>> AS PARTISAN POLITICS
CONTINUES APACE AMONGST ELECTED
OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON, A
RECENT NATIONAL SURVEY SHOWS
THAT YOUNG PEOPLE'S ENGAGEMENT
IN THE 2020 ELECTIONS IS HIGHER
THAN IN 2016 OR 2018.
THE PANDEMIC IS CREDITED IN PART
WITH THIS GROWTH IN INTEREST AND
INVOLVEMENT, HAVING SHEN SHOWN THEM
HOW POLITICS IMPACTS THEIR
EVERYDAY LIFE.
FOR YOUTH OF COLOR, RACIAL
INJUSTICE AND BLACK LIVES MATTER
MOVEMENT HAS MADE THE STAKES
HIGHER.
#83% OF YOUNG PEOPLE SAID THEY
BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE POWER TO
CHANGE THE COUNTRY.
MARISA WOJCIK SPOKE WITH LEADERS
IN MILWAUKEE WHO ARE SEIZING
THIS MOMENT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
>> BLACK LIVES MATTER!
>> 2020 HAS UP-ENDED MOST
PEOPLE'S LIVES.
BUT FOR SOME, THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC, THE BLACK LIVES MATTER
MOVEMENT AND A PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION MEANS THAT THIS IS A
MOMENT TO BE SEIZED.
>> BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT,
EVEN THE CORONAVIRUS IN GENERAL,
IT'S JUST OPENING PEOPLE'S EYES
TO A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE
GOING ON IN THE WORLD THAT THEY
DIDN'T CARE ABOUT OR THEY DIDN'T
THINK IMPACTED THEM.
>> HAD OUR COUNTRY EXPOSED TO
THE POINT WHERE PEOPLE SEE THE
COUNTRY IN FLAMES TO ACTUALLY
SEE SOMETHING IS WRONG.
>> THESE ISSUES CAN'T BE
SEPARATED.
YOUTH OF COLOR WERE HIT HARDEST
BY THE PANDEMIC.
>> I THINK IT'S PUTTING THE
URGENCY THAT YOUNG PEOPLE AND
PEOPLE OF COLOR AND OTHER MA GIN MA GIN
MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES HAVE
SEEN FOR YEARS.
CHANGE IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR
DEATH.
>> EVERY DAY YOU'RE STANDING
HERE TO GET OVER THE AGE OF 25
AND TO BE A BLACK MALE IS
SOMETHING THAT'S TO BE
ACCOMPLISHED AND IT SHOULDN'T
BE.
>> MY REASONS FOR BEING OUT HERE
IS BECAUSE I'D RATHER BE HUMAN
TO NOT BE HUMAN.
I'D RATHER LIVE THAN NOT LIVE.
>> A RECENT TUFTS UNIVERSITY
SURVEY SAYS THAT 83% OF YOUTH
BELIEVE THEY HAVE THE POWER TO
CHANGE THE COUNTRY.
IN THE STREETS, AND AT THE
BALLOT BOX.
>> A MAJORITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE
SAY THEY FEEL THEY'RE A PART OF
THE MOVEMENT THAT WILL VOTE TO
EXPRESS ITS VIEWS.
IT ISN'T AN EITHER/OR.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT WAYS PEOPLE
CAN BE ENGAGED.
>> I HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE
TELLING ME I DON'T WANT TO VOTE.
IT'S POINTLESS.
IT DON'T MATTER.
AND IT'S JUST LIKE IT DO MATTER.
LIKE WE'RE TRYING TO SEE CHANGE.
>> BECAUSE OTHERWISE PEOPLE IN
OFFICE, WHETHER YOU THINK IT
AFFECTS YOU OR NOT, ARE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO CONTROL YOUR LIFE IN
SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
>> WE'RE SEEING ABOUT HALF OF
YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE TO CONVINCE
THE OTHER HALF TO VOTE.
>> YOUTH ARE TURNING OUT.
I CAN TELL FROM NUMEROUS PEOPLE
THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH, SOME
PEOPLE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE NEVER
THOUGHT WOULD BE INTO THIS TYPE
OF STUFF IS DOING THIS TYPE OF
STUFF, HELPING ME OUT.
SO SEEING THAT FIRSTHAND IS A
CHANGE.
I CAN SEE A CHANGE COMING.
>> THIS IS IMPORTANT TO ME
BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S
OLD AND SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN
FIGURED OUT A LONG TIME AGO.
BUT RACISM IS STILL ALIVE.
>> I FEEL LIKE IT'S ALREADY BEEN
BROUGHT UP IN ANOTHER SHAPE OR
FORM.
IT'S LIKE THE NEW JORDANS THAT
COME OUT, THEY CAME OUT YEARS
AGO.
