DISCOURSE
about reaching out. … You have to say,
“It’s a voting year. Let’s go get them
and bring them in and talk to them
and get them excited.” … We mainly
focus on statewide legislature, the
statewide bills and some more local
stuff. We know that based on extensive
research, when youth are taught
about voting prior to the age of 18,
they’re 40 percent more likely to vote
once they’re eligible. This data also
provides implications that their civic
participation could remain somewhat
consistent as they go through life.
What other barriers exist for young
people who want to become more
engaged in democracy?
Overall, as a culture and as a society,
we just always tend to look at
youth more as a problem instead of
a resource. We kind of see (them as)
they’re always bending the rules or, you
know, skateboarding where they’re not
supposed to be or … (we look) down on
them. It’s like, “Oh, they have so much
to learn.” And they do. … But it’s about
listening to their stories, because they
are the ones who are hit most by the
decisions that we make as decisionmakers,
adults, policymakers, parents.
They’re the ones that feel those consequences
(and) are most vulnerable to
those decisions. So why not reach out
(and say), “I need you. You are valuable.
Your opinion matters.” Hear their
stories, and then that way, when we’re
hearing directly from those impacted
community members, we’re better able
to find better solutions.
Is there anything else you would like
to add about the work you do?
Over my (eight years with the organization,
what) I keep hearing from
(youth) … is they’re concerned about
their homeless friends. … When you’re
walking around downtown (Sacramento)
or wherever you may be, you
see (homelessness) everywhere. But
you usually see adults; you don’t really
think of kids walking around homeless.
But there are so many. So they
brought that to my attention. Homelessness
is something that’s very close
to my heart in general.
The other thing is just their state of
mental health at this time. Especially
(now, as) the pandemic has made all
of that even worse and exacerbated
those problems. I know that homelessness
and mental health are also tied
together in a number of ways. So I just
worry about this generation. … There’s
a lack of jobs, and the state of the world
is a little chaotic, and so that really can
weigh on a young person’s mind. So
that concerns me, and I’m hoping to
shift our attention a little more in the
coming years toward those two issues.
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28 comstocksmag.com | July 2020
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