
What’s Behind Gen Z’s “Silent Protest” at the Ballot Box
Clip: 4/20/2026 | 17m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
Richard Just, Emma Rowland and Seyi Arogundade discuss what Washington gets wrong about Gen Z.
What is Washington getting wrong about Gen Z? This is the central question of a new set of essays written by U.S. college students and published by NOTUS Perspectives, investigating the growing division between the government and the country's young people. NOTUS Perspectives editor Richard Just and two student contributors join the show to discuss the importance of intergenerational messaging.
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What’s Behind Gen Z’s “Silent Protest” at the Ballot Box
Clip: 4/20/2026 | 17m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
What is Washington getting wrong about Gen Z? This is the central question of a new set of essays written by U.S. college students and published by NOTUS Perspectives, investigating the growing division between the government and the country's young people. NOTUS Perspectives editor Richard Just and two student contributors join the show to discuss the importance of intergenerational messaging.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> WHAT IS WASHINGTON GETTING WRONG ABOUT GEN Z?
THAT'S THE CENTRAL QUESTION OF A NEW GROUP OF ESSAYS PUBLISHED BY PERSPECTIVE, INVESTIGATING THE GROWING DIVISION BETWEEN THE US GOVERNMENT AND THE COUNTRY'S YOUNG PEOPLE.
CRUCIALLY, THE PROJECT ONLY ACCEPTED PIECES FROM THOSE WITH A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO THIS ISSUE.
AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS.
THOSE PERSPECTIVES EDITOR RICHARD JUST AND TWO STUDENT CONTRIBUTORS JOIN MICHEL MARTIN TO DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERGENERATIONAL MESSAGING.
>> THANKS PAULA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> RICHARD, YOU LEAD SOMETHING CALLED THE PERSPECTIVES FORUM, IT'S BASED AT A WASHINGTON- BASED NEWSROOM.
>> WE ARE THE OPINIONS SECTION OF A WASHINGTON-BASED PUBLICATION CALLED NOTICE, WE PUBLISH ESSAYS, LONGFORM NARRATIVES AND WE PUBLISH FORMS WHERE WE ASK A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT WRITERS TO WEIGH IN ON ONE QUESTION.
>> YOU HAVE THE IDEA, INSTEAD OF REPORTING ON YOUNG PEOPLE, YOU ASKED 22 STUDENT JOURNALIST FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO WRITE ABOUT WHAT WASHINGTON GETS WRONG ABOUT THEM, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THAT IDEA?
>> WE WERE INTERESTED IN THE TOPIC OF HEARING FROM, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE DISCONNECT WAS BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND YOUNG PEOPLE AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S THIS D. C. OR NEW YORK MEDIA INSTINCT WHERE YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT A GROUP OF PEOPLE THINK ABOUT SOMETHING YOU SEND A REPORTER TO FIND OUT AND WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
WE WANTED TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM THOSE VOICES AND WE THOUGHT THIS WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT BECAUSE THE COUNTRY IS FULL OF AMAZING COLLEGE JOURNALISTS, WHO ARE THE EXPERTS ON THIS TOPIC AND WHO WE THOUGHT WOULD HAVE INTERESTING ARGUMENTS TO MAKE.
SO, WE REACHED OUT TO A TON OF COLLEGE JOURNALS AND PROFESSORS AND WE ASK THEM TO RECOMMEND SOME OF THEIR BEST STUDENTS, AND THEY DID AND WE ENDED UP WITH 22 GREAT WRITERS.
>> THE ESSAYS ARE INTERESTING.
YOU ARE A SENIOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA AND IN YOUR ESSAY YOU WROTE THAT GEN Z IS USED TO THINGS MOVING FAST.
WASHINGTON'S PACE IS UNBEARABLY SLOW.
I COSIGN THAT .
AND YOU ALSO SAY, FOR MY GENERATION, A CONSTANT ADRENALINE FUELED NEED FOR SPEED ISN'T THE PREFERENCE, IT'S THE NORM.
GROCERIES ARRIVE IN 30 MINUTES, BREAKING NEWS VIBRATES IN OUR POCKETS THE MOMENT SOMETHING HAPPENS.
WASHINGTON IS THE OPPOSITE.
IT'S BEEN BUILT TO OPERATE ON A RHYTHM FROM A DIFFERENT ERA, SOMETHING THAT FOR MINES USED TO INSTANT GRATIFICATION IS HARD TO GRASP OR ACCEPTS.
I THAT IS SO FASCINATING AS AN OBSERVATION AND I SAID YEAH, THAT SOUNDS RIGHT.
