Heidi Pendergast

April 2004

Voter registration coordinator, Rock the Vote (RTV)
Age: 23
Passionate about: Making equality a reality rather than just an idealistic dream.
Inspired by: Raymond Castellani, founder of the Frontline Foundation, which feeds the homeless people of Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles.
Making a difference by: Coordinating voter registration drives through Rock the Vote, the nonprofit organization that works to engage and empower young people in the political process.

Heidi Pendergast's friend, on his way out one night in 2001, was confronted by a group of young people whose shaved heads and reputations identified them as part of a group that liked to beat up people who were "different." On this night, they beat up Pendergast's friend, who happened to be Arab American.

At the hospital, seeing her friend suffer the pain of 15 broken facial bones, Pendergast thought about how many others had been victimized because of their appearance, national origin, or skin color. Pendergast thought deeper and examined her place in the world: What was she contributing? What was she doing to make things better?

About the same time, Rock the Vote (RTV) launched a national campaign encouraging youth and young adults to take a stand against all kinds of discrimination: on the basis of race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or whatever. Pendergast heard about "Fight for Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Discrimination" and signed up as an intern. A month later, she joined the RTV staff.

Today, Pendergast serves as RTV's voter registration coordinator, organizing campaigns to get young adults to register to vote in local and national elections. She moved to activism because she couldn't tolerate seeing discrimination and hate-related crimes, "and that people could actually get away with this." She explains her current involvement in political empowerment for young people this way: "Being silent, you might as well be a perpetrator."

"I realized that a large reason people commit these types of crimes is because of lack of understanding and education. They also use others as their scapegoats for problems in their own lives. If you actually interact with people of different races, religions, or sexual orientations, then you begin to view them as humans with many commonalities to yourself."

If you were not working with Rock the Vote, what would you be doing?
Pendergast: There are many causes I feel very passionate about, such as discrimination, funding for education, homelessness, and the environment, to name a few. I could very well be working for any of those causes and someday probably will. What I enjoy most about Rock the Vote is that it helps to educate people who aren't involved in politics on how to get involved. One person can change the world, but it's a lot easier when there are more people involved.

What is your ultimate career goal?
Pendergast: To be used to the best of my ability to help people and contribute back to my community. It's broad, but I am only 23.

What is your greatest accomplishment related to your work?
Pendergast: Luckily, I have been able to be part of an organization that helps get thousands of young people involved in politics. That could mean responding to an ad for volunteers, and all of a sudden it's three years later, and they are still with the organization. It's being a part of that—helping other young people become empowered—that I am most proud of.

How did you handle the hate crime against your Arab American friend?
Pendergast: When I first got back from visiting him, I remembered crying for several hours. I didn't understand how an individual could have so much hate to inflict that amount of pain on another individual. That process of trying to understand never really went away. I went through stages of sadness, anger, and confusion. What bothered me the most was that I knew my friend wasn't the only one who had gone through this type of incident: The history of our nation is littered with this type of behavior. It was a big wake-up call that there is still a lot of work to do.

After much deliberation, I realized that a large reason people commit these types of crimes is because of lack of understanding and education. They also use others as their scapegoats for problems in their own lives. If you actually interact with people of different races, religions, or sexual orientations, then you begin to view them as humans with many commonalities to yourself.