Youth Voices from The Freedom Fast: Payton Geraci
Peyton Geraci is a Maryland resident and psychology and business student at Saint Mary's College of Maryland who believes, firmly and without hesitation, that a better world is possible — if you are willing to create it. For Peyton, the Declaration of Independence is not a relic of history. It is a living challenge.
To Peyton, the words "all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" set a precedent that is both powerful and unfinished. At its core, the statement means that no person needs further justification to pursue the life they desire. Equality is the foundation. But Peyton is equally clear-eyed about the contradiction: America has never fully lived up to that promise, and acknowledging that tension is part of taking the words seriously.
That conviction has translated into action — and sacrifice. Peyton and fellow members of the Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter at Saint Mary's have faced administrative scrutiny, student conduct hearings, and public criticism for their efforts to keep ICE and Border Patrol off campus. They persisted anyway. Through petitions, speak-outs, boycotts, and steadfast organizing, the chapter successfully removed Border Patrol and other groups from their career fair and prompted the college to rewrite its student protection policies to better safeguard undocumented students.
The work, Peyton says, is exhausting. It is also the most rewarding thing imaginable.
The Freedom Fast draws on this same spirit — the understanding that acknowledging privilege is not enough. It must be acted on. Real, sustainable change requires showing up, even when it is costly, even when it is inconvenient, even when the institution pushes back.
Peyton's hope for America is straightforward: that the country learns to move forward not out of fear, but out of the justice and equality it has always promised. And Peyton's encouragement to young people is just as clear — your inexperience is not a disqualifier. Your convictions matter. Express them. Defend them. The next generation inherits what this one is willing to build.