HOW DID YOU COME TO THAT CONCLUSION, WHAT DID YOU SEE THAT SPARKED THAT?
>> THIS SUMMER I WAS ABLE TO BE IN D. C. FROM MAY THROUGH AUGUST THROUGH A PROGRAM FROM OU AND BEING UP THERE, I FEEL LIKE I GOT MORE OF AN INSIDER LOOK ON WHAT OTHER PEOPLE FROM MY GENERATION SEE.
AND SO, WELL, YES, THERE IS A SUBSTANCE PART OF WHY PEOPLE FROM MY GENERATION ARE UPSET, WHETHER THAT BE POLICIES OR OTHER THINGS IN WASHINGTON, WHAT I ALSO SAW WAS THERE WAS THIS DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE UNDERSTANDING OF ISSUES THAT HAVE GONE ON FOR DECADES, WHY THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO BE COMPLETELY FIXED EVEN, BUT EVEN JUST PARTIALLY RESOLVED OR EVEN DONE WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF GRIDLOCK.
>> DID YOU HAVE A EUREKA MOMENT WHERE YOU THOUGHT WOW, THIS IS REALLY SLOW?
>> I WAS ABLE TO BE THERE FOR OF COURSE, THERE WAS A BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL THAT WAS PASSED, AND JUST INSTANCES LIKE THAT WHERE I WAS ABLE TO HEAR THE PEOPLE FROM MY GENERATION RESPOND TO THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE WERE BORN INTO A GENERATION WHERE WE ARE USED TO POLITICS ALMOST BEING A POP-CULTURE ELEMENT RATHER THAN MORE OF A PROCEDURAL , FORMAL ELEMENT IN OUR LIFE AND THE MORE I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, THE MORE THAT IT MADE SENSE WELL, I'M SO USED TO THINGS HAPPENING SO QUICKLY, AND I'M GETTING TEXT ALERTS WHILE BILLS ARE BEING PASSED AND EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING AND MY BRAIN IS WIRED TO REALLY QUESTION WHY ARE THINGS SO DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH IN WASHINGTON, AND WHY ARE THINGS SO, ALMOST GRIDLOCKED, ALL THE TIME.
>> SHEA, YOU ARE A SENIOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH, BY THE WAY.
YOU WRITE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT DISAPPEARING FROM PUBLIC LIFE, WE ARE JUST WAITING FOR A POLITICAL SYSTEM WORTH SHOWING UP FOR.
YOU GO ON TO SAY THAT WHILE SOME LEADERS MAY SEE LOW VOTER TURNOUT OR LOW PARTY REGISTRATION , THEY ARE MISREADING THIS.
IT'S A SILENT PROTEST AGAINST THE SYSTEM AND ABSENCE FROM A POLITICAL GAME THAT YOUNG PEOPLE SEE AS RIGGED.
FROM WHAT YOU SEE ON CAMPUS AND AMONG YOUR PEERS, THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED EMMA, HOW DOES THAT SILENT PROTEST KIND OF SHOW UP IN REAL LIFE?
>> IT STEMMED FROM YOU KNOW, THE 2020 AND 2024 ELECTION.
A LOT OF WHAT I WAS SEEING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHAT MY PEERS WERE SAYING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE HAVE TO VOTE FOR THIS PERSON BECAUSE THEY ARE THE LESSER EVIL, QUOTE UNQUOTE, THEN THE OTHER CANDIDATE.
AND THAT JUST DIDN'T REALLY RESONATE WITH ME AT THE TIME.
I KNOW IT DIDN'T RESONATE FOR A LOT OF MY FELLOW STUDENTS AS WELL.
SO, I THINK THIS IDEA THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE FOR SOMEONE BECAUSE THEY ARE SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE, IT'S JUST NOT WORKING FOR A LOT OF YOUNG AMERICANS.
AND THEY CAN'T JUST KEEP ON GIVING US THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD, LINE OR SCRIPT WELL, XYZ IS THE ENEMY AND WE HAVE TO DEFEAT THEM OR WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO DEFEAT THIS CANDIDATE BECAUSE IT'LL BE WORSE IN THE LONG RUN, OKAY, BUT WHAT AFTER THAT?
AND SO, WHEN I SEE A LOT OF POLITICIANS USING THAT AS THEIR ANCHOR OF WE NEED TO BE WITH THIS CANDIDATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NECESSARY INSTEAD OF TALKING ABOUT ACTUAL POLICIES OR HOW, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE YOUNG AMERICANS LIVES BETTER, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S A REAL DISCONNECT FOR ME AND I THINK A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE .
