the death tax.
2020 has been a year of unprecedented uncertainty, divisiveness, and unrest—as well as hope. Faced with sudden operating restrictions, Conservative Movement organizations have adapted and even thrived in a challenging environment. Young America’s Foundation has reached record numbers of young people this year through online livestreaming, social media, and a range of digital programs. It is critical that conservatives continue to support this important work. Current tax law makes it advantageous to give now, but time is running out. Please join freedom-loving Americans across the country to make a special end-of-year gift to pass on your ideas today. —————————————————————————————————————————
Kimberly Martin Begg, Esq., has been active in the Conservative Movement since she became involved with Young America’s Foundation as a student at Rutgers University. She served on YAF’s staff for nearly 15 years, operating as a vice president, general counsel, and director of planned giving. Today, she serves as director of programs and general counsel of the Ortner Family Foundation. She also serves on YAF’s Board of Directors. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Connect with Young America’s Foundation online!
P R E S I D E N T ’ S
I N T E R V I E W
W I T H
R O N
R O B I N S O N
A Life Advancing the Conservative Movement
An Interview with YAF President Ron Robinson By Raj Kannappan, Editor, Libertas
R Young America’s Foundation offers a wealth of online resources that you can use to sharpen your conservative principles Youtube.com/YAFTV Through exclusive content— including full-length lectures and bite-sized videos featuring your favorite conservative speakers—YAF’s YouTube channel provides you with live and ondemand access to conservative ideas and leaders.
Facebook.com/YoungAmericasFoundation YAF’s Facebook page offers campus content, videos, and other timely information. Don’t miss the chance to interact with the nation’s leading conservatives, activists, and thought leaders through Facebook Live events!
@YAF_ YAF’s official Instagram platform offers memes, IGTV videos, and the opportunity to engage with thousands of like-minded peers. Keep up to date with what students nationwide are doing to advance freedom.
Podcasts By subscribing to YAF’s free podcasts, Books with Burt and The Top Leaders of the Conservative Movement, listeners can learn from YAF’s speakers on a wide range of topics overlooked by educators, including economic history, the right to life, the U.S. Constitution, and more.
@YAF Twitter is the #1 platform for breaking news,
YAF.org/polling As the authority on young
and YAF’s Twitter page is the #1 place to hear about young conservatives’ efforts to combat leftist bias on campus.
Americans, YAF regularly conducts surveys and polls of students nationwide. Visit our polling platform to view our exclusive findings now.
@YAFGaming YAF’s Twitch channel is the newest
The New Guard The largest network of on-the-
platform for young conservatives to engage in online culture. Join YAF staff as they livestream today’s most popular video games, discuss the news of the day, and host question-and-answer sessions.
ground student activists makes YAF the best source for breaking campus news. Visit the New Guard, YAF’s historic magazine-turned online news platform, at YAF.org for timely information about campus issues.
VISIT YAF.ORG, the hub of information for young conservatives. Learn about the many opportunities available for you to advance freedom at your school. Reagan Ranch, 217 State Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101, 888-USA-1776 National Headquarters, 11480 Commerce Park Drive, Sixth Floor, Reston, Virginia 20191, 800-USA-1776
www.yaf.org
on Robinson, who has served as the president of Young America’s Foundation for 43 years, will retire in January 2021. Robinson has dedicated his life to advancing the Conservative Movement. Few leaders of our cause have taken so little credit for the work they accomplished and the lives they changed. From his early days as a Young Americans for Freedom student leader in Buffalo, New York, to his time as the president of the nation’s leading conservative youth organization, Robinson has influenced generations of young people through his unwavering and humble leadership of Young America’s Foundation. Robinson has led the Foundation through two successful landmark Supreme Court victories for student rights; the inauguration and development of numerous student programs, including the National Conservative Student Conference and National High School Leadership Conference held annually in Washington, D.C.; and the purchase and preservation of Ronald Reagan’s Rancho del Cielo, a premier Presidential property. Young America’s Foundation thanks Ron Robinson for his distinguished leadership and is pleased to present this interview.
Libertas: How do you assess your years as YAF’s leader? ———————————
Robinson: You certainly have to place the YAF organization in the context of the Conservative Movement’s successes. Young Americans for Freedom began at Bill Buckley’s home in 1960, and I became a member as a teenager in 1967. By the time I began college in 1968, the Left had a stranglehold on campus culture. Young America’s Foundation President Ron Robinson and his wife, Professors and Michelle Easton, president of the Clare Boothe Luce Center for students were Conservative Women, dedicate their lives and careers to advancing the Conservative Movement. radically opposed to the Free World’s efforts to save South Vietnam from its freedom, and Prague had gone communism. Most students and through its Velvet Revolution, teachers were dismissive of the attracting student visitors from all Czechoslovakian freedom movement over the world. Within two years, which gave us the Prague Spring the Soviet Union no longer existed! in 1968 in opposition to the Soviet YAF was a crucial part of the antiUnion’s dominance in Eastern and communist movement. In fact, no Central Europe. The idea that the other organization contributed more Conservative Movement could be to that effort in the United States. part of the dismantling of the Evil Another great success came on a Empire and the Soviet Union seemed parallel track: the life and career of farfetched in the late 1960s. Ronald Reagan. Actor Reagan joined Yet, by 1989 the Berlin Wall had the YAF advisory board in 1962, come down, Poland had regained and by the time I joined YAF, he was Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Ron Robinson and Michelle Easton participate in YAF’s efforts to support Ronald Reagan’s run for the Presidency in 1976.
already California’s governor. Reagan was, like almost every YAFer, a disciple of Barry Goldwater. All of us were profoundly influenced by Goldwater’s classic, The Conscience of a Conservative, and we were well aware of Senator Goldwater’s desire to win liberation from communism, as outlined in his lesser-known book, Why Not Victory? I first met Governor Reagan at a YAF conference in San Francisco in the summer of 1974 and saw him frequently
Robinson credits William F. Buckley, Jr., with playing an instrumental role in his life and career in the Conservative Movement.
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In their last meeting, in 1993, Robinson and Ronald Reagan discuss how to better advance the mission of Young America’s Foundation.
“The incredible talent and accomplishments of our graduates are a testament to YAF’s effectiveness.” — RON ROBINSON
in subsequent years at YAF events and later at the White House. Our final meeting was in his Century City office in 1993. Along the way, our Movement experienced many frustrating days—at least I thought so—including when Reagan lost the nomination fight for the Presidency to Gerald Ford in 1976. I thought, if the Conservative Movement’s most articulate and attractive leader could not beat an inarticulate, moderate Republican congressman who fell into
Congressman Jack Kemp greatly influences Ron Robinson in his early years and becomes a close ally of Young America’s Foundation.
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Robinson meets with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas following Thomas’ YAF-sponsored campus lecture at Southeast Missouri State University in 1996.
the Presidency, then our Movement was as doomed as it seemed after Goldwater’s loss in 1964. Ultimately, YAFers never gave up on Ronald Reagan’s promise. By 1980, Reagan had swept into the Oval Office and fulfilled our Conservative Movement’s hopes for lower taxes— which revived a morbid economy— renewed patriotic spirit, and achieved victory over the Soviet Empire! YAF demonstrated that, even when
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Robinson is busy at work in 1998, the year Young America’s Foundation purchases Rancho del Cielo, Ronald Reagan’s Western White House, which serves as a site to inspire future generations with the principles of freedom.
freedom’s cause looked bleak, we could prevail through commitment and hard work. YAF members helped pave the way for other key victories—especially helping to elect Jack Kemp to the U.S. House of Representatives and James L. Buckley to the U.S. Senate. In particular, victory over the Evil Empire and Ronald Reagan’s successes were great causes YAFers were blessed to have been part of in our early years.
