Here are just 5 examples of how putting communities first can make communities safer:

1. Hospital-based violence interruption programs (HVIPs) are programs that reach victims at their most vulnerable. HVIPs are located in trauma centers and emergency rooms to reach victims the moment they reach the hospital. Case managers engage survivors, while also working to prevent retaliation. (Learn More)

2. Group Violence Intervention involves collaboration between social service providers, community members, and law enforcement. These programs are intended to increase trust between law enforcement and the communities they police. (Learn More)

3. Violence Interrupters or Street Outreach programs are led by interventionists that live in the community. The programs focus on building relationships, supporting survivors of violence, and implementing restorative justice solutions to gun violence. These programs are immediate crisis responses and also long term support. (Learn More)

4. Cure Violence programs aim to change the norms about community violence and create pathways for young people involved in gun violence. This model trains community members to detect and interrupt violence, identify and treat individuals at the highest risk of violence, and mobilize the community to change norms. (Learn More)

5. Community-driven crime prevention through environmental design are programs where communities reduce crime and violence by using architecture and urban planning to create or restore public spaces where the community can gather and feel a sense of safety. Restoration of vacant lots and investing in a community"s physical environment has been proven to reduce crime and gun violence. When communities look safe, people feel safe. (Learn More)

CVI programs make sense. Slowly, our government has been recognizing this and providing resources and opportunities for the expansion of CVI programs; just this year the Build Back Better Act included a momentous $5 billion in funding for local initiatives to combat gun violence. By providing resources and training to the people that live in communities most impacted by violence, we are giving communities an opportunity to heal from the inside by establishing greater trust in their neighbors and changing community norms about violence. Tens of thousands of people are victims of gun violence each year in the U.S., and that violence is concentrated in underserved Black and Brown communities. Investing in proven community-based solutions is a no brainer.

The post Five Examples of Community Violence Intervention Programs That Work appeared first on Generation Progress.

As a current college student, I am acutely aware of the many costs associated with getting an education. One of the first things most students and their families consider when weighing their college options is price, including how much they"re being offered in financial aid and scholarships. I live in a single parent household, and am incredibly lucky that my mother has taken on extra jobs and summer work (like the superwoman she is) just so that she could afford to send me to the schools of my choice. 

Over the past few years though, the intensification of extreme weather has been a source of further financial stress for me and my family. We have had to sacrifice some of the money that was meant for my tuition to repair damages to my home caused by thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes. At times, I have lost power, lost connection to my classes, have not been able to turn in my assignments on time, have been unable to contact my professors, lost my ability to take my online exams–the list goes on. This has been especially challenging during COVID-19 pandemic, when my classes have shifted online, and my education now depends on reliable electricity and a safe home environment.

Determining effective solutions to large-scale problems like the climate crisis or college affordability and student debt requires understanding how different issues connect and overlap with one another. The issues facing our country don"t exist in siloes, and being impacted by one problem can lead to additional struggles with other–even seemingly unrelated–problems. It is important for policymakers to take an intersectional approach when creating policy because, oftentimes, it isn"t possible to solve one issue without addressing the implications of another. 

Climate change and student debt are two issues that are often not seen as related, but looking at the ways that these issues disproportionately impact the same people and communities can provide insight into the types of solutions that are needed to solve both of them. In order to achieve environmental justice, policymakers must consider that the communities most impacted by the climate crisis are often the same communities that disproportionately struggle with student debt. 

For example, climate change and student debt both disproportionately impact communities of color. When severe weather events occur, air pollution increases, or water is polluted, communities of color, under-resourced communities, and marginalized people are impacted the most. These same communities also are burdened with higher levels of student loan debt and more difficulties repaying that debt than their white counterparts. Black students are more likely to need to borrow, borrow more, and take longer to pay off their loans than white students. On average, Black college graduates owe an average of $25,000 more than their white peers. Four years after graduation, Black college graduates on average accumulate interest such that their balance owed increases by 12.5 percent, whereas white college graduates are likely to have already paid off some debt and have reduced their total balance owed during that same period of time. 

The increase of extreme weather events, such as dangerous heatwaves, freezing temperatures, flooding, and destructive storms, can all be directly linked to human-induced climate change–which means this problem is only getting worse. The average temperature in the United States has been continuously rising since 1901, with the last 30 years showing an increased rate of warming. Eight of the hottest years on record occurred within the last decade. 

