Connecting with the African American Youth

The unprecedented levels of youth involvement in this 2008 presidential election have contributed to the historic aura that has encompassed our nation over the past year. The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation has coordinated with these youth efforts through the use of their Black Youth Vote! division. Founded in 1996, this grassroots organization seeks to empower young African Americans, who make up 50% of the entire black electorate, to impact change for the future. This organization has recognized the fact that the future of the black community, and our society as a whole, is dependent upon the next generation—our youth.

Black Youth Vote! focuses on a five-step plan for the empowerment of the African American youth and the youth as a whole. First, they intend to educate young adults on the importance of the connection between voting and every day public policy implications. They have furthered this cause by mounting a media campaign that promotes voter registration and issue education for young adults. Next, they define the impact that the youth vote will have in elections across the country. This process allows them to continue to create education and mobilization initiatives for the future in the most effectual regions of the country. Finally, they have established the necessary presence across the country to continue educating young voters about future elections.

The materialization of this plan can be seen on their website www.ncbcp.org/byv. Specifically, they reach out to the youth through creative rap lyrics and an audio attachment that promote involvement in politics. In a song titled “The Movement,” Black Youth Vote! encourages “action” instead of “talking” in order to “start making them listen.” The underlying concept being that the adult generation has set such low expectations for the youth that they do not even consider their views anymore. The song continues to ask the youth if they “know decisions that’s being made” with respect to “Medicaid, financial aid, minimum wage, and the war on Iraq.” Shrewdly, the organization focuses on issues that not only are crucial to society, but also are vital for the advancement of African Americans.

Black Youth Vote! has also enlisted the likes of celebrities like Bow Wow to inspire the youth to get involved. The use of celebrities has been especially helpful for connecting with the youth, a group fascinated by celebrity culture and easily wooed by the decisions of the famous. Bow Wow visited colleges in North Carolina earlier this month to initiate his Walk Across America Tour that intends to increase civic involvement amongst African American men and women ages 18-35. Bow Wow, who is requesting that the youth pledge to educate themselves, register, and vote, has made use of the social networking sites MySpace and YouTube. These sites, ones that have become embedded in the culture of the youth, are very useful for connecting with young Americans across the nation. By making videos, Bow Wow has been able to enter the homes of young Americans to personally implore them to follow his requests for civic involvement.

The efforts of Black Youth Vote! in conjunction with Bow Wow epitomize the optimal approach to connecting with the youth. Through new media and celebrity involvement, Black Youth Vote! has been able to mobilize young African American voters to take part in politics. As a non-partisan organization, they intend to continue their efforts to make young African Americans vote and educate themselves on the issues instead of requesting their allegiance to a specific party. The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation’s attempt to include the youth in 1996 through Black Youth Vote! has obviously paid off as youth involvement is record breaking in this election cycle.

For Further Reading:

http://www.bowwow87.com/

http://blackyouthvote2008.blogspot.com/2008/10/bow-takes-to-road-charlotte-and.html

http://www.ncbcp.org/byv/