Can Everyone Be Reached?

I get a personal joy from registering young people to vote for the first time. I am always excited when I come across 17 year-old young people and I get to let them know that they can vote as soon as they turn 18.  Since President Barack Obama has been elected, it seems as if the consensus among young people has changed from apathy to excitement.  This leads me to believe that the political and social change we envision is happening with the young people. Yesterday, I realized that half the people that I spoke with and registered were under the age of 20.  In several years, these young people will be the policy-makers, legislators, and law enforcers.  On the other hand, those who choose not to engage will be the victims of the process. My job is to remind them that even being a victim is a choice.

I realized then that the political process can start with voter registration and dialogue about the political process.  From the conversations that I have had with various young people, I have realized that they are not regularly in practice of speaking about the political process or what is encompassed in the realm of politics.  Based upon my conversations with young people during the voter registration campaign, I realized that young people are not being engaged on their level by policy makers or adults who understand the process. They are, however, being engaged by music videos and popular culture. I am curious about how to blend the two because the ones who resist engagement are the ones who embrace the false reality created by pop culture and mainstream media. My question is this: how do we as community organizers engage the young people who are in opposition to the very process that determines the projected quality of life for us all?

Posted by:

Kwesi Low