Anya Dillard is a 19-year-old human rights and social justice activist, social entrepreneur, model, content creator, and aspiring filmmaker. Anya is also the founder of The Next Gen Come Up, a grassroots organization that encourages the youth to fight for social change through art and content creation. 

This profile was originally published in the Mount Vernon Gazette.

Love was in the air last week on Valentine’s Day. For the League of Women Voters (LWV), love is always in the air, the love of voting. Feb. 14 was the 103rd anniversary of the national League of Women Voters and this year marks the 75th anniversary of the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area.

Registering voters is the heart and soul of the organization.

This opinion was originally published in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

It’s long past time for our elected leaders to pass legislation that will right this wrong. They must, and can, take steps to restore the right to vote for people who have made mistakes but have paid for them through the criminal justice system.

Fannie Lou Hamer was an African American civil rights activist and leader in the civil rights movement. She was born October 6, 1917, and is best known for her work in the struggle for voting rights, which she dedicated her life to fighting for. Hamer was one of the most influential figures in the struggle for civil rights, and her legacy is still relevant today.