For my generation, it seems like it’s been one crisis after another. As Gen Zers, we saw our parents lose their homes in 2007. My first time voting kind of resulted in tyranny, and when I graduated college, it was on the heels of a pandemic. These things have all happened under both Democratic and Republican leadership. These little missiles seem to keep hitting our lives, and many of us have become apathetic.
My whole life I have been dissatisfied with the way things are going. Then my best friend gave me the “Forward” book by Andrew Yang, and it really helped put into perspective the systematic problems with our society. I wanted to actually support my vote in the ballot box not just hold my nose and hope for the best.
I got involved with the Forward Party because it was the first time I felt that I could make a difference in politics and felt like something could be done to make democracy better. Forward allows us to fight for something different and to take a front seat in politics without having to buy into the same groups that have dropped the ball our whole lives.
After our Executive Committee Summit in North Carolina last month, I realized just how hungry people are to see something good happen in American politics. I see diverse individuals who want to stop extremism and just make the country better together. We all come from different backgrounds, different political affiliations, different age groups…and it’s kind of ridiculous that we’re all fighting for the same things still! I feel hopeful that we can help the country, and it’s amazing to see people just as passionate about it as I am.
Our group doesn’t make any sense. I don’t get how a bunch of old guys can meet with a bunch of young guys, a Black conservative and a Black liberal can sit in the same room, and all can come to agreeable terms. But I know this is only because we have been conditioned to think otherwise. My ragtag group is going to shake the country, and I couldn’t be more ready.