Attorney General Edwin Meese III is a steadfast ally of Young America’s Foundation throughout Ron Robinson’s tenure as president of YAF.
Libertas: Today, victory over the Evil Empire and Ronald Reagan’s ascendancy may seem to be the events of a distant past. Now, YAF works with high school and college students born after 1995. How does YAF’s history influence the organization today? ————————————————————
Robinson: Even 20 or 30 years is a blink in the long history of mankind and our struggle to establish free institutions.
Robinson meets with Foundation speaker Ward Connerly prior to Connerly’s remarks at YAF’s 1998 Seattle Regional Conference. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Having engaged in those historic struggles prepared Young America’s Foundation to become an institution upon which conservatives can rely. Colleges and universities, and even many high schools and other educational and cultural organizations, consistently disappoint conservative supporters and graduates. Many were lavishly funded by alumni in a vain attempt to preserve our culture and perpetuate the understanding of traditional values and freedom’s principles. The instances of those institutions betraying their founding principles and agreements with conservative families are legion. I am all too familiar with this betrayal at Catholic colleges. Crucifixes are taken down, murals of heroes—including Christopher Columbus—are painted over, faculties are dominated by Marxist professors, and the modern substitute for the Church’s catechism is the worship of “race, class, and gender!” You would think Saint Paul was converted to Saul Alinsky on the road to the faculty lounge. Young America’s Foundation replaces the role of these once-stalwart institutions. Supporters know Young America’s Foundation hasn’t veered from our founding principles, and
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“YAF is an amazingly reliable force and an institution guaranteed to fulfill one’s desire to advance conservative principles for decades to come.” — RON ROBINSON
we raise up the heroes of yesteryears, including Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. We teach free enterprise in the traditions of Milton Friedman, Arthur Laffer, Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich Hayek. And, as the protectors of Ronald Reagan’s Western White House, Rancho del Cielo, we are grounded in the Conservative Movement in ways other institutions are not. As I depart Young America’s Foundation after four decades in its leadership, I know we are in good
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hands with Governor Scott Walker. The Governor proved to be a highly principled and fearless leader in Wisconsin, and he is bringing those same strengths to Young America’s Foundation as its next president. YAF is an amazingly reliable force and an institution guaranteed to fulfill one’s desire to advance conservative principles for decades to come. Libertas: Was creating a reliable conservative institution how you measured your progress? ————————————————————
Robinson: YAF is a breeding ground for our future leadership. The incredible talent and accomplishments of our graduates are a testament to YAF’s effectiveness. Peter Schweizer’s research and books—especially Clinton Cash and Profiles in Corruption—reshaped the national political landscape in successive Presidential campaigns. Katie Pavlich is omnipresent on cable news networks and at Townhall, and she was the youngest author to have a runaway #1 New York Times bestseller with Fast and Furious. Marc Short was a crucial Trump administration legislative director and is now the brilliant chief of staff for Vice
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President Mike Pence. Alex Marlow is editor-in-chief at Breitbart. Nicole Hoplin is guiding conservative philanthropy at Hoplin Jackson Charitable Advisors. Wynton Hall and Marc Theissen are both talents in their own right and leading writers in our cause. These stars join a long list of talent that strengthened our Movement and country, including Ricardo Reyes, Emily Jashinsky, Chris Garcia, Malcolm Gladwell, Michael Boos, Chris Bedford, Kimberly Begg, David Bossie, Jiesi Zhao, Kelley Meshirer, Deroy Murdock, Michelle Easton, Todd Buchholz, Leah Campos, Roger Ream, Caroline Corazza, and Matt Schenk. They join celebrated YAF graduates of yesteryear, including Richard Viguerie, Robert Bauman, Floyd Brown, Dan Manion, Jeff Sessions, Bruce Eberle, John Von Kannon, David Keene, Frank Donatelli, Danny Rea, Emmy Lewis, Ken Cribb, Al Regnery, Mike Thompson, David Jones, James Lacy, Chris Braunlich, Kirby Wilbur, Alan Gottlieb, John Bolton, Randy Teague, David Boaz, Wayne Thorburn, Steve Munisteri, M. Stanton Evans, Jeffrey Kane, Ron Docksai, Herb Stupp, Thomas Phillips, and Ron Pearson. YAF remains the popularizer of emerging leaders whom we have sponsored on hundreds of campuses, including Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, Dinesh D’Souza, Allen West, Bay Buchanan, Rachel Campos-Duffy, Burt Folsom, and Kate Obenshain. Libertas: You have shared a lot about the country and the Conservative Movement. What have your YAF years meant to you personally? ————————————————————
Ron Robinson and his son, Tom, enjoy a visit to the Reagan Ranch in 1998.
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Robinson (front row, third from right) joins members of the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors and YAF’s Board of Directors for their first joint board meeting during the Reagan Ranch 20th anniversary celebrations in Santa Barbara.
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Robinson: I met Michelle, my wife of 46 years, in the Greenwich Village YAF office in September 1972. Bill Buckley arranged for us to have a two-floor office in lower Manhattan, and I was a graduate student at Fordham University at the time. Our three sons—RJ, Danny,
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and Thomas—all attended various YAF conferences and were on hand when we hosted many fellow conservatives in our home. Frank Donatelli has certainly been a great mentor and friend. It was Frank who really set our course as a Reaganite organization At YAF’s 25th annual National Conservative Student Conference in 2003, when he led Robinson recognizes historian Dr. Burt Folsom, YAF’s longest-serving faculty member, for his contributions to the Conservative Movement. Young America’s Foundation’s efforts to sponsor Ronald Reagan’s radio Folsom, Larry Schweikart, and Peter Schweizer. program. I met Frank in the late 1960s, Sam Jones, Phil Alexander, and when we were undergraduate activists, Professor George Smith certainly respectively, in Western New York and encouraged me when I was in law Western Pennsylvania. school. I am sure they helped because of my I hope everyone who has benefited YAF involvement, but Ed and Ursula from their involvement with Young Meese, John Barletta, Bob Novak, Jack America’s Foundation appreciates what Kemp, John Ashcroft, and Bill Buckley awesome colleagues I have had on our each helped me every time I asked. I am board of directors. Readers may not in awe of their support. Also, I met inspiring freedom fighters know that these were leaders in running YAF or other youth organizations, but in critical lands all across the globe, beginning in the summer of 1970, when their support, ideas, and encouragement I was in Taiwan as an undergraduate. In undergirded whatever good work I accomplished. 1974 in Vietnam, I met and befriended young and courageous Vietnamese fighting to keep their freedoms from the Libertas: Is there anything from your time as the Foundation’s president North Vietnamese invaders. Again, in that YAF supporters may not know 1991, I was part of an American effort about you? to encourage the freedom forces in ———————————————————— Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia fend off Robinson: In the early 1980s, Young further Soviet interference. Visiting the America’s Foundation was part of a home parish of Solidarity’s martyred national coalition of youth groups priest, Jerzy Popieluszko, in 1991 was personally pivotal. that conducted foreign exchanges with I met and worked with wonderful overseas student groups under various writers who encouraged me in various U.S. treaties. I was vice president of the ways, including Russell Kirk, David United States Youth Council (USYC) Horowitz, Tom Wolfe, Nelson DeMille, that included other Conservative Brad Thor, Father Raymond DeJaegher, Movement organizations, civil rights Rich Lowry, Bill Buckley, Burt and Anita organizations, Democratic and Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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At YAF’s 2013 National High School Leadership Conference, Robinson leads an interactive session titled “The Tenets of Conservatism.”
