I had the honor of being invited to the White House on behalf of Rise for an insightful meeting with the Office of the Vice President to discuss Voting Rights. With youth voting rights under attack across the country, it is a critical time to strategize and act to ensure young people’s voices are heard at the ballot box this November.
The conversation centered around our strategy for National Voter Registration Day (NVRD), where we outlined our plan to hire 500 Ambassadors and organize Rise Universities in key target states. These efforts will focus on registering students to vote, providing them with civic engagement training, and getting out the vote (GOTV) in November, ensuring young voters are equipped to make their voices heard.
In addition to NVRD, we tackled the challenges and barriers to voting faced by many Americans, particularly those from marginalized and underrepresented communities. I had the opportunity to share the work we’re doing through our Black the Vote program, which is dedicated to empowering HBCU students by offering training and resources to combat voter suppression on their campuses and in their surrounding communities.
The meeting reinforced the critical role that grassroots organizations like Rise play in the fight for voting rights. By working closely with students and young people, we are not only addressing immediate barriers to voting but also building a stronger foundation for long-term civic engagement. As we move forward with our plans, I am excited about the impact we will make this fall and beyond!