The student debt crisis is likewise escalating. One in three young people have taken out loans to afford college, and students and their families collectively hold $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. These individuals and their families are attempting to do what is ultimately impossible for many, financing higher education while staying financially afloat through worsening floods, fires, and droughts. 

In order to end the cycle of climate change and the student debt crisis compounding to cause financial instability for generations of Americans, we need to demand that Congress pass economic recovery legislation with bold climate investments that prioritize the most impacted communities, cancels student debt, and makes college more affordable for students and their families. 

The same communities that have been deprived of the resources and infrastructure necessary to withstand the worst impacts of the climate crisis as a result of systemic racism are often also struggling to afford college for the same reason. President Biden"s Build Back Better agenda would give the country a better chance to build an economy that works for all, while investing in clean energy and infrastructure that protects our communities from pollution and worsening climate change. In addition to the Build Back Better agenda, the administration recently established the Justice 40 initiative, which ensures that 40 percent of all the federal government’s climate investments will go to disadvantaged and over-polluted communities. This initiative codifies environmental justice as a part of each federal agency"s mission.

To make good on President Biden"s commitments in the Build Back Better agenda and the Justice 40 initiative, Congress must fund federal programs that help disadvantaged families with the economic burdens of climate change-induced extreme weather. For example, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides money to families who need assistance with their energy bills, which can spike during periods of extreme heat or cold; and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) helps medium- and low-income households lower their energy bills by subsidizing energy efficiency technology for their homes. These programs can help people on the frontlines of climate change save money for other important life priorities, like education.

Multiple bills have been introduced in Congress with the aim of reducing or eliminating the cost of tuition and fees at public universities and community colleges, including the Debt-Free College Act, America"s College Promise, and the College for All Act. In addition, President Biden is still exploring his options for canceling some amount of student debt, a promise made during his campaign. 

Racial and economic injustice take many different forms in this country, and racist and unjust policies have resulted in people of color existing on the frontlines of both the climate and student debt crises. It is imperative that the government makes significant investments now to secure environmental and economic justice for all. Our futures, and our families" futures are at stake.

The post Canceling Student Debt Would Help Achieve Environmental Justice appeared first on Generation Progress.

Air pollution refers to the release of solid particles and gases, also known as particulate matter (PM), in the air that are harmful to human health when ingested. Air pollution can come from many sources, including car exhaust,  factory emissions, mold, dust, smoke, and agriculture. 

And it also doesn"t just affect the air outside – air pollution can also be found indoors, including from gas stoves, building materials, and cleaning products.

Fine particulate matter that is less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, known as PM2.5, is the most dangerous type of pollution found in the air, and is responsible for 85,000 to 200,000 deaths per year in the United States. When inhaled, PM exposure has been linked to heart attacks, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, increased respiratory problems (such as coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing), and premature death. 

The United States has a long history of building power plants, factories, refineries, and highways in communities of color, and when people in those communities fight against these developments, they are often ignored. This practice has its origins in redlining, which was the systemic discriminatory practice of denying certain financial services (such as home loans) to people based on their race. This practice resulted in the segregation of Black people into areas of high disinvestnent and continued discrimination, compared to their white counterparts.

Ultimately, these historic injustices have resulted in higher air pollution exposure for Black people and other people of color, baking in long-lasting health issues that their white peers do not face in the same numbers. One such example of this is Cancer Alley, an 85-mile stretch in Louisiana that is home to nearly 150 oil refineries, chemical plants, and other toxic polluting facilities. This area"s mostly Black residents are exposed to higher amounts of pollution as a result of these facilities, with about 50 different toxic chemicals present in their air. These facilities have polluted not only the air, but also the water, subjecting the area"s mostly Black residents to significantly higher rates of cancer and respiratory illness. A deep dive on the issue from Vox cites a finding from the National Black Environmental Justice Network that Black Americans living in 19 states are 79 percent more likely to live in areas exposed to industrial pollution than white people. The article also references research from the University of Minnesota that notes that, "Black people breathe 56 percent more pollution than they cause, whereas white people breathe 17 percent less pollution than they generate."