Republican college and youth groups, and various service organizations. An election in 1983 was going to decide who would lead America’s youth efforts for those exchanges and the looming International Year of the Youth. The Council’s president seemed eager to work closely with Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Previously, USYC avoided exchanges with Sovietbloc countries. It appeared to be a long shot to
During his 43 years of leadership at YAF, Robinson guides the Foundation in bringing distinguished leaders, including General Norman Schwarzkopf, to campus audiences nationwide.
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YAF Vice President and Chief of Staff Jessica Jensen (left) and Governor George Allen (right), Reagan Ranch Presidential Scholar, join Robinson at the 2016 Reagan Ranch Board of Governors meeting.
unseat the USYC president, but I felt it was important to do so. As it turned out, I unseated future newsmaker Paul Manafort to become the USYC president for the crucial 1983-1985 period. Manafort’s willingness to advance the interests of various Eastern-bloc dictators, to grow his own fortune, surfaced later in his career and helped damage the image of the Trump administration. We also developed lasting, impactful working relationships with conservative
and freedom-minded European allies who then stood with us as the Reagan administration deployed cruise and Pershing missiles in those dangerous Cold War years. Libertas: What will you miss about your role as the Foundation’s president? ————————————————————
Robinson: I will miss working day-today with some of the most dedicated, committed, and principled fellow staff
YAF President Ron Robinson and members of the Foundation’s leadership team and the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors meet with Lady Margaret Thatcher in London in 2010.
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At YAF’s 2015 National Conservative Student Conference, Robinson meets with Peter Schweizer—a Foundation alumnus, director, and #1 New York Times bestselling author.
members. I have already mentioned a few. Peter Schweizer became our Movement’s most important investigator and writer. Marc Short is probably the most talented senior administration official at the White House from the past four years. Alex Mooney, who led our National Journalism Center, is a rising star in Congress and a crucial member of the Freedom Caucus. Kate Obenshain Keeler went on to serve in
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(From left) Ron Robinson, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, his wife, Candy Carson, and YAF directors Frank Donatelli and Ron Pearson gather during the Foundation’s 2018 President’s Club Weekend.
various key roles, including as chief of staff for Senator George Allen. Nicole Hoplin and Kimberly Begg help fellow conservatives direct their gifts and energies to worthwhile Movement causes. Ricardo Reyes and Jason Mattera were most creative and constantly fun to work with and subsequently succeeded as White House staffers, corporate spokesmen, and television stars. I already miss working closely with James Taylor, YAF’s first executive
YAF CEO Governor Scott Walker and his wife, Tonette, join YAF President Ron Robinson and his wife, Michelle Easton, in hosting the Foundation’s Reagan Ranch Getaway Weekend.
director, and Nikki Kosinski, who managed our finances for years. Every last bit of work I accomplished was made possible or immensely improved by the cast of superstars I had as assistants and partners in running my office. That lineup began years ago with Frances Owens, who became the first lady of Colorado, and included Nicole Brungard; Andrea McGuigan, who went on to become the personal assistant of longtime Canadian Prime Minister
Under Robinson’s leadership, YAF sponsors Daily Wire co-founder and commentator Ben Shapiro to speak on nearly 60 campuses nationwide, helping him become the most popular youth speaker in the country. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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have been honored to Libertas: What do you see changing at Young America’s Foundation? work alongside. ———————————————————— Of course, I Robinson: Every era has its own still expect to work challenges, and I couldn’t have predicted with my spouse of that YAF would have undertaken roles, 46 years, Michelle including protecting Ronald Reagan’s Easton. Michelle beloved Western White House, Rancho continues to lead del Cielo, before we did. Nor did I the Clare Boothe imagine Stan Evans would ask us to Luce Center for carry on his decades-long work with Conservative the National Journalism Center. Yet, Women. She has these projects are an integral part of the helped me in every YAF-related way since Foundation now. No conservative organization we met 48 years ago. has been blessed to have someone Michelle is smart, with the record of achievement hard-working, and YAF President Ron Robinson welcomes longtime ally Vice President that Governor Scott Walker brings has nearly errorless Mike Pence to address the Foundation’s National Conservative Student to YAF. He developed, and led in, judgment. I have Conference in 2017. enjoyed working with unprecedented ways to advance Stephen Harper; and two future freedom as governor of the state where my son, Tom, as well. When Tom left Foundation vice presidents, Nicole the Progressive Movement began. I as the American Conservative Union’s Hoplin and Jessica Jensen. I will miss director of development to join the YAF have utter confidence he will do the having such brilliant and wise counsel at team, my senior advisor and longtime same for YAF. I wanted a successor hand on a daily basis. who was a generation younger than supporter, Don Dick of Santa Barbara, Those names are just a sampling me to give that person time to achieve smirked and asked, “The Foundation is of colleagues. The current Foundation distinctive successes. Governor Walker’s now into nepotism?” I said, “No, Don, team is loaded with talent, and they are election by our Board of Directors is this is the Conservative Movement. completely committed to furthering our We call it family values.” God willing, I encouraging because he will bring cause. The current vice presidents all new ideas along with great experience. won’t miss either Michelle or Tom. It is could be running similar organizations Ronald Reagan would surely say that comforting to know they will carry on but play key leadership roles here—and our best days are ahead. some of the work I was doing. I am grateful to each of them. They are Jessica Jensen, Andrew Coffin, Patrick Coyle, Vic Bernson, and Raj Kannappan. I’ve been blessed to work and travel extensively with our longtime director of development, Jason Barbour. The most critical team member is my longest-standing colleague, Darla Anzalone. Darla leads an amazing communications team that works closely with Chris Miranda. Mentioning some of my colleagues inevitably makes me troubled that I can’t recognize them all. Sadly, even those I mentioned are not adequately thanked and recognized. Like Young Americans for Freedom did in its earliest years, the Foundation has created a stream of Robinson and his wife, Michelle Easton (fourth and fifth from right), join conservative leaders at a meeting extraordinary, talented leaders whom I with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in 2018. 22
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Become a Member of Young Americans for Freedom! Whether you have been in a Young Americans for Freedom chapter for years, are just getting involved in one, or you’re new to the Conservative Movement, you can now become a member of Young Americans for Freedom! Students who are 13 and older and enrolled full-time in school are welcome to join YAF. Once you become a YAFer, you will receive: • A welcome packet that includes a t-shirt and other YAF swag • Your own membership card • A free copy of 11 Principles of a Reagan Conservative by Dr. Paul Kengor • Opportunities to attend unique, members-only events at YAF conferences and retreats • First opportunities and discounts to register for key YAF conferences and other programs
This is to certify that
William F. Buckley, Jr. is a member in good standing since
1960
Membership Number: 000001
YOUNG AMERICANS FOR FREEDOM Young Americans for Freedom is a project of Young America’s Foundation
Becoming a member is free and easy, and once you sign up you do not need to renew—ever! You will receive a confirmation email once we have reviewed your application, and, if approved, you will receive your very own membership card and welcome packet. For more information, please call our national headquarters at 800-USA-1776 or visit yaf.org. Reagan Ranch, 217 State Street, Santa Barbara, California 93101, 888-USA-1776 National Headquarters, 11480 Commerce Park Drive, Sixth Floor, Reston, Virginia 20191, 800-USA-1776
www.yaf.org
Sixty Years of Promoting Freedom
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(Left) William F. Buckley, Jr., whose leadership was essential to the success of Young Americans for Freedom, addresses a YAF gathering in the early years of the organization.
