A sea of Miles College students, dressed in suits and dresses, streamed out of the auditorium, buzzing.

Monday, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black party leader in Congress, asked Miles students what changes they would like to see in the country, from Black history to student debt relief to environmental equity.

“Alabama’s HBCUs have played such a pivotal role in shaping our nation’s history and educating the next generation of Black leaders and scholars. It was right here in Fairfield, Alabama that students at Miles College organized and led critical protests during the Civil Rights Movement and demanded fair treatment of Black people,” Sewell said.

Jeffries said he has witnessed “chaos, dysfunction and extremism” as a Congress member. He said he is hopeful the students at Miles College will vote to change that.

Alabama has several state and national offices up for grabs this fall. Twenty-one people have filed to run for the state’s recently redrawn 2nd Congressional District. Sewell is running for reelection in the 7th Congressional District against one Democratic candidate and two Republican candidates.

“They understand that old battles have indeed become new again,” Sewell said. “We see the attacks on voting rights, on teaching Black history, on empowering our communities.”

Sewell is working to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to modernize American voting rights and create stricter regulations for states that have multiple voting rights violations.

“We are watching how issues like environmental injustice and unaffordable housing disproportionately impact low income and underserved communities,” Sewell said.

Sewell said she stressed the importance of voting and the students’ ability to make history during the discussion with students, which was closed to media. Students expressed their desire for better local and national career opportunities, student debt cancellation and solutions to environmental injustice.

“These wonderful students who had the opportunity to engage with us in a back and forth discussion, enlightened Terri Sewell and myself. Hopefully it provided some encouragement to them that we do view young people as the future,” Jeffries said.

“After today’s fireside chat, the students here at Miles College are excited and prepared to carry on that torch,” Sewell said.