Environmental justice seeks to rectify these wrongs and ensure that Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other marginalized communities are not left out of the environmental movement and solutions to the climate crisis. Environmental justice is a concept and a movement borne out of the fact that for decades, communities of color have been systemically and disproportionately targeted by  environmental racism, disinvestment, and failing infrastructure. The White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, led by environmental justice advocates and academics, have defined EJ in a recent report as "the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, or ability, with respect to the development, implementation, enforcement, and evaluation of laws, regulations, programs, policies, practices, and activities, that affect human health and the environment." 

So, what can you do to put environmental justice into action? One way is to call on your elected leaders to invest in bold, just climate action that prioritizes these frontline communities in any recovery efforts and direct 40% of all climate investments to disadvantaged communities. Historic and systemic discrimination has led us to where we are today, and systemic solutions that prioritize the voices and concerns of frontline communities will help us achieve a just transition to a 100% clean energy future.

The post To End Environmental Racism, We Must Prioritize Frontline Communities appeared first on Generation Progress.

The post The #CancelStudentDebt Voices Project appeared first on Generation Progress.

This week, which includes the final days of March and the first days of April, marks both the last week of Women"s History Month and the start of

. In recognition of these intersecting moments, Generation Progress is taking the time to reflect on the disproportionate impact of collateral consequences of our justice and legal system on the lives of young women. Since the 1980s, there"s been a

To dig deeper on what is  happening to justice-involved young women, we are highlighting 4 key facts about women in the U.S. criminal legal justice system.

1.  There are 1.2 million women under the supervision of the criminal justice system.

As of 2019, 1.2. million women were under supervision of the criminal justice system–either in jail or prison or on probation or parole. BIPOC women are overrepresented in the justice system: Black women are 1.7 times more likely to be imprisoned than white women and Hispanic women are imprisoned at 1.3 times the rate of white women. There is a lack of significant data on the incarceration rate of Indigenous women, but, overall, the local jail incarceration rate of Indigenous Americans is nearly double that of white people.  Although in recent years, we have begun to see a decrease in imprisonment across the country, this decrease has mainly impacted men. 

2.  Women in the justice system are impacted by multiple histories of abuse.

The criminal legal system disproportionately impacts women who have already been impacted by  societal issues such as mental health challenges, poverty, and abuse. According to the ACLU, nearly 60 percent of people in women state prisons across the country, and as many as 94 percent of some women"s prison populations, have a history of physical or sexual abuse before being incarcerated. In addition, women are more likely to enter the jail and prison system with a drug dependency or history of abusing drugs than men. Incarcerated women are also more likely than incarcerated men to have experienced serious psychological distress or mental health issues. When it comes to poverty, the Prison Policy initiative found that, prior to their incarceration, incarcerated women had a median income of $13,890 in 2014. This was 42 percent less than non-incarcerated women between the ages of 27 to 42, and 66 percent less than non-incarcerated men. Taking the gender wage gap, racial wage gaps, and LGBTQ+ wage gaps into account,it is not surprising that more than 60% of women are held in jail because they cannot afford bail. The path to and through the legal system for many women is complicated by a multitude societal issues, which  the criminal legal system is not fit to address–ultimately leading to even deeper problems for these individuals and communities. 

3. The criminal justice system is a HUGE barrier to reproductive justice. 

There are a multitude of ways that the criminal legal system prevents the achievement of reproductive justice, which can be defined as every person"s right to have a child, not have a child, and if you choose to have a child, raise that child in a safe and healthy environment

Although incarcerated people are entitled to health care, including reproductive health services such as contraception, abortion and pre-natal care, the prison system presents nuanced barriers both for those seeking to end a pregnancy or to carry a wanted pregnancy to term. Incarcerated women struggle to access reproductive healthcare because of problematic policies and requirements dictated by the prison system that exacerbate existing barriers. For example, access to abortion services varies from state to state due to hundreds of restrictive state laws such as medically unnecessary waiting periods, two trip requirements, bans that prohibit abortions as early as 13 weeks in pregnancy, and targeted regulation of abortion providers that can shutdown or limit the frequency of services. These barriers are magnified by arrest and incarceration, because people can no longer independently decide what is best for their family planning needs. 

Those who wish to proceed with their pregnancies face other problems within the prison system. Pregnant women who are incarcerated are still often shackled during labor and other health care visits, creating health risks for both parent and child and depriving pregnant people of their dignity. In a survey of perinatal nurses who have provided care for incarcerated pregnant people, over 80 percent reported that patients were shackled either sometimes or all the time. 

