Black Youth Want More than Voting

By Suemedha Sood, May 19, 2005

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Young black leaders come together to think about new ways of engaging youth in the political process.

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About 200 high school and college students from 20 different states came together in April for the fifth annual Black Youth Vote (BYV) Civic Leadership conference held in Washington D.C. This year’s theme, “Hip Hop Activism: Revolutionizing Black Power,” focused on strategic political action leaving young black leaders from all over the country energized and full of hope.

With all the grassroots activity around election time, why did BYV conference took place months after the 2004 presidential election? “It’s not just about getting out the vote among black youth,” explains Melanie Campbell, executive director and CEO of BYV. Campbell wants young leaders to think, “How do you utilize the vote in civic engagement?”

Given that many crucial state elections are coming up next November, the three-day conference participants discussed specific issues that directly affect the lives of black youth: affirmative action, the impact of HIV/AIDS, corporate media and the long-term consequences of war. The panelists emphasized the importance of building strong national coalitions and provided practical tools necessary for effective organizing.

BYV is a national grassroots coalition of youth organizations that works to increase political engagement of black youth under age of 30. This demographic now represents 50 percent of black electorate in the U.S. BYV identifies and trains youth organizers in colleges and local communities around the country.

Many BYV participants agreed that the election itself seemed to foster divisiveness rather than unity, said Campbell. But despite that the overwhelming attitude among the conference participants was full of optimism and hope.

On the first day, the young leaders met and discussed legislative goals with representatives of the Congressional Black Caucus. They later split up into smaller groups and spoke with their congress representatives. The next two days of the conference included discussions with world-renowned civil rights speakers followed by practical workshops on message development, coalition building, fundraising, and more.

The last day of the conference on April 9, attracted most participants. Despite the early start at 8 a.m., the rooms were crowded with highly energetic partakers. Hip hop music played as people shuffled in. The BYV members had become connected and grew closer by discovering that many share similar experiences and struggles, even though they all came from different generations, communities, and backgrounds. The wide range of ages from 13 to 35 didn’t prevent connections, as it became evident through the rising cloud of noise from impassionate conversations and laughter.

The interactive sessions were especially effective in fostering youth-driven discussions. “The Politics of Hip Hop Media,” revolved around issues of corporate exploitation of black identity. The presentation charged that corporations thrive on their use of the “urban mindset” to market products to a young audience. Advertisements for everything from soft drinks to cell phones portray negative common perceptions of what it means to be “urban,” largely brought to you by hip hop artists and other black celebrities.

Conference participants urged their peers to put pressure on corporations to be more socially responsible in their marketing and advertising. “Things like hip hop are used to sell everything other than the positive black image,” Illai Kenny, a 16-year-old from Georgia said. She thinks this can only change if “we maximize our own gain from relationships with corporations.” She suggested making group demands from certain corporations since many products are targeted to black urban youth.

A lively debate emerged around the engagement of black celebrities in advocating for the black political agenda. “All you know is what you see and what you see isn’t all there is,” insisted Illai. “The people who portray us the most are the people who are the least involved politically.” “You don’t see BYV on the cover of the paper because we’re doing something positive, not raunchy or wrong,” she added. Participants decided to promote local artists and independent media, as they often provide alternatives to negative stereotypes in the mainstream media.

Since black youth make up a significant fan base for artists like 50 Cent, Lil’ Kim, or P. Diddy, they could also demand more civic engagement from the hip-hop celebrities, participants agreed. This requires more communication between artists and their young fans. Seeing politically active celebrities among their icons, young kids—of all races—might be motivated to get politically involved within their communities.

Dyresha Harris, a 23-year-old from Washington D.C., promotes global activism as the best way to motivate political action among all age groups. “On the corporate level, it’s important to think of activism globally, maintaining alliances with our friends in the developing world,” she said. She expressed hope that young people can be at the forefront of such action.

“We’ve come to see politics as this shady, corrupt, impenetrable thing, so young people need to take back its credibility,” Dyresha added. This becomes difficult, said Dyresha, when structures in the media seem to counteract such effort. For example, she pointed out, the one-sided post-election reporting in the news media that accused youth of not coming out to vote. It was reported later, however, that a significantly greater number of young people—by most accounts an increase of five to eight percent--voted in 2004 than did four years prior.

Dyresha also echoed a common sentiment of the conference, which views cross-cultural integration as the strongest binding force among the hip-hop generation. “I personally think one of the advantages our generation has is integration,” she said. Dyresha feels it helps move beyond a limited dialogue on race that considers only “black, white, and the other.”

But she also added that the tendency to just say, “We’re all the same” can be detrimental. “In terms of working with white progressive organizations,” Dyresha continued, “there needs to be a lot of work on both sides.” She expressed hope that both white and black activist groups will take the time to listen and internalize the concerns of both. Dyresha urged black communities to be more patient while the slow process of cultural understanding takes place.

As the conference was coming to its closing session, young black leaders left seemingly charged and inspired. Conference organizers hope it will help sustain the energy and focus needed, as black youths tackle issues in their back yards across the nation. “I am confident that … participants will go home and make a positive difference in their communities,” said Campbell.

Suemedha Sood, 20, studies politics and religious studies at the University of Virginia.