MY MOM WAS A CHILD.
NOW THEY'RE COMING OUT NOW AND A
DIFFERENT COLOR.
THAT'S HOW I SEE ISSUES IN
AMERICA.
>> IT DOES GO BACK FOR
GENERATIONS.
MY GRANDMA WAS ALIVE WHEN THE
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT WAS GOING
ON AND MY MOM WAS BORN IN 1968.
THAT WAS AT THE HEIGHT OF THE
MOVEMENT.
IT IS KIND OF SAD TO SEE WE'RE
STILL FIGHTING FOR THE SAME
INJUSTICES THAT WE WERE FIGHTING
FOR 60 YEARS AGO.
>> YOUNG PEOPLE ARE REALLY
DIVERSE AND IN THE ISSUES THAT THEY
CARE ABOUT AND THOSE ISSUES ARE
NOT ONES THAT ARE BEING RESOLVED
RIGHT THIS INSTANT.
SO THE ISSUES THAT WE SAW
MENTIONED WERE THE ENVIRONMENT
AND CLIMATE CHANGE, RACISM AND
ACCESSIBILITY AND AFFORDABILITY
OF HEALTH CARE.
THESE ARE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN
SALIENT FOR A WHILE IN AMERICA
AND CONTINUE TO BE SALIENT AND
SO THAT'S WHY I KIND OF SEE THIS
INCREASE IN THIS ACTIVISM AND
ENGAGEMENT CONTINUING.
>> I FEEL LIKE IF I WAS AT HOME
NOT DOING ANYTHING, I JUST
WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LOOK MYSELF
IN THE MIRROR.
>> WHEN YOU ASK ME WHAT I WANT
TO CHANGE, I WANT TO CHANGE
EVERYTHING.
I WANT TO ERASE ALL SYSTEMATIC
DISCREPANCIES PUT IN PLACE THAT
OPPRESS PEOPLE AND HOLD PEOPLE
DOWN.
I WANT EQUALITY IN THE EDUCATION
SYSTEM, IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM,
BECAUSE AS MUCH AS PEOPLE DENY
IT AND SAY STUFF ISN'T REAL,
IT'S AS APPARENT AS EVER TO US.
ESPECIALLY US BEING, YOU KNOW,
STUDENTS IN OUR INNER CITY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE CAN SEE LIKE CLEARLY SEE THE
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN WHAT
RESOURCES WE HAVE PUT INTO OUR
SCHOOLS AND WHAT OUR WHITE
COUNTERPARTS IN THE SUBURBS HAVE
PUT INTO THEIR SCHOOLS.
>> THERE'S NOT A LOT OF
OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
I DON'T HEAR KIDS, FIVE, SIX,
SEVEN TALKING ABOUT I WANT TO BE
AN ASTRONAUT OR DO THIS WITH MY
LIFE.
NO.
YOU HEAR TWO THINGS.
RAP OR PLAY BASKETBALL.
>> SO WE WANT TO SEE MORE
EQUALITY, MORE OPPORTUNITIES
PRESENTED TO US, BECAUSE WE'RE
WORTH IT.
>> EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND
THAT BLACK LIVES MATTER IS JUST
SO WE CAN GET THE RESPECT AND
THE DIGNITY THAT WE SO DESERVE.
LIKE BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK PEOPLE
ARE FIGHTING FOR SOMETHING THAT
WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR FOR
YEARS AND IT'S LIKE IT'S
CONSTANTLY OVERLOOKED.
>> THIS YEAR, DEFINITELY A MAKE
OR BREAK YEAR.
WE NEED EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY TO
VOTE.
>> THAT'S WHY I'M HERE.
I WANT TO BRING THAT SAME ENERGY
SO WE CAN GET TOGETHER SO WE CAN
MAKE A CHANGE.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M HERE FOR,
LIKE TO BRING THAT SAME ENERGY
SO THEY FEEL LIKE THEY MAKING A
CHANGE IF THEY VOTE.
MAKE SURE YOU GOT THAT SAME
ENERGY IN YOURSELF AND IN YOUR
CITY.
>> YOU CAN DEFINITELY SEE THE
AUTHENTICITY AND THE COURAGE AND
THE STRATEGY AND THE WHEREWITHAL
THAT BLACK AND BROWN YOUTH HAVE
HERE.
>> SO LET US TELL OUR STORY AND
LEAD THE MOVEMENT.
ALL WE'RE ASKING IS THAT YOU
LISTEN.
>> YOUR VOICE MATTERS AND WE ALL
NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE OUR
SEAT AT THE TABLE.
WHETHER IT'S SMALL OR BIG, GET
YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE.
GET THERE, STAY THERE.
>> FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M
MARISA WOJCIK IN MILWAUKEE.