Beyond pregnancy, women who have children continue to struggle disproportionately within the criminal legal system as parents. In federal prisons, about 48 percent of women under the age of 24 are mothers, and 55 percent of women under the age of 24 in state prisons are mothers. The children of incarcerated mothers tend to experience more instability and disruption than those of incarcerated fathers because women are more likely to be primary caregivers in their families.

Regardless of whether people carry to term, end their pregnancy, or experience a miscarriage, too many justice-involved women are denied essential reproductive healthcare, compromising their self determination and reproductive autonomy.

4. A criminal history impacts women"s economic security and stability.

A criminal history can deny justice-impacted women access to housing, education, employment and more. Most women enter the system already experiencing multiple challenges that become further complicated by collateral consequences. While "reentry," the process of returning to communities from incarceration, has become a priority among many policymakers and community-based organizations, most reentry resources available do not address the unique challenges that women face. For instance, while all justice-invovled people have to navigate discrimination from employers who are unwilling to hire people with records, women have the added burden of facing significant employment and occupational licensing restrictions in many of the industries that are concentrated with women and women of color like childcare, nursing, and home health care. In addition, some  justice involved women, the majority of whom are parents or primary caretakers of families, can be denied access to public services and benefits. These collateral consequences make women, especially BIPOC women, even more vulnerable and limit their success. 

Conclusion

Young people are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system and women are uniquely harmed.  We must work to end mass criminalization and mass incarceration, but, in the meantime, there are ways we can mitigate the harms of this system to ensure that women are not uniquely vulnerable to collateral consequences. 

To take action and demand support for policies that will benefit women and all justice-involved people, use this tool to email your legislators today. 

The post Four Key Facts About Women in the Criminal Legal System appeared first on Generation Progress.

This Women"s History Month marks one year since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the lives of people across the globe. The impacts that climate change, COVID-19, and the economy have on women and girls are interconnected, and to ignore these connections would be a disservice to some of the most vulnerable people in our society. Women and girls are already in a precarious place in society–globally, women often earn and are able to save significantly less than their male counterparts, lack access to adequate healthcare, and are frequently the victims of gender-based violence. Nearly 3 million women left the workforce over the course of the past year, many as a result of increased caregiving responsibilities at home due to the pandemic. Understanding that there exists a spectrum of gender identities beyond the binary, a recent report found that "most LGBT adults say that they or a household member lost a job or income due to the pandemic (56 percent), which compares to 44 percent of non-LGBT adults." The problem is significantly worse for many women of color–in December 2020, Black, Asian, and Hispanic women accounted for all of women"s job losses, and 154,000 Black women dropped out of the labor force entirely. Among young Millennials and Generation Z, the economic impacts of the pandemic are also being felt to a higher degree–19.5 percent have "reported they or their spouse or partner experienced layoffs since the pandemic began." Finally, when considering the impacts of climate change, women account for 80 percent of those displaced as a result of this issue. 

As the Biden administration works to rebuild our economy, it is imperative that these recovery efforts center women and girls. The pandemic has worsened women"s overall social and economic security, which means women"s equity must be at the forefront of any legislation intended to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing this, on International Women"s Day, President Biden issued an executive order establishing the White House Gender Policy Council. This council will oversee the administration"s all-of-government approach to gender equity and equality–a significant step in the right direction. 

Despite the fact that climate change impacts people of all genders, its effects are felt much differently by men and women. Due to the same vulnerabilities outlined above, women are less well equipped to handle the devastating effects of climate change. The linkages that exist between women"s overall outcomes and a changing climate cannot be ignored, especially when creating policies to address the climate crisis. For example: after natural disasters strike, women are less able to access critical healthcare, particularly reproductive care, and are at increased risk of experiencing gender-based violence and sexual assault. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we have about 30 years to transition to a carbon-neutral society to avoid climate catastrophe, and as the climate crisis worsens, we need gender equity to be at the core of any policies designed to address this crisis to ensure that women and girls don"t bear the brunt of its negative impacts. 