By Christopher Bedford, Senior Editor, The Federalist
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onservatism is born in opposition: in the need thought they would need to defend between their studies. to conserve those things that matter, those Unlikely heroes emerged, such as San Francisco State things we know are sacred. Young Americans University President S.I. Hayakawa. He and many more like for Freedom was founded six decades ago with him would rather have dedicated their time on a college such a mission. campus to learning and educating, but the New Left’s war on September 1960 was a time of reinvention on the America left little room for education—and little peace in American Right, lying directly between a young William F. silence. Buckley, Jr.’s founding of National Review and the nomination Young Americans for Freedom’s 50th anniversary arrived of Senator Barry Goldwater for President. Tired of an elite, in 2010 during a similar time—in a period of rebirth liberal, and malleable Republican Party, Young Americans for (Continued on page 26) Freedom, through its founding document, the Sharon Statement (see page four), instead chose to “affirm certain eternal truths”—truths that would face their greatest test toward the end of the decade with the rise of the New Left. The mid and late-1960s were dominated by unrest on university campuses, led by the student radicals of the New Left, a violent force that rarely faced pushback from administrators. Driven by a sense of their complete moral superiority, their marches and protests quickly escalated to arson, attacks, and bombings. At every step, however, young men and women of principle were there to meet them, swelling in numbers as ordinary students were driven to fight to conserve a country At YAF’s first major rally in New York City in 1961, Senator Barry Goldwater calls young conservatives the nation’s and culture they had not leaders of tomorrow. 24
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(Above) In one of its major activities of 1969, Stanford University YAF organizes a march to President Kenneth Pitzer’s office to protest the leftist takeover of the Applied Electronics Laboratory in Palo Alto, California.
(Left) The December 1967 issue of YAF’s original magazine, The New Guard, highlights the dangers of Students for a Democratic Society, one of the primary organizations of the New Left.
(Above) In 1970, young conservatives gather at the home of William F. Buckley, Jr., in Sharon, Connecticut, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Young Americans for Freedom.
(Right) President Ronald Reagan, who joined the YAF National Advisory Board in 1962, hosts students participating in Young America’s Foundation’s 1981 National Conservative Student Conference at the White House. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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(Left) In the summer of 2020, Young Americans for Freedom activists stage a defense of the Theodore Roosevelt statue in front of the Museum of Natural History in New York City.
The University of Southern California Young Americans for Freedom chapter hosts a sold-out campus lecture featuring the nation’s leading campus speaker, Ben Shapiro, in 2018, drawing lines of young people to the Fred Allen Lecture Series event.
(Above) YAF Vice President Patrick Coyle, who successfully guided the effort to unite Young Americans for Freedom with Young America’s Foundation, trains the next generation of student leaders at a YAF Activism Training Seminar. Activists attending YAF’s Chapter Training Seminar in January 2020 participate in the March for Life in Washington D.C.
(Continued from page 24) for an American Right no longer content with what the establishment stood for. And the end of our sixth decade has come along much the same as the first, with left-wing radicals, from our campuses to our state capitols, growing louder and more violent in their demands to abolish both our culture and our country. As mobs rage, statues are torn down, and physical violence is waged against those who stand against the Left, insidious slogans declare, “Silence is violence.” “Join us,” this chant demands, “or be destroyed.” As when New Left activists burned books, bombed university buildings, and ambushed police, today’s mobs leave little room for standing aside, 26
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and those who would otherwise be content in their lives are pushed to join the fray. And once again, “in this time of moral and political crisis,” Young Americans for Freedom is on the front lines. The past decade, like our first, has been a period of growth. While 2010 saw the rebirth of YAF’s original New Guard magazine and the coming together of young men and women dissatisfied with the ideas and policies of the moment, the following decade saw Young Americans for Freedom reunite with many of its early leaders under the guidance of Young America’s Foundation. As campus leftist activism grew increasingly illiberal and intolerant of the country, dissent, and even silence, YAF’s ranks once again ballooned. Today,
(Above) New York Times bestselling author Ben Shapiro makes the case for freedom over big government at a lecture organized by the University of Michigan Young Americans for Freedom chapter in 2019.
(Right) YAF activists from across the country gather at Young America’s Foundation’s Nashville Freedom Conference in February 2020.
more than 500 Young Americans for Freedom chapters are active at high schools and colleges across the country. But this is not simply the repetition of history. The 1960s laid the foundation, or more, undercut, the American foundation that has led to a new and greater battle at our door today. Because of the perseverance, bravery, and brilliance of the giants who came before us, YAF stands ready—and is needed more than ever. In 1960 at William F. Buckley, Jr.’s home in Sharon, Connecticut, M. Stanton Evans, a young American for freedom who has since left us, wrote, “In this time of moral and political crises, it is the responsibility of the youth of America to affirm certain eternal truths.” As new decades bring new battles,
young and old YAFers must fight for the American country we love against the forces that would destroy her. “History,” YAF’s founding document declares, “shows periods of freedom are rare, and can exist only when free citizens concertedly defend their rights against all enemies.” As we enter our seventh decade, let us not forget this. May God bless America, and may God bless Young Americans for Freedom. —————————————————————————————————————————
Christopher Bedford is a senior editor at the Federalist, the vice chairman of Young Americans for Freedom, and a member of the National Journalism Center Board of Governors. He lives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Young Americans for Freedom: How It Influenced My Life and Career By Michelle Easton, President, Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women
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ne hundred students and only five girls! That was my first Young Americans for Freedom event—a convention in Tarrytown, New York—when I was a college senior in 1972. It was a very different time for women in the Conservative Movement, and that experience would inspire my later work. I had joined YAF four years earlier, as a freshman, after picking up a promotional brochure on a table in my dorm at
(From left) Easton and her three sons, Danny, RJ, and Tom, participate in a C-SPAN interview in 1997 to highlight the bias of “Take Your Daughters to Work Day.”
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Following her activism and work with Young Americans for Freedom, Michelle Easton serves in multiple key roles in the Reagan administration.
