1 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: Good morning, Keeps, and welcome to bige up daily with 2 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: Meet Your Girl. Danielle Moody, recording from the Home Bunker. 3 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: I can't express the grief, anger, rage, frustration I have felt, 4 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:39,480 Speaker 1: as many people with hearts and minds have felt at 5 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:51,479 Speaker 1: the horrific beating of Tyree Nichols. I told you and 6 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: many many others that you did not need to watch 7 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: the video in order to feel like you are connected 8 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: to two and want justice, because you see, we are 9 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: filled with a lot of trauma. Our bodies are holding 10 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: traumatic tissue, right And I saw a post the other 11 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: day that said that ourselves actually are hold like nine 12 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: generations of trauma, which seems absolutely insane. But then at 13 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,560 Speaker 1: the same time you're like, oh, this makes sense. So 14 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: when people say things like, oh, you know, these are 15 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: just a couple of bad people or a couple of 16 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:44,959 Speaker 1: bad cops, and it's not all cops and baul blah, 17 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: and I'm saying, it's an entire fucking system that my 18 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: ancestors have been fighting for and against for hundreds of years. 19 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: Like that's the reason why I can't watch these videos 20 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: that I can't watch for entertainment films like twelve years 21 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: a slave or you know biopics that are steeped in 22 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 1: this country's violent history, because I feel it physically manifest 23 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:21,079 Speaker 1: in my body, and in order for me to continue 24 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: to do the work that I do, I need to 25 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: have some boundaries in my self care and self preservation 26 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: because you see, they are trying to kill us, and 27 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: they are succeeding. Whether it is through heart disease, heart attack, 28 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: whether it is through drug overdose suicide, whether it is 29 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:51,920 Speaker 1: through shootings, mass shootings, or police shootings or police beatings 30 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:57,359 Speaker 1: or suffocations. They are trying to kill us. White supremacy 31 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: is working over time. And what I find, folks, is 32 00:03:04,760 --> 00:03:09,359 Speaker 1: that if we don't set some type of boundaries, if 33 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:16,119 Speaker 1: we don't find a way to delve into what our 34 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: purpose and path is in creating some type of change, 35 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: in feeling like our time spent here is about doing 36 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: more than what is for our own fucking comfort. I 37 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: have white folks that listen to this show that DM 38 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: me often send me tweets messages showing their outrage and 39 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: disgust and saying, what can I do? I want to 40 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: do something and we all I can tell every single 41 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: white person that listens to me on a regular basis 42 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: is you need to talk to your white family members, 43 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: your white friends, your white colleagues, because they don't listen 44 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: to us. It is like sending out a fucking dog 45 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: whistle and if falling on non listening ears, they don't 46 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: listen to us, but they may listen to you. And 47 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: what I am looking for is not white people that 48 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,040 Speaker 1: want to be patted on the back for doing the 49 00:04:28,120 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: right fucking thing. I want white people who have black mindsets, 50 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 1: mindsets that are steeped in justice and equity, right and 51 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: challenging a system that you know was made for your comfort. 52 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: But you are choosing choosing to use that privilege in 53 00:04:47,440 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: that voice to wake up your fucking neighbors, your friends, 54 00:04:52,839 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: your family because you see, what I have real lies 55 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: is that it is going to take a majority of 56 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:19,359 Speaker 1: white Americans to choose consciousness, to choose discomfort, to choose 57 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 1: the knowing rather than the ignorance. And right now we 58 00:05:24,880 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: are at a slippery motherfucking slope where you have the 59 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: descentenses of the world, and the McCarthy's of the world, 60 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: and the mcconnells of the world, and the Abbots of 61 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: the world, and the Trumps of the world, and the 62 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,600 Speaker 1: Bannons of the world and the Giuliani's of the world 63 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:47,040 Speaker 1: that are working fucking overtime to keep you disinformed and 64 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: full of fucking white rage. And what I am begging 65 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: for is that white people don't fall for the rope 66 00:05:55,360 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: of dope that we are not going to get through 67 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: this life right this authoritarianism, this fascism that is raining 68 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: down supreme one state after the other, fucking North Dakota. 