One way the administration and Congress can prioritize women while building a robust, inclusive, and climate-resilient economy is through a green recovery. Creating high-quality, well-paid, unionized jobs in the clean energy sector, particularly in frontline communities, would go a long way towards addressing the economic, gender equality, and climate crises facing today"s generations. Tribal, low-income, and communities of color have long borne the brunt of the climate crisis, facing toxic pollution, unsustainable development, and systemic disinvestment. Prioritizing these communities in a green jobs recovery would not only help to reduce the harms of past racism and racist policies, but can also create a jobs boon that will put these communities, and the women that are a part of them, on the path to a more just, sustainable future.

A just transition to a 100% clean energy future that rebuilds our economy and uplifts the status of women and girls is not only possible, but necessary. COVID-19 has laid bare and exacerbated the systemic inequalities that women faced even before the pandemic, and demonstrated that solving one crisis can be the path to solving others simultaneously. Now is the time for a bold, green economic recovery strategy that centers women, especially as they have faced significant losses over the past year.

The post The Administration Should Prioritize Women and Other Frontline Communities in a Green Jobs Recovery appeared first on Generation Progress.

Warning: the following column contains facts that may induce rage-fueled forehead-smacking and/or keyboard smashing. Happy Women"s History Month!

The gender wage gap and the student debt crisis are inextricably linked: undervaluing women"s work forces women to bear a bigger share of the student debt crisis. Addressing the student loan crisis through debt-free college and broad-based student loan cancellation would help alleviate some of the economic burden that women, particularly women of color, face in our society. 

FACT: Women must work far into the next year to match what men earn the previous year alone. This gap is disproportionately and historically felt by women of color. 

Let"s break it down. In 1996, the National Committee launched the first Equal Pay Day to raise awareness about the gender pay gap. Originally, it only captured the wage gap for women overall, but, over the years, the advocates behind the effort recognized the need to highlight racial disparities. The conversation now increasingly includes the much larger wage gaps for many women of color. Based on the latest available data, the largest gender wage gap is experienced by Latina women. Women, altogether, earn just $0.82 to every one dollar earned by men. 

Now, we have multiple Equal Pay Days each year to recognize the racial disparities within gender pay gaps. First up this year was Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women"s equal pay day on March 9, since AAPI women are paid $0.85 for every one dollar earned by a white man, on average. However, this number hides the reality that the wage gap is much wider for many women belonging to different AAPI communities. The earnings ratios range from Taiwanese, Indian, and Malaysian women earning $1.21 compared to the white man"s $1.00 to Burmese women earning just $0.52, with dozens of other communities in between.

Black women won"t reach pay parity with the 2020 earnings of white men until August 3, 2021 because Black women earn $0.63 to the white man"s dollar. 

Native women"s Equal Pay Day won"t come until September 8 of this year, due to their earning approximately $0.60 on the white man"s dollar. 

Finally, Latina women typically earn a measly $0.55 on the white man"s dollar, and have to work until October 21, 2021 to reach pay parity with white men"s 2020 earnings. This means that Latinas "must work nearly 23 months to earn what white men earn in 12 months."

The pandemic has made economic stability even harder for women

This Equal Pay Day, the coronavirus pandemic brings additional challenges to the table. Not only are women–particularly women of color–on the frontlines as the majority of essential workers, but women have continued to bear the brunt of caregiving responsibilities during this extremely trying time. COVID-19 has also led to a massive economic fallout in the last year, with women losing nearly 1 million more jobs than men between February and December 2020. This fallout has disproportionately impacted women of color, particularly Black women and Latinas, who continue to experience some of the highest unemployment rates. 

In December 2020, Black, Asian, and Hispanic women accounted for all of women"s job losses, and 154,000 Black women dropped out of the labor force entirely. Both major job losses combined with the pull of increased caregiving at home has created a recession in which more women have been affected. In addition, members of the LGBTQ community also face significant wage disparities, very likely exacerbated by the current pandemic. Members of the transgender community are four times more likely to have an income of less than $10,000 per year. These outcomes are the result of systemic inequities rooted at the intersection of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and transphobia. 

These disparities didn"t appear out of thin air. The same systems of oppression that brought about gender wage gaps and job loss also manifest the conditions that created the current student debt crisis, which also harms women of color. 

How student debt disproportionately impacts women 

Forty-five million Americans have $1.6 trillion in student debt, two-thirds of it held by women. 

