Why Should Young People Even Be Interested in Politics?

By Nikki Crishen Evans

It is crucial for young people to be involved in politics, primarily local politics, because the people who are showing up have different morals and priorities than we do. We can count on the older, white, home owning, college educated population to show up and vote, but their morals are not always aligned with the social obligation to give a little to contribute to the benefit of society as a whole. 

There are a lot of jokes made by older generations that Gen Z is the “woke” generation, but if that's what we are for wanting equitable opportunities for the masses, then so be it. Gen Z is strong and we do not take prejudice against marginalized communities passively, *ahem* like some other generations *ahem*. It is important that we use our passion for justice and fairness and aim that energy towards impactful means such as political fluency and participation. There are things enacted by law that we will see the direct results of, especially in local politics. We are valid in our acts of protest and our anger is surely justified- these attitudes, matched with political understanding and action, will send a message that our generation is a force to be reckoned with. 

I’m not saying that voting is going to fix all of the problems, since, let's be real, all that is due to the systemic faults created by capitalism. What I am saying is that joining grassroots political organizations like Evolve CA, or consuming local  independent media uninfluenced by billionaire investments, or even just researching how local government works will surely show those in charge that we are paying attention and that we hold them accountable.