69 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: It's threatening to jail librarians, google it. Where the fuck 70 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:27,040 Speaker 1: do you think that this is headed. Queer people, black people, 71 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: and people of color are low hanging fruit for fascism. 72 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: You're next. Because if you don't look like them, if 73 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: you don't think like them, if you don't pray like them, 74 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,640 Speaker 1: if you don't love like them, if you don't talk 75 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: and walk like them, if you don't hate like them, 76 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: they are coming for you. So if we don't spend 77 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 1: our time in whatever time this God and this universe 78 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: is providing for us right now, to figure out how 79 00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 1: to activate those around us, then we are wasting time 80 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: and we are wasting breath, and frankly, we don't have 81 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: time to waste. Coming up next is my conversation with 82 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: Christina Sinsoon Ramirez, who is the president of next Gen, 83 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: the nation's largest youth voting organization that got a lot 84 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: of young people to the polls, which is why our 85 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: midterm elections, on top of black people sharing up in 86 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: mass why Kevin McCarthy's majority is so fucking slim. So 87 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: we get into a conversation about the youth vote, about 88 00:07:48,000 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: what is turning the youth on, what are they connecting 89 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: to and disconnecting from, and how to keep these folks 90 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: engaged because there are some of the last hopes that 91 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: we have. So coming up next my conversation with Christina 92 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:11,960 Speaker 1: Sinson Ramirez, folks, I am very excited to welcome to 93 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: Woke f Daily for the first time. Christina Sinson Ramirez, 94 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 1: who is the president and executive director of next Gen America, 95 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: one of the nation's largest youth voter mobilization efforts and organizations. Christina, 96 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: you know we are in the beginning of twenty twenty 97 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: three and twenty twenty two. The twenty twenty two I 98 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: talk about it as if it is its own title, 99 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:43,439 Speaker 1: because it caused so much issues in friction and anxiety 100 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: because of the midterm elections. The midterm elections boasted the 101 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: highest youth voter turnout that we've ever seen. Right, it 102 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 1: was historic in a lot of ways. And there's a 103 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: lot of speculation that folks have had as to why 104 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: I believe that youth are always attacked prior to any election, 105 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: that they're never going to turn out, that they're not reliable. 106 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: It's a lot of negativity. And so I want to 107 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: before we dive into where we are right now, I 108 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: want to give you an opportunity to reflect on where 109 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 1: we have come from from the twenty twenty two midterm elections. Well, 110 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: you know, you just had so many important things right 111 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: there about like the myths about young people that this 112 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: election busted through, and also the last two elections. So 113 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 1: we've had historic high turnout in twenty eighteen, twenty twenty, 114 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:40,760 Speaker 1: the highest youth voter turnout in American history twenty twenty two, 115 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: and everyone said Democrats were going to lose, and they 116 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:45,839 Speaker 1: were going to lose terribly, and then they held the Senate. 117 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: They flipped a Senate seat and Republicans won by a 118 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: time emergin the House and you can see the ship 119 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,160 Speaker 1: show that it is now because they don't have the 120 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 1: full numbers to actually govern even even with holding the majority, 121 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: because their party is a mess. And so young people 122 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: in large parts saved American democracy. And you know, the 123 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,199 Speaker 1: myth about young people is twofold. One is that young 124 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: people are apathetic, that they don't care. Well, this is 125 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: actually the most politically engaged generation in American history. And 126 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 1: the second thing is that as people get older, they're 127 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,600 Speaker 1: just going to get more progressive. And what we're seeing 128 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 1: with older millennials as they're aging out of like the 129 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 1: younger voter population, which I'm an older millennial, is that 130 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:32,000 Speaker 1: we are actually staying progressive. And there's still a lot 131 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: of research needs to be done on why. But you know, 132 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 1: and I think it's a huge