SO, YEAH, I THINK THE SILENT PROTEST IS US DEMANDING MORE OF OUR POLITICIANS AND EXPECTING MORE.
>> DID YOU SEE A COMMON THEME AMONG ALL OF THE ESSAYS?
>> PARTLY IT WAS JUST THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE ENGAGED IN OPTICS.
THERE'S AN UGLY STEREOTYPE , THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE DISCONNECTED AND THEY'VE GIVEN UP ON POLITICS, CERTAINLY OUR GROUP WAS SELF-SELECTING AND WE WENT TO COLLEGE JOURNALISTS WHO ARE MORE PREDISPOSED TO BEING INTERESTED IN POLITICS THAN THE AVERAGE POPULATION BUT COLLECTIVELY THEY MADE A CONVINCING CASE THAT THIS IS A GENERATION THAT IS ENGAGED THAT DOES EXPECT MORE FROM THE POLITICIANS AND THEY WANT THE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO BE A BETTER PLACE, BUT, TO THE POINT THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, THIS GENERATION IS FRUSTRATED BY WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND FRUSTRATED BY THE WAY THAT POLITICIANS ARE CARRYING THAT OUT.
THERE IS ENGAGEMENT, IDEALISM, THERE IS A DESIRE FOR THINGS TO BE BETTER AND THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS COME THROUGH.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU POINTED OUT, IS TONE MATTERS, LIKE WASHINGTON DOESN'T ALWAYS GET THE TONE RIGHT WITH YOUNG PEOPLE FOR MESSAGING TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND IN FACT, SOME OF THE WAYS THAT THEY SEE POLITICIANS TRY TO CONNECT WITH THEM IS LIKE, CRINGE, CAN YOU GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT?
>> CHIEF EXAMPLE PROBABLY ON THE ONE THAT WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF MANY OF OUR MINDS AND SOMEONE WROTE A GOOD PIECE ABOUT IT WAS ABOUT 67, BY THE TIME POLITICIANS AS THEY HAVE, STARTED INVOKING 67 IN THEIR POSTS AND SPEECHES, IT WAS PAST THE POINT WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE WANTED TO HEAR THAT AND IT HAD ALREADY BECOME CRINGE, I THINK THE LARGER POINT IS YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO BE CONDESCENDED TO AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BE TALKED DOWN TO AND POLITICIANS ARE SAYING 67, IN THAT SUPERFICIAL WAY, IT FEELS CONDESCENDING.
>> YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT THIS IDEA OF BEING TOLD THAT YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS.
CAN YOU SORT OF SAY MORE ABOUT THAT?
I MEAN, I AM IN WASHINGTON, I'VE BEEN COVERING POLITICS FOR A LONG TIME AND THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IS THE REASON THAT NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING PROCESS IS THAT IT WORKS.
IS PEOPLE RESPONDING TO IT?
>> IT'S A TURNOFF BECAUSE THERE'S NO REAL POLICY BASIS BEHIND THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND AS STUDENTS AND AS EMMA POINTED OUT, WE ARE DEALING WITH SO MANY THINGS WHETHER THAT IS THE GROWING CLIMATE CRISIS, STUDENT LOANS, WHETHER WE CAN AFFORD TO BUY A HOUSE IN THIS LIFETIME, SO, WHEN THESE ARE REAL TANGIBLE ISSUES THAT ARE ON THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MINDS, WHEN POLITICIANS ARE TELLING US THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE THE BEST CHOICE, BUT THEY ARE NOT SHOWING US WHY THEY ARE THE BEST CHOICE, I THINK IT FALLS ON DEAF EARS, AND I NOTICE A LOT WITHIN YOU KNOW, 2024 ELECTION ESPECIALLY, WHEN A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WERE WANTING TO VOTE THIRD PARTY OR NOT EVEN VOTE AT ALL BECAUSE THERE WAS NO CANDIDATE THERE TO REALLY REPRESENT YOUNG ISSUES.
NOW, THERE WERE CANDIDATES THAT WERE PANDERING TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, TO POP CULTURE AND EVENTS BUT NOT REALLY TALKING TO US LIKE WE ARE INFORMED PEOPLE, WHO WANT TO LIVE AS BEST LIVES AS WE CAN.
AND SO, WHEN WE SEE THAT CONSTANTLY IN THE NEWS, I THINK, AS YOUNG PEOPLE AND TALKING TO MY PEERS, WE JUST NEED SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND WE NEED CANDIDATES WHO ARE ACTUALLY TREATING US LIKE WE ARE ADULTS, LIKE WE UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES, LIKE THESE ISSUES AFFECT US IN REAL TIME.