Briarcliff College in Briarcliff Manor, New York. I had sent in a membership check because I was conservative, had been named “Class Politician” in my senior year of high school, and agreed with the Sharon Statement, YAF’s founding document (see page four). But it wasn’t until I spent my junior year at the University of London that I gained motivation to become an activist for freedom in YAF. England in the early 1970s was a tired and failing socialist country. Living there taught me first-hand about the hopelessness of people, particularly the less affluent, suffering under socialism. In England, the wealthy knew enough to pay for private healthcare rather than rely on the National Health Service, and they sent their children to non-government schools. Entrepreneurs and businesses were discouraged by burdensome taxes and regulations. Thankfully, a great woman, Margaret Thatcher, often denigrated as a backbencher, would become Prime Minister in 1979 and straighten England out. But before Thatcher’s election, I returned from England to America in 1972, when George McGovern was running against Richard Nixon for President. Inspired by my experience in London, I quickly formed a Young Americans for Freedom chapter and brought an anti-McGovern speaker to campus. It was a small event but one which helped me realize the impact one person could make. Today, organizing campus lectures remains one of the best ways for
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young conservatives to gain a sense of empowerment. I was then invited to the New York State YAF office on Jane Street in Greenwich Village to help stuff a “Youth Against McGovern” mailing. I took my younger sister, Carol, with me and met many young conservatives that day, including a graduate student at Fordham University named Ron Robinson. We married a couple of years later, and we are now in our 47th year of marriage, having raised three sons—all of whom are conservative. That day at YAF’s office was a good one all around! Following my graduation from Briarcliff College, I accepted a position on the national staff of YAF, where I worked for five years. I started out as a front-desk assistant, which taught me who actually made the decisions in the organization and what I had to do to get ahead. Throughout my stint with YAF, I wrote issue papers, broadcast a radio editorial, and organized dinners in the Conservative Political Action Conference’s early years—and I got ahead. I also began four years of the evening law program at American University. While I loved my husband dearly, I decided to move to National Right to Work when he became YAF’s executive director. It was during this time that we had our first son, RJ. By the end of 1980, I had gained great work experience in the Conservative Movement, and I had earned a law degree. My favorite leader, Ronald Reagan, had just been elected President. My YAF activism and resume made me a good fit for the Reagan administration, so I started what would be eight years of service at the U.S. Department of Education, which Reagan hoped to abolish. Unfortunately, President Reagan’s first secretary of education, Terrel Bell, wanted to expand the department, not abolish it. He wanted to get rid of President Reagan’s political
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“As I reflect on my work with the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women and my personal experiences, it is clear that YAF has been tremendously influential, from my earliest days in college to my experiences as a grandmother today.” — MICHELLE EASTON
appointees and allow career government employees to make policy decisions. Every day was a battle between those of us who wanted to abolish the department and those who wanted to expand it. Secretary Bell stepped into the elevator with me one day, when I was pregnant with our second son, Danny. Bell looked at me and snorted, “Oh, you are the pregnant YAFer.” I was shocked at his rudeness but at the same time pleased that YAF had such a big presence with the secretary. I later transitioned from the Department of Education to take one of the most interesting positions I held under President Reagan, director of the Missing Children’s Program at the U.S. Department of Justice. This was President Reagan’s key program that prioritized changing the way law
Easton (front row, third from right) and her husband, Ron Robinson (back row, middle), work on the Young Americans for Freedom national staff in 1973.
In the early years of the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women, Michelle Easton and Ron Robinson meet with activist Star Parker, who frequently addresses and mentors young women at CBL’s student programs. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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enforcement reacted when children went missing. The program ensured missing children were featured on milk cartons, postcards, and in the media, and we no longer waited a few hours to see if children wandered back home. These efforts, along with the Amber Alerts that we see today on highway signs and television, are impactful accomplishments for which President Reagan seldom gets credit. It was while I was doing this work on missing children that we had our third son, Thomas. I returned to the Department of Education near the end of President Reagan’s second term—when I was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as deputy undersecretary—and stayed on for the next four years of the George H.W. Bush administration. After 12 years in the Reagan and Bush administrations, I felt I had done my duty in government service. On January 20, 1993, President Bill Clinton fired me and many other Bush political appointees. It was an honor to be fired by this vulgar man. Then began the next chapter of my career, when I became the leader of a conservative organization, following the lead of my former YAF colleagues Jeff Kane, Alan Gottlieb, Mike Thompson, Roger Ream, Fran Griffin, Ron Dear, and Ron Robinson. In 1993, I founded the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women (CBL)—the namesake of YAF advisory
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In 2010, Michelle Easton meets with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who remarks about Easton’s efforts with the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women, “You’re doing a wonderful thing for America!”
board member Clare Boothe Luce—to promote conservative women as role models for young students. Conservatives had always included great women leaders, but unlike the Left, we failed to celebrate our leaders as role models. For decades, the Left and the feminist movement have focused like a laser beam on young women—through their teacher and professor trainings, feminist organizations, and grotesquely leftist women’s studies programs and courses on nearly every college campus in the country. CBL has directly addressed this challenge. We support young women who are interested in learning more about conservative ideas and becoming leaders. We work solely with female students and speakers, mentoring young women at regional summits, (Left) Under Easton’s leadership, the Clare luncheons, seminars, and Boothe Luce Center for Conservative semester-long internships. Women provides students with a range of educational resources. Other organizations with which CBL has worked closely include YAF and the Heritage Foundation. We have great fun, sometimes at the expense of leftist feminist groups that denigrate men, families, faith, and our country. For years, leftist women sponsored a “Take Your Daughters to Work Day.” We loved holding press conferences to communicate how unfair this concept was to young men. My sons and I would Michelle Easton recognizes Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway as CBL’s 2017 Woman of the Year during an annual celebration hosted by the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women. join other conservative 30 Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Easton presents CBL’s 2019 Woman of the Year award to author and columnist Mollie Hemingway for her leadership and contributions to the Conservative Movement.
women, including Bay Buchanan, and their sons, drawing media coverage for our message. We also point out the differences between men and women. For example, we publish a booklet titled “Sense & Sexuality: The college girl’s guide to real protection in a hooked-up world,” which is the most requested publication in our organization’s history. This fall, we addressed in the Federalist how school shutdowns related to COVID-19 are harmful to all children, but especially to young women, who benefit immensely from in-person social learning. At the same time, we insist that men and women receive equal treatment under the law. New Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett—whom we celebrate for her seven children, wonderful husband, and incredible legal career—is another conservative role model we will encourage young women to look to for inspiration. I remain the president of CBL today, 27 years after founding it. We have made a tremendous difference for conservative women. The days of 95 men and five women at conservative group meetings are over.
Michelle Easton and Ron Robinson consider raising three conservative sons, (from left) Tom, Danny, and RJ, one of their greatest successes.
The young women with whom we work today stand on the shoulders of the Conservative Movement’s great leaders like Clare Boothe Luce. I am grateful for today’s many leaders who regularly speak and mentor our students, including Senator Marsha Blackburn, Kellyanne Conway, Cleta Mitchell, Star Parker, Mollie Hemingway, and Rachel Campos-Duffy. We are also blessed to have an extraordinary Board of Directors which includes Kate Obenshain Keeler, Bay Buchanan, Clare Luce, Darla Partridge, Sarah Rindlaub, Marji Ross, and Linda Teetz. As I reflect on my work with the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women and my personal experiences, it is clear that YAF has been tremendously influential, from my earliest days in college to my experiences as a grandmother today.
Young women from across the country participate in a CBL luncheon at the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference, where then-U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn is recognized as CBL’s Woman of the Year. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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Celebrating 60 years of promoting freedom!