part, is that we 133 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: are also the most young people represent the most diverse 134 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: generation in American history. And if you look at who 135 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,720 Speaker 1: the Republican Party is today, it doesn't look like most 136 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 1: of America and it doesn't represent the needs and especially 137 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 1: young people. They're either people of color or queer themselves, 138 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: or they have friends that are, and they look around 139 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 1: them they say, I don't want to be aligned with 140 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 1: a party that doesn't even give us space to fully 141 00:10:57,480 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: exist as full equal human beings in this country, and 142 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: so I think that that's also a huge part of 143 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,800 Speaker 1: why you're seeing young people stay progressive. And the last 144 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:07,559 Speaker 1: part just being that this is the first generation in 145 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: American history to be worse off than their parents economically, 146 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: and so young people also are trying to not just 147 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:16,240 Speaker 1: make change around the margins, They're really trying to make 148 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: a bold, progressive policy change. And that's why you see 149 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: so many young people turning out, is they understand that 150 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: they have power to make a real difference. You know, 151 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:29,400 Speaker 1: I want to dig into a couple of things that 152 00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: you said, but most notably the fact that this generation 153 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,600 Speaker 1: is going to be far worse off economically than their 154 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:43,200 Speaker 1: parents generation. I would also argue emotionally and spiritually because 155 00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: of the number of traumas that they are up against, right, 156 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: global health pandemic, you know, of impending recession, climate change crises. 157 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: But I want to talk to you about, you know, 158 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 1: what are some of the things that you hear from 159 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: young people with regard to not having had their parents 160 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:14,880 Speaker 1: generations and before them set them up for success. What 161 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: is the what is what is the feeling and the 162 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:21,479 Speaker 1: response to what we know is a fairly new statistic. 163 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 1: You know, I think that that's part of the reason 164 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: you have young people so wanting deep changes and deep 165 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,960 Speaker 1: structural change also in an economy and how the economy 166 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: works is this is a generation also that grew up 167 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: into in the wake of the two thousand and eight 168 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: financial crisis that saw occupy Wall Street. You had Bernie 169 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 1: Sanders run for president and aptly name greed by the 170 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: ultra ultra wealthy in this country as causing a growing 171 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:56,439 Speaker 1: gulf of inequality and tax policy, labor policy, wage disparities 172 00:12:56,480 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: all helping grow that divide. And so you know, you 173 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 1: have a huge flow of information for young people on 174 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: social media where they don't have to look at a 175 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 1: traditional outlets about how to develop their own ideas and 176 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: understanding of the world. This is a generation that is 177 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: most likely to live with their parents since the Great Depression, Yeah, 178 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: you know, least likely to own a home. And you have, Yes, 179 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: a lot of young people are our young families, but 180 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: you also have a lot of young people that are 181 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 1: saying I don't feel like I can ever have kids 182 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: because of the amount of debt I have, or because 183 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: I'm afraid of the future of the climate crisis and 184 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:35,559 Speaker 1: just the amount of economic and you know climate instability 185 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 1: that I feel in this moment, and so it's a 186 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 1: huge burden you said mentally, emotionally, and but I do 187 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,079 Speaker 1: think you know at next and we are an explicitly 188 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: progressive organization, but we don't put our hope in any 189 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: single one politician or party to solve these problems. We 190 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 1: put our hope in America's young people, because if we 191 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,960 Speaker 1: look at any time, our country has made a great 192 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: leap forward on an issue that people said was impossible 193 00:13:57,280 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: to solve or was just going to take longer. It 194 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 1: took the courage, imagination, and impatience of young people pushing 195 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 1: to make that change. You know, I just I oftentimes 196 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: say that I feel really bad for today's youth. I 197 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 1: feel like the prior generation and generations have failed them. 198 