A major racial equity concern regarding the student loan crisis is the disproportionate effect of student loans on Black women. Black borrowers take on more student loan debt, have a harder time repaying their loans, and are four times more likely to end up in default than their white counterparts. Layering on top of that pay disparities for women, including a motherhood penalty, the student debt crisis worsens the economic situation for Black women and Latina borrowers, who face larger wage gaps than white women, making loan repayment even more difficult. In 2017, approximately 34 percent of all women and 57 percent of African American women who were repaying student loans reported that they had been unable to meet essential expenses within the past year. 

In summary, these systemic inequities result in women–particularly women of color–being more likely to be underpaid, under-employed, and carry student debt.

Addressing the student loan crisis through debt-free college and broad-based student debt cancellation would be good for women, helping to:

1. Close the racial wealth gap: When a system exists in which Black students are more likely to need a loan to pay for college, need to borrow more than white students, and will take longer to pay off those loans, cancelling those loans and building a system that does not require debt to begin with is necessary. The former can lift Black and Latina borrowers, who have much less wealth than their white counterparts, out of debt. The latter can importantly prevent future generations from amassing new debt.

2. Close the gender wealth gap: Already, women take out more student debt than men. And it takes them longer to pay off those loans (*cough,* wage gap). Cancel the debt!

3. Facilitate an equitable economic recovery: This doesn"t just mean the stock market"s performance. This means building a system that addresses the needs of working women and people of color–not policies that benefit those who are already well-off. Student debt is preventing generations of borrowers from making the financial decisions they would like to, including starting their own businesses, buying homes, purchasing cars, and more. With women more likely to borrow and borrow more, a debt-free college system would mean women could put their earnings into the economy for future generations to come. And cancelling existing student debt today would stimulate the economy by allowing women to spend their monthly loan payment on things they wouldn"t have otherwise purchased.

4. Improve the lives of young women: One in three young people have student debt, two-thirds of all student debt is held by women, and student debt may shape young women"s decisions to have children, particularly among those with high debt levels. This means that cancelling student debt and making college debt-free is reproductive justice. Free college and debt cancellation must go hand in hand to create options around major life decisions and grant women more freedom to live with dignity and choice. Addressing the student loan crisis could impact women"s ability to choose a job, travel, have independence, decide if or when to start a family, and take care of family without worrying about the financial implications. It could fundamentally change how women shape their lives.

Let"s take the next chapter of our history into our own hands. Take action to cancel student debt to get us all one step closer to gender and racial equity. 

This is one massive step in the right direction, but we also have to abolish the barriers that led to these oppressive and discriminatory systems in the first place. Stay tuned for more action items from Generation Progress on debt-free college.

The post Four Ways Debt-Free College and Canceling Student Debt Would Be Good for Women appeared first on Generation Progress.

Despite attempts to suppress the vote and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, young people ages 18-29 expanded their share of the electorate in 2020, making up 17 percent of voters who cast a ballot in this election. The youth vote research organization CIRCLE has estimated that, once all votes are counted, between 53 and 56 percent of people under the age of 30 will have voted in this election–a record high. Both as a result of their turnout and their strong preference for candidates running on progressive platforms, young people had a particularly pronounced impact in battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona.

In March, Generation Progress published a report that assessed the potential of young voters to decide the 2020 election. The report argued that young people, more of whom don"t identify strongly with either major political party compared to previous generations, vote based on a candidates" plans and policies rather than on party. It also made a case for why young people were more likely to vote in this election than in previous ones. Now that the election has finished, it"s clear that this analysis was correct. Young people turned out in droves because they are deeply passionate about the issues that affect them–from racial justice to the climate crisis to COVID-19. And based on those priorities, they overwhelmingly voted for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. 

But the power of young voters extended far beyond the presidency. Our generations" presence in this election was felt up and down the ballot, and will have a long-standing impact on the issues and principles that matter most to us.

Young People Voted for Addressing Climate Change

The climate crisis was a top priority for young voters in this election. For the first time in American history, every presidential and vice presidential debate featured questions explicitly about climate-related issues. President-elect Joe Biden ran on an ambitious climate and environmental justice platform that intends to achieve 100 percent carbon neutrality by the year 2050. Down ballot, many Congressional candidates prioritized the need for bold climate action and won, including Senator-elect Mark Kelly in Arizona and Senator-elect John Hickenlooper in Colorado. Several ballot initiatives that addressed the climate crisis also passed, including Ballot Measure 2A in Denver, Colorado, which will levy an additional sales tax in order to fund climate initiatives, and Nevada"s Question 6, which will amend the state"s constitution to require electric utilities to acquire 50 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2030.