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R ichard V iguerie , D avid K eene , F rank D onatelli , R on R obinson , M ichelle E aston , K ir by W i lbur , A la n G ottli eb , A rn i e S t e i n berg , J a me s V. L a c y , D a n a R oh ra ba c her , D a n M a n i o n , T o m C h a r l e s H u s t o n , R o g e r R e a m , D av i d B o a z , F r a n G r i ff i n , Ron Pearson, Chris Long,
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Why Young Americans for Freedom? By Alisa Giannelli, Chairwoman, Lake Forest High School YAF
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y name is Alisa Giannelli, and I am a senior at Lake Forest High School (LFHS). I am also the co-founder and chairwoman of my school’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter. I was first introduced to YAF four years ago, Alisa Giannelli participates in YAF’s High School Free Enterprise Leaders Conference in Reston, Virginia, in September 2020. when my older brother and his friends tried to organize a chapter at LFHS. They were unsuccessful also felt the same way. This motivated me to establish our at that time, as they were upperclassmen, and school school’s YAF chapter. administrators simply ran out the clock—discouraging my I reached out to Young America’s Foundation to start the brother and his friends from starting a conservative club as process. I needed support, and I didn’t want any more of my they were focused on applying to colleges. Just a few years later, in 2019, I began to understand why my peers to be indoctrinated. This was a process that should have taken only a couple of weeks, but instead, at my school, it took brother had thought it so important to form a YAF chapter. more than five months! School administrators once again Coming from a small, Catholic middle school, I was postponed the founding of a conservative group. accustomed to being around people who had similar Though my school finally allowed us to establish a conservative club, we were discouraged from affiliating with Young America’s Foundation, our national organization. “YAF allows students to put a spotlight Administrators refused to share with us their reasoning for this decision, which led YAF to file a Freedom of on the leftist bias in our school and Information Act request to review faculty and administrators’ communications on this issue. provide a conservative voice.” In one internal school email obtained by YAF, a teacher at LFHS stated, “I question whether this group is appropriate — ALISA GIANNELLI for our school and students.” Another teacher wrote, “A group was formed earlier this year with extreme politics and ideals, mostly dealing with hate, racism, and homophobia, and I am certainly not comfortable with a group like that traditional beliefs. When I transitioned to LFHS, a public again.” school, I quickly learned that many teachers had their own After YAF retrieved these emails, school administrators liberal agendas in the classroom. quickly allowed our affiliation with the Foundation, fearing As a firm believer in conservatism, I recognized their they could be exposed. politically correct messages as absurd, liberal indoctrination. With the help of Young America’s Foundation, our YAF However, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to stand up for my chapter sought out the few like-minded and supportive staff own beliefs. After speaking with my peers, I learned that many of them and faculty at LFHS and worked with them to ensure the real Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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mission and purpose of YAF was understood. More than 70 students attended our kick-off meeting, with many sharing how sick and tired they were of teachers forcing leftist opinions on them. Until then, our members hadn’t felt comfortable speaking up in their classrooms because they were scared of being judged by their teachers and classmates. It was a relief to know that I wasn’t the only student at school who felt like I didn’t have a voice. But my exciting journey in the Conservative Movement was just beginning. I have since had the opportunity to attend numerous YAF conferences—such as the High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch and the High School Free Enterprise Leaders Congressman Sean Duffy and Fox News Contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy take a selfie with the Lake Forest High School YAF chapter following their 2019 address to the school audience. Conference outside the nation’s capital— where I have learned from leaders including Despite Lake Ben Shapiro, Rachel Campos-Duffy, Liz Wheeler, Dr. Paul Forest High Kengor, Michael Knowles, Governor Scott Walker, and many School’s repeated others. roadblocks, Giannelli leads Leading up to the 2019 academic year, I reached out to her YAF chapter our club director to start planning YAF’s 9/11: Never Forget to organize the Project (see page seven). We aimed to display American flags 9/11: Never on school grounds in remembrance of the 2,977 innocent Forget Project to honor the souls who lost their lives in the September 11 terrorist victims of the attacks. September 11th Sadly, it took LFHS administrators several weeks to terrorist attacks. respond to our request. We were then told that we could not hold our event at school. This activity was too “controversial” for school administrators. But we didn’t give up. With 9/11 only a few days away,
Giannelli joins hundreds of students at YAF’s High School Conference at the Reagan Ranch in June 2019, meeting like-minded peers from across the country and learning from conservative leaders.
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Lake Forest High School YAF chairwoman Alisa Giannelli organizes a sold-out lecture at her school featuring Steve Forbes in early 2020, drawing nearly 400 students and community members.
So why did I start a Young Americans for Freedom chapter? Because YAF allows students to put a spotlight on the leftist bias in our school and provide a conservative voice. Members of Giannelli’s YAF chapter meet with Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes Media, following Lake Forest High School YAF now his remarks on the virtues of entrepreneurship and free enterprise. has more than 100 members, and it continues to grow. We have more students interested in our YAF chapter took our memorial to city property instead. On the morning of 9/11, as we were setting up the conservative ideas than ever before, and we look forward 2,997 flags, many community members stopped to thank us to expanding our reach in the weeks, months, and years to and take pictures of the special memorial. Our event quickly come. reached social media, and more people began to support us in our efforts at LFHS. The resources, tools, and guidance that Young America’s Foundation provides to our YAF chapter and hundreds of others nationwide are immeasurable. This support gives young conservatives the momentum that they need to push aside the liberal agenda in schools and make their voices heard. Our YAF chapter has been fortunate to host two major speaker events—one featuring Congressman Sean Duffy and Fox News Contributor Rachel Campos-Duffy and another featuring Steve Forbes, chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media. Significant turnouts at these high-profile events further helped our chapter grow student and community support. We were able to spread the message of freedom and free Alisa Giannelli and her parents, Jeff and Amy Giannelli, meet with Governor enterprise to hundreds of our peers who otherwise may never Scott Walker, YAF’s CEO and president-elect, at a Young America’s Foundation have heard an alternative perspective in the classroom. luncheon in Wisconsin. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
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From Young Americans for Freedom to the White House By Kathleen Porter, Special Assistant, Office of the National Security Advisor
The views expressed are the author’s alone and do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Security Council and its staff, the Executive Office of the President, or the U.S. Government.
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In her previous role as Receptionist of the United States, Kathleen Porter greets nearly every official visitor who has an appointment with President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, or senior White House staff.
On her journey in the Conservative Movement, Porter participates in an internship with the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women, led by YAF alumna Michelle Easton.
Porter meets with activist and commentator Star Parker following Parker’s YAF campus lecture at Loyola Marymount University in 2018, spearheaded by Porter.
f someone had told me when I was a freshman in college that I would work at the White House following graduation, I would have told them they were crazy. I grew up with strong values and an appreciation for liberty and history passed on from my parents, but Washington, D.C., seemed far away from my home in California. My family was not political, and I knew nothing about working in the nation’s capital. More importantly, there were times during my college years when I felt so hopeless that I worried I would never be successful, let alone work for the President of the United States.