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: And it is largely Bernie Sanders was completely right. It 199 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: is largely due to greed. It is largely due to 200 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: this idea that we are not We're an abundant nation 201 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 1: for some right and then for everyone else. You're left 202 00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: to fight for the scraps that are left behind. And 203 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:40,960 Speaker 1: that is what we've left our young people when we've 204 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: given them, We've told them all you need to go 205 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: to college. Right, if you want to make it in America, 206 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 1: you need to go to college and be competitive and 207 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:52,160 Speaker 1: then put yourself in six figures worth of debt. So 208 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,440 Speaker 1: then when you get out of college, you have to 209 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: take the first job that comes your way. That may 210 00:14:56,880 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: not even be a good one because you've got to 211 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: start paying back those student laws. Because the likelihood that 212 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: you're going to pay them back, you know, before you 213 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: turn fifty is real slim, right, um, and again depending 214 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,040 Speaker 1: on what kind of feel that you go into. So 215 00:15:12,000 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: I want to switch gears to what it was And 216 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: I know we've touched upon this, but what it was 217 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:23,000 Speaker 1: that you think really got young people to the polls 218 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: in twenty twenty two, because you know, we know that 219 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:31,200 Speaker 1: mid term elections are historically low voter turnout. It is 220 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: really the I would say that the fifty to sixty 221 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: five year olds that are more likely to turn out, 222 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 1: and that is the generation that is still quite conservative 223 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: in their thinking and you know, our heart are more 224 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 1: likely to attach themselves to the Oh, America was once great, 225 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 1: So we we're with the make America great again trumpism crowd. 226 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,640 Speaker 1: What compelled these this this crop of young people to 227 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 1: recognize the importance of this midterm. You know, we saw 228 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: we were expecting high youth voter turnout and then I 229 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: think what really solidified for a lot of young people 230 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: who had turned out again and historic numbers in twenty 231 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: eighteen and twenty twenty, but they caught Republicans and I 232 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: think everyone by surprise. This election was just the historic 233 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,440 Speaker 1: numbers by which young people out and young people turned out, 234 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: and how many voted for Democrats. And you can really 235 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 1: look at it as this was an election in a 236 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 1: referendum on protecting the rights of abortion and an entire 237 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: generation of young people that had grown up with the 238 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: right to decide what happened with their own bodies and 239 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: their own futures, their own health and that was taken away. 240 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: So our polling showed that two thirds of young voters 241 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 1: said they felt like abortion was on the ballot and 242 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: it was motivating them to vote. You had historic numbers 243 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: of young women in particular registering to vote on their 244 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:54,360 Speaker 1: own in key states. In some states like Pennsylvania, you 245 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: saw women registering by a ten point margin difference of 246 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: but then men after the decision to overturn Row and 247 00:17:03,880 --> 00:17:07,400 Speaker 1: eighty one percent or sorry, seventy one percent of young 248 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 1: women that turned out to vote this election voted for 249 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: Democrats and fifty three percent of young men, so we 250 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:17,880 Speaker 1: saw a huge gender gap. Still, the majority of young people, 251 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:21,400 Speaker 1: overwhelmingly by a twenty eight point margin, voted for Democrats 252 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: this election. That's exit. Pulling from circle are good friends 253 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:29,720 Speaker 1: at Touch University, but taking away a fundamental right of 254 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: an entire generation helped young people get motivated and also 255 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:38,240 Speaker 1: understand that again fascism was on the ballot. Yeah, yeah, 256 00:17:38,280 --> 00:17:40,919 Speaker 1: you know, and it's and it's hard I think for 257 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:44,440 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know, Actually I don't know. Why 258 00:17:44,440 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: do you think that it's harder, seemingly harder for older 259 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: people to wrap their minds around fascism, and yet the 260 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: younger generation seems to have gotten it, like oh no, no, 261 00:17:56,720 --> 00:17:59,800 Speaker 1: And is it because they're fresh out of schooling so 262 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 1: they understand like the current issues and comparative government in 263 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,680 Speaker 1: a way that older people are so far departed from 264 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,800 Speaker 1: understanding comparative government in that way. I mean, I think 265 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:14,440 Speaker 1: there are a lot of older folks that are also 266 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:18,520 Speaker 1: concerned about the growth and fascism and authoritarianism. But when 267 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: we look at voting patterns and where people are voting. 