Young People Voted for Racial Justice in Our Criminal Legal System 

Following a summer of protests responding to police brutality, prosecutors who took progressive stances on criminal justice reform challenged DA incumbents who took a "status quo" approach to the justice system. Counties in Florida and Texas, two states with some of the highest incarceration rates in the country, elected two DAs that promised voters to shrink the criminal legal system. In Travis County, TX, Jose Garza beat incumbent Martin Harry and in Orange County, FL, Monique Worrell beat Jose Torroella. Both incumbents ran on a platform promising reform while the incumbents vowed "law and order." Progressive prosecutors in Colorado and Michigan were also elected on the pledge to reduce incarceration and not rely on cash bail. These local elections highlight the voters" push for justice reform and the demand for shrinking the criminal legal system.

Young People Voted for Drug Decriminalization

Historically, the majority of Millennial voters have supported cannabis decriminalization. And this past election we saw a number of states take steps towards ending the "war on drugs." Voters in five states passed ballot initiatives that legalized medical or recreational uses of cannabis, while Oregon took a further step and decriminalized the use of all drugs and increased the state"s addiction and health services. Voters in these states highlight a shift in our country in viewing addiction as a public health issue, rather than a criminal one. Voters in Washington, D.C. followed suit by passing Initiative 81 decriminalizing psilocybin ("magic mushrooms"). Older demographics are following in the footsteps of young people and denouncing archaic drug laws that have disproportionately affected people of color. 

Young People Ran for Office and Voted for Younger, More Diverse Leadership

Not only did young people turn out to vote in record numbers in the2020 election, they also ran–and won–races themselves.. From 2018 to 2020, the Millennial Action Project, tracked a 266 percent increase in Millennials running for Congress. Come January 2021"s inauguration, the country"s elected leadership will also be markedly more diverse and feature several historic "firsts." Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, a daughter of immigrants, will be the first woman, first Asian-American, and first Black vice president in the history of the United States. Mondaire Jones (NY-17) andAfro-Latino Ritchie Torres (NY-15), who are both Millennials, will be the first openly gay Black men in Congress. Sara McBride, who was elected to a seat in the Delaware state Senate, will be the highest ranking openly trans woman in the U.S. Continuing a trend that we noted after the 2018 midterm election, the 2020 election will result in state and local governments that better represent and embody the diversity of this country.  

Young People Voted for Student Debt Relief

Young people, particularly young people of color, voted for solutions to the student debt crisis. While the student debt crisis currently impacts over 45 million Americans and the total debt held by borrowers reached an astonishing total of $1.6 trillion, the racial disparities inherent to student debt and higher education have been both deeply exacerbated and more widely exposed. One in three young people have student debt, and women and people of color are statistically far more likely to need to borrow, borrow more, and struggle to pay off their debt. For these reasons, student loan voters showed up and voted for the only presidential candidate with a plan for addressing the student debt crisis. The Biden-Harris campaign presented a detailed proposal to cancel a portion of student debt and make college debt-free for under-resourced families, while addressing the root causes of inequity and inaccessibility in higher education–which young people and student debt experts have been calling for for years. 

Conclusion

The 2020 election may be over, but young people are not finished making our voices heard. Our generations will continue to hold our elected leaders accountable and push for solutions to the issues that affect our communities and our world. 

The post Young People Voted in Record Numbers in the 2020 Election. Here's What They Voted For. appeared first on Generation Progress.

It contains a previously unpublished audio recording of a conversation between Brittany and Rep. Lewis from an intimate town hall in 2017.

The author, pictured between Reps. John Lewis and Eric Swalwell, at the 2017 town hall where she recorded her conversation.

It was nearly midnight on a warm night in Georgia, and I was on the balcony with neighbors discussing all that Rep. John Lewis stood for–a topic that always makes for long and unforgettable conversations. We had varying viewpoints on ongoing injustice in America and throughout the world, but we found it refreshing to be among women who allowed one another to be honest and vulnerable about what plagues us every day.

