Progressive Youth Potluck and Panel

Photos and article by Jude Hirsch

The Chicago High School Democrats hosted a potluck and panel featuring alderperson Byron Sigcho-Lopez, demcast copyeditor Joanne Oyer, and youth activism director Devan Keesling, Saturday, May 17th.

It was a huge success, with over 30 youth across Chicago, lively discussions, and, of course, fantastic food!

The top take away? We need new elected officials. We need the youth.

As Oyer explained, "how we protect democracy without carrying [political] baggage is [by] elect[ing] young people." With the same politicians re-elected year after year, policies remain stagnant and political baggage grows. We need new young progressives to step in and change this narrative.

How can we do this? Now, there may not be one perfect solution. But this change can grow day by day. By empowering youth and creating spaces for discussion, we reinforce the importance of young people in politics. It takes the youth to uplift the youth, and a simple conversation builds this foundation. Events like this potluck help Sigcho-Lopez "see the future so much brighter," and help lay the foundation for change.

The biggest threat to involvement in politics right now is "big money" not allowing for public opinion to make change, but instead actions subservient to private interest. However, this new wave of youth in politics can combat this with grassroots foundations and casual conversations. Many of the panelists noted a historic key flaw in democratic coalition building as a lack of normalcy in conversations and advocacy, which offputs many individuals. Instead, these new strategies of progressive youth can help develop and grow a new generation of strong, young, elected officials.

We hope to see you soon at events like these!