Javion Shed is nervous about his first time as a moderator. The Murrah High School senior looks the part, dressed in a blue suit with a Murrah pin on his lapel. As he takes to the stage, 11 Jackson mayoral candidates look to him expectantly as they wait for the questions to begin.
On Thursday, teenagers from high schools across Jackson Public School District gathered in the Forest Hill Auditorium for the “Teens Take the Lead” Mayoral Candidate Forum. The forum was Shed’s idea, something born out of a desire to get his peers more civically engaged.
“We’re the age group that oftentimes, we don’t vote, or sometimes we say, ‘My one vote doesn’t matter, or I’m just the 1%,’ but it does matter,” Shed said. “Voting is an essential power that you have as an individual living right here in our capital city, and your vote can impact so much more than what you think.”
Shed coordinated with the school district to host the event, but much of the credit is due to his perseverance. He said he emailed, called and texted with most of the candidates…