>> RICHARD I'M GOING TO BRING SOME DATA IN HERE, ACCORDING TO A GALLUP REPORT PUBLISHED IN JANUARY, 56% OF GEN Z IDENTIFY AS POLITICALLY INDEPENDENT.
BUT WE ALSO KEEP HEARING YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SHIFTING RIGHT OR AT LEAST THEY WERE.
CAN BOTH OF THOSE THINGS BE TRUE OR IS ONE OF THEM OFF THE MARK?
HOW DO YOU SEE THIS, BASED ON THE REPORTING THAT YOU'VE DONE?
>> ONE OF THE THROUGH LINES OF THE PIECE WAS THERE'S A COMPLEXITY TO THE WAY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT POLITICS THAT DEFIES OUR OLD IDEAS ABOUT THE LEFT RIGHT SPECTRUM.
WE HAVE SOMEONE ARGUE I THINK CORRECTLY THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TURNED OFF BY CENTRIST POLITICS AND FIND THEMSELVES GRAVITATING TOWARD FURTHER LEFT HER FURTHER RIGHT, SOMEBODY ELSE ARGUED THAT YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT PARTY LABELS AND THEY ARE NOT AS INTERESTED IN THE OLD PARTISAN, CALLING THEMSELVES REPUBLICANS OR DEMOCRATS, WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN IS PARTICULAR ISSUES AND ISSUES DON'T NECESSARILY ALIGN WITH THE CLASSIC DEFINITIONS OF WHERE THE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC PARTIES ARE.
I THINK THERE'S A COMPLEXITY THAT MAY DEFY SOME OF THE OLD IDEAS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT LEFT AND RIGHT.
>> BOTH OF YOU LIVE IN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE IDENTIFY AS CONSERVATIVE.
TELL ME ABOUT THIS SHIFT RIGHT THING.
DOES THAT RESONATE?
>> I THINK THAT AS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MOVES FURTHER RIGHT, SO DOES THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT FOR A LOT OF YOUNG AMERICANS WHO MIGHT BE MORE MODERATE, MIGHT BE LESS FURTHER RIGHT OR FURTHER LEFT TO IDENTIFY WITH EITHER PARTY BECAUSE THEY ARE TWO EXTREMES AT THE END OF THE DAY, PARTICULARLY WHEN I THINK OF POLITICS AND REALLY AFFECT THE POLITICIANS, I THINK OF MAYOR MAMDANI IN NEW YORK I THINK WHAT MADE HIM EFFECTIVE WAS YES, HE UTILIZED SOCIAL MEDIA AND YES, HE UTILIZED HIS RESOURCES AND YES, HE HAD A GOOD CAMPAIGN STRATEGY BUT HE WAS MEETING PEOPLE WHERE THEY WERE AT, WHETHER THAT BE GOING TO LOCAL BOROUGHS, GOING TO GROCERY STORES, GOING TO RESTAURANTS AND TALKING TO PEOPLE, WHETHER THAT BE HAVING REAL, TANGIBLE POLICIES THAT WILL MAKE AND IMPROVE NEW YORK CITY.
>> FREE BUSES, TRYING TO MAKE CHILDCARE FREE UP TO A CERTAIN AGE, YOU KNOW, GROCERY STORES THAT ARE RUN BY THE CITY TO CREATE AN AFFORDABLE OPTION.
>> I THINK THAT RESONATED WITH A LOT OF MY PEERS AND I THINK WHETHER YOU ARE A 23-YEAR-OLD LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY OR A 20- YEAR-OLD IN IDAHO.
SEEING HIS WIN AND SEEING HOW HE CAMPAIGNED AND SEEING THE POLICIES THAT HE STOOD UP FOR AND SEEING HOW THEY ARE SLOWLY BUT SURELY COMING TO FRUITION, I THINK THAT'S INSPIRING FOR A LOT OF US YOUNG PEOPLE.
AND I THINK THE MORE THAT POLITICIANS ADOPT THAT STRATEGY, THE MORE THEY WILL SEE YOUNG PEOPLE WANTING TO FIGHT FOR THEM AND ROOT FOR THEM AND BE IN THEIR CORNER BECAUSE WE ALL WANT SOMEONE THAT IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR.
AND I THINK IF POLITICIANS WANT OUR VOTE, THEY HAVE TO EARN IT.
>> EMMA, WHAT DO YOU THINK, ON THE ONE HAND WE SEEING THAT YOUNG PEOPLE WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED AS INDEPENDENT BUT WE SEE THERE'S A SHIFT TO THE RIGHT, WHAT MAKES SENSE TO YOU?