Towards the end of our conversation we took a quick intermission. During this time, I noticed my phone buzz with an alert from CNN. I saw Rep. Lewis"s name and thought, "Well, look at the universe speaking him up." However, as I looked closer, I saw the headline read, "John Lewis has passed away after 6 months of battling cancer." I opened my eyes wider as if that would change the words I was reading. Shock took over as my body reacted involuntarily to a loss of another great influencer.

I kept my emotions to myself as the other ladies came back outside, pushing them down like the pride of the backs America stands on everyday just to get ahead. I woke up the next morning crushed, yet at the same time, full of gratitude for the ways in which Rep. Lewis"s legacy helped to shape my perspective on the importance of political education.  

Nevertheless, I"d be dishonest if I didn"t admit it was once a struggle for me to understand and respect his generation. During a time when I felt let down and lost, I was, frankly, upset with Rep. Lewis and other politicians. I could not understand why, after all these decades, it was still so difficult to make much-needed changes in America. I wondered–is it really that hard to change laws and make new ones?

Later, I was introduced to Generation Progress, an organization which changed my life for the better. I joined the #Fight4AFuture network in 2015 and met amazing changemakers on staff–Maggie Thompson, Chelsea Coatney– and in the network–Brent Hamlet, Jes Phillips, Mariam El-Haj, Ronnie Mosley, Zakyia Esper, Bruce Franks Jr., and more amazing souls who dedicate their lives to necessary change. Through this foundation my question was answered. YES"¦ it"s that hard to bring change when others sitting at the table have a different agenda.

Even with people who had different agendas, Rep. Lewis set the bar high while interacting with people from all walks of life. I realized that as a result of the adversity he faced not only while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, he understood his fight was for something bigger than himself. I didn"t have the educational foundation needed to understand politics prior to joining #Fight4AFuture. I am glad I do now. I learned that what one doesn"t understand by nature, one tends to fear and resent without warrant. Who was I to be upset unless I had walked the walk and talked the talk, as Rep. Lewis did? I realized I needed to check myself and look in the mirror. 

Many share the pain brought on by Rep. Lewis"s passing–including myself–and are thankful for his service to our country. However, as we have witnessed people across the globe say their last goodbyes and provide powerful eulogies to celebrate the life of an incredible man, several of his colleagues took to social media to pay their respects–and shared photos of a different man, their former colleague Rep. Elijah Cummings, who passed away last year on October 17,2019.  

This further opened my eyes to the fact that America still has a long way to go both individually and collectively. It was then I understood I had a responsibility to pass along the words that  Rep. Lewis himself shared with me in 2017 at an intimate town hall in Atlanta, GA.

In that moment, Rep. Lewis conveyed a message for Millennials, the next generation, his generation, and people all over America who are struggling with misappropriation, racism, violence, systemic suppression, and inequality. This is what he wanted to share with you:

For anyone who didn"t understand why Rep. Lewis liked to cause "Good Trouble," well, now you have some insight. I certainly gained a deeper appreciation for him in this moment. This is only one of many reasons that we must continue to push to expand and protect voting rights and civil rights, and demand overall change by applying pressure to those in the House and Senate, as well on officials on the local and state levels.

As I reminisce on our first encounter and those powerful words, I know that this article cannot begin to sum up all of the contributions that Rep. Lewis made to our society or how much he meant to so many. However, I find it comforting to know that once upon a time it was Rep. Lewis who was a young Black American who experienced the travesties we face today. He too was upset, tired, and angry and refused to simply accept a broken system. Rep. Lewis understood firsthand what my generation, Millennials, are up against. He knew that the generations of young people after him would need to stir up some "Good Trouble" of our own to create our own legacies and ensure his is never forgotten. .

His work and dedication to his country, a country that did not always stand up for him nor have his best interests at heart, made me ask myself–what does Rep. Lewis really mean to me?

It is rather simple. To me, honoring the legacy of Rep. Lewis means fighting for "necessary, uncomfortable change" that helps serve the greater good of all humankind; the type of change that replaces inequality with unity, love, and equality; injustice with justice. I too was an angry person who has experienced injustices and continued to watch them occur–not only in America but across the world.  

Rep. Lewis: I hope you know you are appreciated not only for making change the best way you could, but also for being on the front line as well. Unlike many politicians, you walked the walk, not just talked the talk. Thank you for all you have done for so many over the course of your life. 

 If you would like to know more about Rep. Lewis"s incredible life"s work I encourage you to go see his new movie, John Lewis: Good Trouble.

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