With upcoming November elections and the primaries about a year away, the 13th Congressional District is reaching out to potential voters.
On Sept. 30, in partnership with the Osborn Neighborhood Alliance, the 13th hosted a “Youth Mobilization Summit,” its first political workshop dedicated to youth.
The workshop held at the Matrix Center opened with general lessons about Michigan political power structure, evolving into conversations about precinct-level organizing and the role of youth in creating and sustaining political power in the neighborhoods.
“Young folks are too often dismissed because of their age, and aren't given a real opportunity to bring their experiences to the table,” said workshop host MaReno Taylor II, regional political organizer for the Michigan Democratic Party.
“We want to bridge that divide and give youth an opportunity to take a leadership role in reshaping our communities,” said long-term organizer Taylor.
Estmat Ishag-Osman, another workshop organizer, who has worked with the 13th Congressional District since February, said the district started these trainings to “make politics more accessible to the community.”
Ishag-Osman believes that Chairman Jonathan Kinloch’s re-election in February is also to thank.
“Before he became chairman, there was no structure, and no presence of the congressional district in neighborhoods,” Ishag-Osman said.
The 13th District doesn’t want the workshop to be its only connection to youth. The 13th is currently planning a town hall for youth to voice their thoughts and ideas.
“In a democracy, knowledge is everything...to be able to make any change in your community, you have to know not only the issues that are going on, but (also) how you can work within the system to fix them,” says the 27-year-old Michigan State graduate.
Co-facilitator Taylor agreed. During the training, Taylor stressed the importance of community-based organizing, telling the students that “the issues you see in the world are ones you’ll eventually have to fix, and it starts with working in your community.”
In one of his explanations, Taylor made sure to mention that youth involvement was the most important. “It's important to reach out to youth to make sure they're educated and aware of the decisions being made on their behalf without their input, that could directly affect their futures,” the Detroit native stated.
But Taylor also states frankly that there is more to grassroots organizing than speaking out.
He wants Detroit’s youth to know that there are careers for those who want to be engaged in the community.