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At my college, Loyola Marymount University (LMU), located in Los Angeles, conservative students had essentially two choices when it came to expressing our beliefs—silence or social isolation. I wanted neither for myself. I struggled in dealing with the constant leftist lies told by many, especially my professors, at LMU—the institution to which my parents sent hundreds of thousands of dollars for my education—and not knowing how to respond. Faculty
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members taught students that America was inherently evil, Conway had been my role model, and I was thrilled believing in freedom was offensive, and personal responsibility about the opportunity to learn directly from her. I joined was actually irresponsible. her in policy meetings and watched her run a task force I believed deeply but quietly that there was an alternate of top government officials to fight the opioid epidemic. I path—not a path of silence or social isolation, but of truth accompanied her to media interviews on the North Lawn of and patriotism. the White House and saw her participate in live interviews Young Americans for Freedom was that alternate path. broadcast to millions of Americans. I watched from backstage Through my YAF chapter at LMU, which I joined in 2017, I was finally able to speak confidently about conservative ideas, knowing I could count on the support of my fellow YAF members. Despite the stifling campus climate, I eventually became the vice chairwoman of LMU YAF, helping to organize our first lecture—titled “The Negative Consequences of Identity Politics, Ethnocentrism, and the Welfare State”—by inspiring activist and commentator Star Parker. This event, along with others organized by my chapter, helped to introduce more students to conservative principles and challenge the pervasive narrative of identity politics. Our activities demonstrated to these students that they were not alone. In addition, the various YAF programs I attended became my introduction not only to conservative ideals, but also to professional opportunities in Washington, D.C. One of these programs was Young America’s Foundation’s 2017 National Conservative Student Conference in the Porter stops in front of Air Force One during an advance trip to Cleveland on behalf of President nation’s capital, where I heard from brilliant Donald Trump. leaders, including Dr. Arthur Laffer, Dinesh D’Souza, and Rachel Campos-Duffy. In particular, I will never forget CamposDuffy’s remarks exposing the truth about the modern feminist movement. On my journey in the Conservative Movement, I also interned with the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women and in the office of then-U.S. Representative Marsha Blackburn in Washington, D.C. I dreamed of becoming a woman who was not afraid to be herself and committed to working tirelessly for my beliefs. So, I set my sights on a White House internship and eventually secured the opportunity to work At YAF’s 39th annual National Conservative Student Conference in 2017, (from left) Kelly Heilman, for Counselor to the President Kellyanne Kathleen Porter, and Monaco Schmidt meet with author and YAF Director Kate Obenshain Keeler (second from right) following her remarks. Conway. Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020 37
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“If you are a young conservative, my message to you is this: with YAF, there is no limit to what you can achieve.” — KATHLEEN PORTER
as she spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Throughout my White House internship, I recalled the advice that longtime YAF speaker Bay Buchanan gives to students: Be the hardest-working person in the room, and be eager to accomplish the smallest of tasks. Following Buchanan’s advice served me well, and I was offered a role that I hadn’t even known existed—Receptionist
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of the United States (ROTUS). My job was to serve as the face of the White House and greet the guests of President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and senior staff. I was also responsible for managing the White House guest book and the West Wing’s primary meeting location, the Roosevelt Room. My office, the West Wing lobby, was a waiting room of inspiration. Many of the successful leaders whom I had heard speak at YAF conferences would walk through the front doors of the West Wing. The professional skills that I had learned from them just a few years before were a significant reason that I had gotten to where I was, so it was that much more rewarding to welcome them to the White House. My work as ROTUS led me to my current role as special assistant in the Office of the National Security Advisor, Robert O’Brien, an experienced and skilled diplomat. In this capacity, I have had a front-row seat to diplomacy, negotiations, and international affairs. My experiences in the Conservative Movement have involved learning from, and being empowered by, YAF leaders who include some of the most influential women in the country. YAF helped me to feel supported as a young conservative woman, and I am the person I am today only because of that. If you are a young conservative, my message to you is this: with YAF, there is no limit to what you can achieve.
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An Interview with Candice Jackson
Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Department of Education By Taylor Hathorn, Director of Alumni Relations, and Victor Bernson, Vice President & General Counsel, Young America’s Foundation
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s part of its work to effectively prepare the future leaders of the country, Young America’s Foundation invests in inspiring young people with the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values. Candice Jackson, an accomplished legal professional, is a YAF alumna who embodies the best of what the Foundation offers. Since 2018, Jackson has served as deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Education, playing an instrumental role in crafting education policy under the leadership of Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who is also a Foundation ally. Prior to her current role, Jackson served as deputy assistant secretary for civil rights and acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Jackson began her involvement with YAF as a student at Stanford University, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in economics. She attended various Foundation programs—including the West Coast Leadership Conference and the National Conservative Student Conference in Washington, D.C.—and wrote for the Stanford Review, the campus conservative publication. After graduating from Stanford in 1998, Jackson earned her law degree from Pepperdine University. Prior to joining the Trump administration, Jackson worked at Judicial Watch and managed her private law practice. Young America’s Foundation appreciates Candice Jackson’s service in the Trump administration and is pleased to present this exclusive interview.
Libertas: How did you first get involved with Young America’s Foundation? ————————————————————
After hearing from Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway at a YAF program in Washington, D.C., Kathleen Porter secures a White House internship with Conway.
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Porter meets with General John Raymond, chief of space operations (right), and Chief Master Sergeant Roger A. Towberman, senior enlisted advisor of the United States Space Force (left), following their unveiling of the Space Force flag for President Trump in the Oval Office.
Jackson: I found YAF as an undergraduate student at Stanford University. YAF, along with other campus organizations—like the Stanford Review, our conservative newspaper, and the Hoover Institution, located on campus—helped ground me and finetune my philosophical orientation. YAF connected me with a network of young people who were like-minded but also diverse in their conservative and libertarian views. YAF provided both affirmation—in the sense that I wasn’t alone—and a challenge.
One of my favorite experiences was attending a weekend YAF program at the Reagan Ranch. The reading lists, speakers, and friendships with other young conservatives that YAF offered made a lasting and lifelong imprint on me. That weekend was the first time I read Russell Kirk’s The Roots of American Order. It has taken 20 years of life experiences and discussions around conservative philosophy and thought— that began through my involvement with YAF—to fully understand the idea that if we reject tradition, we will give up our heritage, inheritance, and ability to stand on the shoulders of giants. For today’s college students and
young activists, I can’t recommend YAF highly enough. YAF provides invaluable exposure to the roots of conservative thought, a sense of intellectual community, and the opportunity to learn from previous generations. Libertas: How did you get started with your legal career, and did you know you wanted to focus on education policy? ————————————————————
Jackson: I began my legal career litigating with Judicial Watch, an organization that puts the concept of rule of law front and center and gave me great exposure to litigating constitutional and civil rights issues as well as transparency and accountability issues in government.
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My litigation work gave me in-depth experience in working on policy issues at a national level. Working on both sides of civil rights and discrimination issues taught me that laws and policies in this area have loopholes and built-in challenges. I knew the Trump administration was going to be unlike any Republican administration we had ever seen, and I wanted to be part of that effort, specifically in the area of civil rights.
“The reading lists, speakers, and friendships with other young conservatives that YAF offered made a lasting and lifelong imprint on me.” — CANDICE JACKSON
I was particularly interested in joining the Department of Education (ED) for two reasons. First, I found the polices that came out of the Obama administration in the educational civil rights arena to be glaring examples of disregard for the rule of law and constitutional rights. Second, I was passionate about America’s dual commitment to the values of equality and non-discrimination and the values of free speech and religious liberty. Libertas: Many leaders have recently referred to education as the civil rights issue of our time. What are your thoughts on this? ————————————————————
After hearing bestselling author Dinesh D’Souza at the Foundation’s 1996 National Conservative Student Conference in Washington, D.C., Candice Jackson helps organize a debate (above) featuring D’Souza at Stanford University.
