The Great Society Caucus
“None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody - a parent, a teacher, an Ivy League crony or a few nuns - bent down and helped us pick up our boots.”
Thurgood Marshall
Our Mission
We commit ourselves, in accordance with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s vision of the Great Society, to eliminate the unjust inequities of American life. Doing so means fighting tirelessly to provide each civil participant the equal opportunity to which their human dignity entitles them. Stated best by President Johnson, “the Great Society is not a safe harbor, a resting place, a final objective, a finished work. It is a challenge constantly renewed, beckoning us toward a destiny where the meaning of our lives matches the marvelous products of our labor.” A great society is within our grasp — one in which every individual is given a fair chance to flourish, regardless of social or legal standing.
Our Members
Great Society’s members hail not just from around the country, but from around the world. Their diverse life experiences inform their varied and nuanced political stances across the left side of the political spectrum. Debate is consistently rich and passionate, whether we’re discussing America’s role in the Middle East, the merits of a carbon tax, the wisdom of economic protectionism, or one of the myriad other timely and pressing subjects that affect our lives. As discussion regarding the future torchbearers for the Democratic Party and left causes becomes ever more pressing, it’s an important time as ever to both engage in civil discourse amongst ourselves and other left-adjacent clubs on campus, and collectively organize our voices towards a common goal—both missions of the Great Society Caucus at Cornell.
While emphasizing our insatiable commitment to our great society and the ever-growing activism and debate it requires, we don’t limit ourselves to discussions of weighty issues. To grow solidarity as a community, you must first become a community. So, we frequently gather for silly discussion topics, CTB trivia, home-cooked dinners, sunsets on the slope, movie nights—allowing our members to build some of their closest friendships through Great Society.
Though we foster engagement in the political realm, our members also engage in other student organizations across campus, including Cornell Policy Group; Undergraduate International Law Review; Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity; Cornell Daily Sun; Concrete Canoe; Habitat for Humanity; Albanians at Cornell; Cornell Filipino Student Association; Grub Ventures; Cornell International Affairs Society; Cornell Club Rowing; Cornell Club Baseball; Big Red Marching Band; Moot Court; and several Greek life chapters.