LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday signed a proclamation backing Turning Point USA’s “Club America” effort and urging high schools and colleges in the state to allow students to form chapters.
Sanders, a Republican, made the announcement alongside Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk at an event at the governor’s mansion that included students and lawmakers.
In remarks at the event, Sanders described the proclamation as a formal endorsement of Club America and Turning Point USA chapters in Arkansas and said her administration would support students’ right to engage in civic discussion and express political and religious views at school.
It’s the exact type of civic engagement that we want to see at schools across our state. It’s never too early to learn the values of Faith and Freedom that power our country, and I believe that these clubs are the perfect way for our young people to get involved in the civic process early
Kirk told students in the audience that they were central to the organization’s mission and encouraged them to stay involved even if they encounter pushback for their beliefs, framing the effort as larger than electoral politics.
“Don’t let anyone disenfranchise you because you’re a young man, especially a young white male man, don’t ever let anyone talk down to you. We need strong men out there, strong men who are convicted that will be good leaders, good husbands, good fathers like mine. We need that.” says Kirk. “And young women, we need you to also rise up. Don’t compromise yourself. Don’t look at other women and compare yourself.”
Turning Point USA field officer Andrew Seifer said the group is working toward a goal of chapters in every high school and argued that the Arkansas partnership would help accelerate that growth.
A student from Fayetteville High School, Lucas Klaus, said he started a Club America chapter to create a space for students to debate issues and discuss civics. Klaus said the club faced additional approval requirements and opposition from some students and teachers, including torn-down posters and disrupted meetings, and he said police were brought in at one point because of safety concerns.
Club America is a Turning Point USA program aimed at organizing high school students around what it describes as constitutional rights and “American exceptionalism,” and it says chapter leaders are encouraged to engage peers and promote civic participation, including voter registration.
The announcement drew criticism from Democrats. The Young Democrats of Arkansas scheduled their own news conference ahead of the event, accusing Sanders of using state power to steer students into “indoctrination clubs” and promoting an alternative avenue for youth civic engagement.
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