Svante Myrick, the youngest mayor of Ithaca and the city’s first mayor of color, addressed Binghamton University students and faculty on Friday in the Old University Union’s Mandela Room and urged young people to participate in and trust the government.
Myrick was elected to the position when he was 24 years old, after serving on the Ithaca Common Council while he was a junior at Cornell University. His talk was the keynote address for BU’s Masters of Public Administration Public Service Weekend.
The mayor began by describing his early life, in which he was homeless and living in shelters with his mother and siblings until he was eight years old. Myrick said he was always conscious of how government affected his life, such as living off of food stamps and attending public schools. That, he said, is what inspired him to get involved in the first place.
“I believe in government,” Myrick said. “I believe in public service, and I believe in politics. It’s a controversial thing to say; there’s not a lot of faith, hope or optimism, and not a lot of people saying that not only can government be good, but also great.”
Myrick said that although people might doubt a young person’s ability to participate in government, youths have more energy, creativity and moral authority at this point in their lives and should not wait to run for office.
While campaigning, Myrick said he knocked on the door of every constituent in Ithaca. When that didn’t work, he did it again, and when that second attempt didn’t work, he did it a third time.
“There’s no magic to what we pulled off,” he said. “It was hours, sweat and energy; [it was] energy from people saying that we’re knocking our head against a wall, but our head is stronger.”
As mayor of Ithaca, one of Myrick’s biggest accomplishments was transforming the Ithaca Commons. It was creative thinking to label the commercial project as an outdoor transportation hub, he said, that allowed the project to get federally funded and encouraged citizens to open businesses and create artwork while the project was still under construction.
“Creativity is badly lacking, and young people have it innately,” Myrick said. “So we need you to run, now.”
After his speech, Myrick took audience questions. One student asked Myrick about his proposal to create the country’s first government-supervised heroin injection site and his stance on progressive drug policies. His plan attracted national attention, and Myrick said that while this was unexpected, he continued to advocate for the idea and challenge the status quo.
Myrick also took questions on how to change the cynical view of government; injustices exist, he said, and we need to take the initiative to correct them. He also said that government needs to personally invite citizens to participate.
“What if, though, we could remember how we felt when we were seven years old and saw an injustice, and our teacher said, ‘Life’s not fair,’ and we felt a hot ball of rage in our chest, because you know that that is not a good enough answer,” Myrick said. “At seven, you knew that a world full of injustice does not excuse any one injustice.”
Following the event, attendees said they enjoyed Myrick’s passion and creativity for his job.
“His main points were an important message for not only young people to hear, but also to remind us that that young person still lives within us,” said Nadia Rubaii, an associate professor of public administration. “We may not have the energy, but the creativity and the moral authority is important to remember.”
Rachel Scheckman, a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, said she also found Myrick’s message inspiring.
“He spoke to us on his level, which made me feel more of a connection to what he said,” she said. “Maybe I’m not considering running for public office, but I could take my involvement in local government to another level.”
Ultimately, Myrick said, young people hold the power to create change, and he encouraged audience members to get involved in any way they can.
“If we can use millennials to be on governments at the top, you can demonstrate that moral courage and authority,” Myrick said. “Combined with energy, I think you have the power to make government more wiser, more energetic and more effective, and I sincerely hope that you do.”