268 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,359 Speaker 1: It's true that the oldest generations are still voting for 269 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: candidates and a party that it has really veered towards 270 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: fascism and authoritarianism and QAnon conspiracy theories and you name it. 271 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,440 Speaker 1: You know, you see that younger people are the targets 272 00:18:38,520 --> 00:18:43,399 Speaker 1: of what where authoritarian rule and fascist rule gets to 273 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: determine who gets to be fully American, whose rights get 274 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: to protect and be protected, well, immigrants, people of color, 275 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,800 Speaker 1: queer folks, trans folks, they become the target. And so 276 00:18:55,600 --> 00:19:00,080 Speaker 1: a lot of those folks are younger and or identify 277 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,199 Speaker 1: in that way that are younger. And so that's I 278 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:04,600 Speaker 1: think a huge reason why you see young people saying 279 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: no to a fascist's gime that has no place for 280 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 1: communities of color, for indigenous folks, for queer folks, and 281 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: it was even willing to go to the extreme of 282 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:21,120 Speaker 1: rolling back reproductive rights and healthcare on you know, any 283 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 1: childbearing age woman in this country. You know, it's just it, 284 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: it's so absolutely wild to think about how much America 285 00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:35,400 Speaker 1: has regressed. I mean, for the first time, I think 286 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: it was in twenty twenty one, was the first time 287 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: that America was labeled as a backsliding democracy right in 288 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:44,639 Speaker 1: the history of this country, and that that in it 289 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: of itself didn't set off more alarms, right and I 290 00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:51,160 Speaker 1: and I mean that in the way that if you're 291 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:55,760 Speaker 1: announcing that one of the stalwarts of democracy in the 292 00:19:55,800 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: world is now backsliding and trending in in the negative direction, 293 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: you would think that that would be on everybody's headline paper, 294 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,159 Speaker 1: right like it would it would be headline news. And 295 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: yet it's not so fast forward. You know, we have 296 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:16,440 Speaker 1: midterm elections. Thank god, young people showed out, Thank god 297 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 1: people of color showed out. Thank god Black people came 298 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: out and recognized that every election is the most consequential election, 299 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: given the lengths that the Republican Party is willing to 300 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: go to steal an election, to deny a free and 301 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: fair election. And so now we have arrived at a 302 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:43,119 Speaker 1: place where Kevin McCarthy is the Fisher Price Speaker of 303 00:20:43,160 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: the House basically justin name only, because he's given away 304 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: every bit of credibility and every bit of power to 305 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:56,320 Speaker 1: the far Speaker of the House. And you have Democrats 306 00:20:56,359 --> 00:21:01,000 Speaker 1: still have the Senate and the White House. What do 307 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:04,640 Speaker 1: young people what are as they are seeing this shit 308 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:10,200 Speaker 1: show unfold in the House of Representatives and this implosion 309 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: of the Republican Party, or should I say the revealing 310 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:18,000 Speaker 1: of who the Republican Party is? What do young people think? 311 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: Because in my mind I would say, well, god damn, 312 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 1: you know, if this is who we have in charge, 313 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: maybe I should just opt all the way out. Or 314 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,879 Speaker 1: is it working in the reverse where people young people 315 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:34,120 Speaker 1: are like, this is the ship show that we have. 316 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: I gotta opt all the way in. You know. I 317 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: think one, young people are overwhelmingly progressive, right, but they 318 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: are many don't identify as Democrats. They care about progressive policy, right, 319 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: And I think that we have quickly become a one 320 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: party that clearly believes in democracy and one that doesn't. 321 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:58,399 Speaker 1: And so you have one choice really at this point. 322 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: But I also think, you know, even in a moment 323 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,199 Speaker 1: like this where there is a lot of cynicism, what 324 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 1: I see is also a lot of hope from young people. 