The American Civil Liberties Union

College Chapter of Columbia, South Carolina

Office of the President

___________________________________________________
A Joint Letter from the President and Chairman
President Kendrick J. Backmon
Chairman Jake C. Fortenberry
____________________________________________________

August 22, 2018

Dear Members,

Welcome back to the University of South Carolina! Our chapter has great things in store this
semester. We have new leadership, bold ideas, and a solid game plan. We have a YouTube
channel, a website, and we are just getting started! Our chapter selected prison reform as our
long-term focus. Our immediate projects include a letter-writing campaign to high school
students and recruitment tables. We have been asked to assist with the Women’s March in
Columbia, South Carolina. The theme for this march is “March to the Polls”. We will publish
additional updates on the Women’s March soon. In the meantime, please refence the letters
below from Chairman Fortenberry and I.

A chapter e-mail will be sent detailing our chapter’s regular meeting time, location, and election
date. Our first chapter meeting will take place in September. Please join us at the Organization
Fair located on Greene Street. Our time slot is 4-7 pm on August 29.

Our Executive Board looks forward to meeting you soon!

Respectfully,

Kendrick J. Backmon
Founding President, ACLU-COL

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 The American Civil Liberties Union
College Chapter of Columbia, South Carolina

Chairman Jake C. Fortenberry’s Address to the Chapter

Hello All,

As our Summer Executive team continues to prepare for the transition into the fall
semester, I applaud the hard work we have already put in to create a solid foundation for the
upcoming year.

This summer we have put together a strong and determined executive board. With
diversity across our board, I believe we will be able to make a lasting impact in our community.
We have passed amendments to our constitution that will encourage progress in our chapter and
that is something we can all be excited about. Along with planning for the upcoming semester,
we have created a strong executive board that demonstrates unity and leadership that will set the
tone this fall.

My agenda for the chapter is one of determination. With a new summer executive team
and new members bound to join in the fall, our theme is focusing on prison reform. We plan on
connecting with Justice 360 and experts at the University of South Carolina in our fight for
prison reform. We will also plan to connect with other organizations on campus to increase voter
registration before the November primaries.

We are determined to lead an organization that creates a betterment for the students at the
University of South Carolina as well at the citizens of South Carolina. We believe in being the
change you seek and in doing so, I plan to lead an agenda that can create generational impact.

Being a non-partisan organization, I look forward to bringing people of all backgrounds

and political ideologies together to fight for comprehensive reforms and human rights. With the
fall semester upon us my immediate goals for ACLU-COL are that of perseverance. I encourage
you to remember why you joined this organization in the first place. While this semester has a lot
planned, it will only succeed as much as we allow it to. With election nearing, I encourage you to
run for offices and help set the tone this upcoming year.

I am proud of the work we have already accomplished and excited to see all we can do
when we come together around a common goal. I look forward to meeting you all. Thank you.

Respectfully,

Jake Fortenberry
Chairman, ACLU-COL

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 The American Civil Liberties Union
College Chapter of Columbia, South Carolina

ACLU-COL Founder and President Kendrick J. Backmon’s Term in Review

August 22, 2018

ACLU-COL Founder and President Kendrick Backmon began serving the chapter in January
2018. Backmon worked with ACLU of South Carolina and ACLU-COL maintaining the link
between these two organizations. He recruited leaders to help build this chapter. Robert
Augustin, Bryce Wilson, Keeler Fina, Essence Byrd, Amanda Grondin, and Kinsey McGowan
served on the Founding Board. Their term concluded on May 15. President Backmon then
selected a Summer Executive Team to continue the work of the Founding Board. Jake
Fortenberry, Robert Augustin, and Dakota Knehans served on the Summer Executive Team.

Under the leadership of President Backmon, ACLU-COL selected prison reform as the focus for
the 2018-2019 academic year. ACLU-COL will lead a letter-writing campaign to encourage
elementary school students in underserved communities. President Backmon identified a
potential successor for the Fall 2018 semester and continues to work with him to advance the
goals for ACLU-COL. The election of the next president occurs in late August.

ACLU-COL President Kendrick J. Backmon’s Agenda Items Summary:

• Initiate the Planning Stages for a Co-Sponsored Event with the College Democrats,
Libertarians, and Republicans, Completed, May 2018
• Voter Registration Campaign, Completed, June 2018
• Hayes Mizell Historical Research Project, Completed, June 2018
• YouTube "Welcome to ACLU-COL" Project, Completed, June 2018
• Leadership Retreat, Summer Executive Team, Completed, June 2018
• Select a Theme for the Chapter—Prison Reform, Completed, June 2018
• Selected a Chairman to Oversee ACLU-COL During Summer 2018, Completed,
June 2018
• Voter Protection Campaign, Completed, July 2018
• Law School Transition, Completed, August 2018
• Connect ACLU-COL with Community Organizations, Completed, August 2018
• Letter-Writing Campaign—encouraging students along the I-95 Corridor, In
Progress through December 2018.
Prison Reform YouTube Awareness Campaign, In Progress through December 2018

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 The American Civil Liberties Union
College Chapter of Columbia, South Carolina

2018-2019 Executive Board

Elections Occur in September
President
Chapter Chairman
Law Cohort Chairman
Chapter Vice-Chairman
Chief Law School Fellow
Director of Lobbying
Director of Recruitment and Outreach
Treasurer

The Summer Executive Team

President Kendrick Backmon
Chairman Jake Fortenberry
Chief Strategist and Vice-Chairman Robert Augustin
Chief Law School Fellow Dakota Knehans
Director of Lobbying Keeler Fina

The Founding Board

President Kendrick Backmon
Chairman Bryce Wilson
Chairwoman Amanda Grondin
Chief Law School Fellow Robert Augustin
Director of Lobbying Keeler Fina
Director of Recruitment and Outreach Serra Yigit
Treasurer Essence Byrd