This month our youth organizing work leveled up as we hired three high school students to talk with millennial voters of color about the importance of the June Primary. Led by our Youth Organizing Fellow – Dominique Gipson, these students are calling and texting about 650 Black and Latinx voters in Oakland with an anti-fear message of equal rights for everyone regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religion or citizenship – and a request for people to pledge to vote June 5.

“It’s a good way to get involved in the voting process to build up electoral power,” reflects Alfredo, one of our high school team members.

This program is part of our ongoing partnership with YVote, a network of organizations reaching out to young people of color to spark change through electoral organizing. Over the winter, Dominique and our Youth Organizer – Laneisha Butler registered 150 young voters of color while holding educational workshops in juvenile hall, talking to students on high school and community college campuses, and attending youth events.

Closer to the election, our youth outreach team will be on Oakland campuses to get out the vote to students.