325 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:08,560 Speaker 1: And also you and I are like on the older side, right, 326 00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: like enough to remember the Democratic Party of the nineties 327 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: that was willing to sell out black women, that was 328 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:17,640 Speaker 1: willing to sell out immigrants, that was willing to sell 329 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: out the queer community, that was pretty similar on the 330 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: Republican Party, on foreign pacy, on this similar place on 331 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: the social safety net, and we've come a very long way. 332 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:29,199 Speaker 1: Like so I like to remind ourselves that we are 333 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: at a place where the Democratic Party has centered canceling 334 00:22:31,560 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 1: student debt, has centered tackling the climate crisis, has been 335 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:38,000 Speaker 1: willing to have hard conversations about race and policing in 336 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 1: this country there is a clear distinction, and also supports 337 00:22:42,480 --> 00:22:45,919 Speaker 1: gay marriage. Like young people organizing and communities of color 338 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 1: organizing have shifted the Democratic Party. So while we're in 339 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: a moment where there's fascist and authoritarian threats that are 340 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:56,920 Speaker 1: very real, there's also something happening in the Democratic Party 341 00:22:56,960 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: where the voices that were often pushed to the margins 342 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,919 Speaker 1: are being centered. And I think that that's an exciting 343 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: moment that young people also recognize as happening. And also, 344 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 1: you have very exciting, young, dynamic candidates running. Even while 345 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: the House isn't it feels like some peall, you have 346 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,919 Speaker 1: young candidates that are an elected office that are helping 347 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: frame for young people what's possible and make them feel 348 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: like their voices are now being heard in the halls 349 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:28,119 Speaker 1: of Washington. Christina talks to us to about how the 350 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: ever apparent climate crisis is shaping up the youth vote 351 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:41,400 Speaker 1: as well. In the past few years, every fire season, 352 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: every hurricane season, every tornado season has been quote unquote historic. Right. 353 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,640 Speaker 1: We had people over the holiday season frozen to death 354 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: in their cars because the temperatures dropped in such an 355 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: abrupt way in Buffalo, New York and it was more 356 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: like a snow hurricane than a snowstorm that hit that area. 357 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: We have seen billions of animals die in Australia due 358 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: to fire. How does climate change play with the young people? 359 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: And as we look at that and guns and abortion, 360 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:26,080 Speaker 1: police violence, how would you kind of rate you know, 361 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: these levels of importance for them? You know. So our 362 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 1: organization was started ten years ago with the intention of 363 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:36,119 Speaker 1: being able to build a political force that would be 364 00:24:36,760 --> 00:24:39,719 Speaker 1: would be able to push candidates to tackle the climate 365 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:43,360 Speaker 1: crisis to the scale needed. And we originally started organizing 366 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:45,200 Speaker 1: all people, but then we quickly realized like within the 367 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 1: first year, oh, most people that care about climate change 368 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 1: are the people that are going to have to face 369 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,959 Speaker 1: its greatest consequences, young people. We need to focus on 370 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,879 Speaker 1: organizing young people and building up their political power and 371 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 1: I'll tell you that ten years ago when we started 372 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: and I wasn't here, the other people will tell you 373 00:24:58,240 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: it's like everyone said it was a waste of money, 374 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:02,680 Speaker 1: that it was a waste of time, young people would 375 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,440 Speaker 1: never turn out. And it's ten years later and we've 376 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 1: had the highest youth voter turnout. We passed the Inflation 377 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 1: Reduction Act, which is the largest single climate bill that 378 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:16,679 Speaker 1: any country's class passed in the world to tackle the 379 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 1: climate crisis. And if all of it gets implemented, we'll 380 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: be able to cut carbon emissions by forty percent in 381 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:24,919 Speaker 1: a very short time period. And so young people the 382 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 1: crisis as in their top three issues, and most young 383 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,920 Speaker 1: people I talked to, you know, we're feeling. People are 384 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,719 Speaker 1: feeling the real consequences of the climate crisis. You know, 385 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:40,680 Speaker 1: I live in Texas where we had the historic Texas 386 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: freeze and our Texas singers past out blamed his five 387 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 1: year old daughters, you know, his little daughters on that trip, 388 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 1: and seven hundred people were estimated to have died died. 389 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:56,520 Speaker 1: And you know, if you total up the number of 390 00:25:56,560 