>> I THINK WHAT I'VE NOTICED IS, THERE SEEMS TO BE A FRUSTRATION WITH ALMOST THE BLAME GAME, AND ESPECIALLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE SEE A LOT OF GEN Z SPECIFICALLY IN THE COMMENTS, RESPONDING, YES WE UNDERSTAND, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE TWO SIDES TO POLITICAL ISSUES BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE THE CASE WHERE ONE SIDE IS NOT BLAMING THE OTHER AND THERE HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF METAL.
I FEEL LIKE GEN Z AS A GROUP THINKS INDEPENDENTLY, I DO THINK THERE IS A SHIFT TOWARDS THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO YOU RESONATE WITH AND WHO REALLY DO SHOW UP FOR WHAT WE WANT, WHAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS, FOR REALLY, THOSE PERSONAL ISSUES THAT CAN REALLY BE SEEN AND THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN A, RATHER THAN JUST STANDING THERE AND BLAMING THE OTHER SIDE.
I THINK THAT IS A VERY COMMON THING THAT WE SEE.
WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICS, I FEEL LIKE WE ARE ALL TAUGHT THAT THERE HAS TO BE SOME TYPE OF METAL AND ESPECIALLY WITH THIS GENERATION, THERE'S A YEARNING FOR SEEING SOME TYPE OF COMPROMISE.
>> ACCORDING TO THE HARVARD INSTITUTE OF POLITICS, YOU KNOW THEY DO THIS YOUTH PULL EVERY YEAR, ONLY 13% OF YOUNG AMERICANS SAY THE COUNTRY IS HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT TO YOU?
>> I WOULD SAY THAT IT DOES SOUND RIGHT TO ME.
>> HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL WHEN YOU HEAR THAT?
>> THERE SEEMS TO BE A FEELING OF, THAT THAT IS JUST THE WAY IT IS.
BUT I DO THINK THAT WHILE THERE IS ALMOST LIKE OKAY, DOES EVERYONE FEEL LIKE THIS WHEN THEY FIRST GET INTO UNDERSTANDING POLITICS, WHEN THEY GET OUT OF COLLEGE, AND A LOT OF THE STUFF STARTS APPLYING TO YOU, OKAY, IS THERE REALLY A CONCERN TO WEAR A LOT OF THIS DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO US AND A LOT OF THIS DOES SEEM LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF HEAVY BLOCKAGE ALMOST, WHEN IT COMES TO WASHINGTON WORKING TOGETHER AND GETTING A LOT OF THIS STUFF DONE TO WHERE WE CAN FEEL ASSURED THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
>> YOU MENTIONED HOPEFULNESS.
IS THERE ANYTHING GIVING YOU HOPE RIGHT NOW OTHER THAN THE GRADUATION IN YOUR SITE?
>> YEAH, I THINK LIKE EMMA SAID, I THINK OUR GENERATION IS VERY POWERFUL AND MAYBE THAT'S WITH THE RISE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BUT THE ABILITY FOR US TO ORGANIZE AND COME TOGETHER AS A NATION, IT'S JUST REALLY BEAUTIFUL TO SEE, AND I REALLY THINK BACK TO WHEN MY LOCAL COMMUNITY WAS DOING A PROTEST AND THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO WAS YOU KNOW, THE CENTER AND YOUNG PEOPLE ORGANIZED IT AND PUT OUT SIGNS IN ALL OF THESE THINGS AND WE ARE MARCHING AROUND CAMPUS AND THE CITY AND THAT WAS JUST A REALLY BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE THAT YOU KNOW, YES, THERE IS MAYBE SOME APATHY FROM SOME FOLKS, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS A GENERATION, WE WANT OUR NATION TO BE BETTER AND AS A GENERATION, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR PEACE AND EQUALITY AND JUSTICE AND ALL OF THESE THINGS.
IT MAKES ME FEEL A HUGE SENSE OF PRIDE KNOWING THAT, A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT WE ARE SEEING THAT ARE CHANGING, ALL THE POSITIVE CHANGES ARE COMING OUT BECAUSE WE DEMANDED FOR THEM.
I THINK AS WE GROW AND AS WE CONTINUE TO GET OLDER, YOU KNOW, I HOPE AND PRAY THAT OUR ZEAL AND OUR FIGHT DOESN'T LEAVE US, BUT EVEN IF IT DOES, THAT WE WILL HAVE THE NEXT GENERATION TO PICK THAT BACKUP FOR US.
>> WHAT GAVE ME HOPE IS THAT THERE WERE 22 AWESOME STUDENT JOURNALISTS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY, DOING THIS AMAZING WORK.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.

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