Jackson: When President Donald Trump and Secretary Betsy DeVos talk about education freedom, they mean exactly that. They correctly frame education as a civil rights issue. I believe education is one of the most under-explored and under-pursued areas of civil rights in our country. It has never made sense to me why we consign students and their families to a particular zip code. Why do we still follow an
agrarian nine-month academic calendar? Why are we so focused on school buildings and school districts instead of individual students? Education is about the equality of opportunity and equality of access. It is about respecting and encouraging individuals and their families to make decisions that best fit their interests, abilities, and potential.
Jackson and fellow college students from across the country meet with bestselling author Tom Clancy at the Foundation’s 1996 National Conservative Student Conference in the nation’s capital.
While attending a YAF program at the Reagan Ranch in the late 1990s, Jackson reads Russell Kirk’s The Roots of American Order, which sparks her interest in conservative philosophy.
right. Every situation in this area needs to be addressed correctly. If handled incorrectly, it represents a grave injustice either to the victim of something horrific—who gets no institutional support and justice in any form—or to someone who is falsely accused of doing something awful and life-changing. Jackson asks a question of a speaker at YAF’s 18th annual National Conservative Student Conference.
Libertas: In May 2020, Secretary Betsy DeVos released a new Title IX rule related to sexual harassment on college campuses. Why did she do this, and will the new rule make a difference? ————————————————————
YAF chapter leaders attending Young America’s Foundation’s Activism Training Seminar meet with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Candice Jackson’s boss, at the Reagan Ranch Center in November 2019.
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Jackson: For the first time, ED has provided clear, enforceable regulations under Title IX. This is very different from putting out the kind of unenforceable guidance that has dominated the topic of sexual harassment for more than 20 years. The essence of the new Title IX rule is: When individuals come forward with an allegation, offer them support. Then withhold judgment, discipline, and sanctions against alleged perpetrators, until and unless they’ve been afforded a fair, preset process that provides a factual conclusion. This distinction between support and punishment is exactly the big-picture approach that society should take.
There is no tension between making sure that sexual harassment is addressed consistently and upholding the values of freedom of speech and due process. The new Title IX rule that we developed represents the prudence and common sense of the American people. We now have a rule that is legally binding and provides clarity and stability to a field that has been subject to confusion and unnecessary litigation. This could not be a more important topic for me, personally and professionally. Of everything I’ve done at ED, I am most proud of my work on the new Title IX rule because we took a very carefully-thought-out and balanced approach to a complicated topic. My last three years working on this issue have been a challenging time, during which I have experienced nights of tears and nightmares trying to wade through something that we have to get
Libertas: You have been attacked for views that don’t align with left-wing orthodoxy. What drives and motivates you? ————————————————————
Jackson: My job has compelled me to pull together personal and professional experiences in a way that I have never had to before. Walking into the professional responsibility of evaluating laws and policies around sexual harassment and sexual assault—from a perspective of knowing and feeling all too vividly what it’s like to feel personally victimized by that kind of behavior, as well as representing clients who have been victimized by this behavior—is challenging and motivating. It was very important to me that we got Title IX reform right and that we upheld the rule of law. Our team at ED has worked diligently on this issue. People may be surprised to learn that Title IX reform is not the product of a staff consisting only of
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white men. Our team members are diverse, from their sex to race to sexual orientation. Our different perspectives, combined with the wisdom and input of citizens across America, have resulted in a balanced Title IX rule that will serve us for a long time to come. Libertas: What can the U.S. Department of Education do to combat the “cancel culture” that has struck at the very heart of the First Amendment? ————————————————————
Jackson: Even before the phrase “cancel culture” became as prominent as it is today, our administration was aware of the dangerous trend toward shutting down speech on campuses through the cancellation and disinvitation of speakers, as well as broad anti-harassment and speech codes. This administration has done three things to confront “cancel culture.” First, the President issued executive orders relating to freedom of speech that have helped the Department of Education strengthen efforts to crack down on violations of First Amendment rights. Second, the administration has asked when crafting new policies, “What are we doing to protect First Amendment
The work of Candice Jackson and her colleagues in the U.S. Department of Education supports President Donald Trump’s executive order protecting campus free speech, which he signs (above) at the White House in March 2019 with YAF student leaders in attendance.
freedoms, ranging from speech to association to exercise of religion?” Third, ED has conducted individual investigations. We recognize that we don’t have direct authority to enforce the First Amendment, but what we can act on are partnership agreements and grant agreements with institutions that require those institutions to live up to the promises and representations they’ve made to their educational communities. We have used our ability to investigate schools for not adhering to their own stated values with respect to free inquiry and freedom of speech.
Candice Jackson (top right), who serves as deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Education, joins Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos (top left) in an exclusive online briefing with top YAF student activists in early 2020.
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Young America’s Foundation | Libertas | Winter 2020
Libertas: What advice would you give to students on college campuses who are afraid to stand up for their beliefs? ————————————————————
Jackson: When I was in college, freedom of speech and the exchange of ideas were taken for granted as pillars that enabled people, on all sides of an issue, to express themselves and shape our laws and policies. One of my favorite experiences at Stanford was helping to organize a debate on affirmative action between Dinesh D’Souza and Jesse Jackson. It was wellattended by proponents and opponents of affirmative action, but neither side cancelled the debate or shouted anyone down. There was cheering and a little bit of booing from both sides. It seems like this is happening less and less. What today’s young conservative activists have to understand is they have an opportunity that hasn’t been available before. By doing the hard work of actually talking to their peers, they can ensure that today’s generation doesn’t take for granted the inherent benefits of free speech. Young conservatives should learn from history. How have proponents of particular issues—civil rights, racial justice, sex equality, and religious liberties—used speech to effectively promote their views?
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
SPECIAL NOTE: All 2021 Reagan Ranch Getaway Weekends will be hosted by YAF’s incoming president, Governor Scott Walker, and his wife, Reagan Ranch Board of Governors member Tonette Walker
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2021 REAGAN RANCH GETAWAY WEEKENDS You are cordially invited to an exclusive weekend
getaway at Ronald Reagan’s mountaintop home, Rancho del Cielo, in Santa Barbara, California. You will be joined by an intimate group of seven other couples from around the country for a weekend experience hosted by Governor Scott Walker and his wife, Tonette.
2021 retreat dates March 19 to 21 May 14 to 16 June 25 to 27 September 10 to 12 October 22 to 24
When you arrive in Santa Barbara, your every need will be met based on an all-inclusive price, including:
• Complimentary transportation to the Hotel Californian (from Santa Barbara Airport). • Welcome luncheon featuring a notable conservative leader. • Two-night, five-star accommodations at the luxurious Hotel Californian. • VIP visit experience at Ronald Reagan’s “Western White House,” Rancho del Cielo. • Behind-the-scenes tour of the Reagan Ranch Center and Exhibit Gallery. • All meals, including two luncheons, two receptions, two dinners, and a full breakfast.
A- : $2,795 (excluding airline travel) S L Eight- Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserve your space TODAY. Please contact JASON BARBOUR at (336) 286-1701 or at jasonb@reaganranch.org
Young America’s Foundation | Libertas magazine | www.yaf.org
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Winter 2020 Volume 41 • Number 3
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n September 1970, young conservatives gather at the family home of William F. Buckley, Jr.—Great Elm—in Sharon, Connecticut, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Young Americans for Freedom. YAF’s mission of promoting the principles of individual freedom, free enterprise, limited government, a strong national defense, and traditional values remains as relevant today as it was in the early years of the organization.