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 1: people that are dying from these catastrophes in a year 391 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 1: or two years, it's more people than died in nine 392 00:26:02,880 --> 00:26:06,920 Speaker 1: to eleven. Right, so these are hand made tagities where 393 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,160 Speaker 1: thousands of Americans and we're just not I'm talking about 394 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: the globe, but there's thousands of Americans are paying with 395 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 1: their lives. And so you know, there is also the 396 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:16,480 Speaker 1: urgency and that's I think why you see young people voting, 397 00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:19,639 Speaker 1: Like there is a sense of urgency that maybe we 398 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: could come out of authoritarian rule, but you layer on 399 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: a climate catastrophe and if we don't take the action necessary, 400 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,119 Speaker 1: we have to face the long term actions. It's always 401 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,040 Speaker 1: bewildering to me on the climate crisis. And this is 402 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:33,199 Speaker 1: when we talk about greed in American politics and like 403 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,119 Speaker 1: who people really work for that it is so clear. 404 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:40,000 Speaker 1: I'm like they care so much about power and money 405 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,679 Speaker 1: that they don't even care about their legacy. Like we 406 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 1: will look back at this end action on the climate 407 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: crisis in the same way we do on the positions 408 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:51,440 Speaker 1: that policy and politicians made in their immorality on slavery, 409 00:26:51,480 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: Like there is no position where this is okay to 410 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 1: do this to an entire generation of future generations, Like 411 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:01,960 Speaker 1: do they not even give a damn about their grandchildren? Yeah? 412 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 1: You know, as we wrap up. Last question for you, Christina, 413 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: is this, what do you think the biggest myth is 414 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 1: about this generation of voters and what do people need 415 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: to truly know about them. I think what we talked 416 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 1: about at the beginning is that people think young people 417 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:27,199 Speaker 1: are apathetic. This really is not just the most politically 418 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: engaged generation of people voting, but this is a generation 419 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:32,639 Speaker 1: that is marching in the streets, that is volunteering, that 420 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:36,960 Speaker 1: is really trying to care about big, broad social justice 421 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 1: issues and take action on them, whether it's the climate crisis, 422 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:45,240 Speaker 1: abortion rights, or criminal justice reform. You see young people 423 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 1: taking action at unprecedented levels and a very rapid sharing 424 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: of ideas across social media about ways we can transform society. 425 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:57,800 Speaker 1: So it's while it's a hard time, it's also a 426 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:01,919 Speaker 1: time of rapid experimentation and exchange of ideas that I 427 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 1: think is really exciting, and so I feel like that 428 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: gives me a lot of hope, is to see so 429 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 1: many young people engaged and this is not just like 430 00:28:11,359 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 1: a side project to care about social justices, very much 431 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:16,879 Speaker 1: about how people see themselves and understand their place in 432 00:28:16,920 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 1: the world. Christina, it has been an absolute pleasure chatting 433 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 1: with you today, tell the listeners how they can get 434 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:30,080 Speaker 1: involved and find out more about next GYM. You can 435 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: go to next gen America dot org. One thing I 436 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 1: would say is, you know we run the largest YOUTHO 437 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 1: operation in the country. We were on two hundred and 438 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 1: forty five college campuses last election in eight states. Our 439 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: twenty eight thousand volunteers helped us send twenty five million 440 00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 1: texts and phone calls to young people. We also even 441 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: organize our volunteers organized on dating apps because you can 442 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: see it to buy age, political persuasion, geography, and we 443 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,600 Speaker 1: say there's nothing sex here than sliding into people's dms 444 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: and talking about the big deep moody. So I don't 445 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: do it because it's creepy, because enough over forty, but 446 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 1: like everyone, I should do it and join in. And 447 00:29:03,520 --> 00:29:07,240 Speaker 1: you can volunteer with us from anywhere you are. Let's 448 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 1: build a political force to transform our country together. Amazing. 449 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: Christina sen Soon Ramirez, thank you so much for making 450 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:17,120 Speaker 1: the time to join wokee F appreciate you. Thanks so much. 451 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,120 Speaker 1: That is it for me today. Dear friends on woke 452 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: F as always power to the people and to all 453 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 1: the people. Power, get woke and stay woke as fun,