WASHINGTON, D.C. —  Recently, Justice + Joy National Collaborative (Justice + Joy), an intergenerational gender and racial justice advocacy nonprofit, released insights from Fixing Democracy, a national study and youth civic engagement initiative focused on marginalized girls, young women, and gender-expansive young people of color aged 16-25.

Focus group participants viewed democracy as a dysfunctional system that doesn’t work for people like them. True democratic reform means liberation and freedom from the current oppressive and exploitative systems, with a focus on local change over national politics. They expressed fear of civil war and how deeply they need and value safety, human rights, community, and mutual aid.

From the pandemic to Supreme Court decisions affecting homelessness and the loss of reproductive rights, young people of color who have experienced chronic adversity have been disproportionately impacted by political events and systems yet are often invisible in mainstream polling, funding, and discourse. Fixing Democracy elevates the voices of an overlooked segment of the Gen Z electorate and creates a model for systems change and intergenerational activism.

“Young voters of color feel democracy has failed them, and it’s true,” said Jeannette Pai-Espinosa, President of Justice + Joy, formerly National Crittenton, on the findings. “In their short lifetimes, Gen Z has experienced many traumatizing events from COVID-19 to the insurrection on January 6th, increased mass shootings, and the attempted assassination of a candidate for President. Violence is being used to solve problems, and systems have been weaponized against them. From abortion rights to civil rights, they are fighting for freedom and to regain basic autonomy. As we near a critical election year, our research finally puts them at the center of the conversation. It’s not enough to save democracy; it’s past time to fix it.”

“It’s time to make space for young voices, not simply use us to fill it,” added Genisus Holland, a 21-year-old  youth advocate, in an open call to policymakers. “If a cohesive, just, and strong future is truly what you want, then you must make a path that all of us can walk together. Support us in being leaders in the fight for our future. Let’s change the world together, or it won’t change at all.”

Key Findings Include:

1. Young voters of color fear civil war and think the country has reached a breaking point, especially because of political division, the unaffordability of life, and everyday needs not being met. 
2. Gen Z voters of color think democracy works in theory but not in practice. Liberation resonated more with transgender participants, while freedom resonated more with cisgender participants.
3. Their dream candidate is a woman of color who is an unapologetic advocate for issues that matter to them, including gender justice, the working class, and a ceasefire in Palestine.
4. Local change feels more achievable than national change to young voters of color. 
5. Participants are driven by community, family, mutual aid, collective power, and political actions to help each other meet their needs. 
6. Young voters don’t feel that politicians, especially Trump and Biden, represent them or listen to them.
7. Young voters of color are deeply cynical about the power of voting, particularly at a national level.  
8. Despite systemic oppression, Gen Z voters of color are resilient and committed to striving for better for themselves and others. 
9. Young voters of color think adults and politicians hold negative views of young people;  at best, they are apathetic or view them as invisible; at worst, they are considered subhuman and exploited in the media and for political gain.

Fixing Democracy is conducted in partnership with Lake Research Partners and HIT Strategies.

“This is by far one of the most comprehensive and in-depth studies on system-impacted young people of color,” said Celinda Lake, Principal at Lake Research Partners, and Roshni Nedungadi, Co-founder and Chief Research Officer at HIT Strategies, in a joint statement. “Other studies include these voices, but this initiative centers them. We constantly have to dispel myths about young people. They are cynical about the system – for good reasons – yet they desperately want to be involved in creating change. We are at a crossroads and these voices are critical for progressive change and having true freedom.”

The multi-phase initiative consists of nationwide focus groups to gauge the issues and values important to this group of voters of color, message testing, and a toolkit and civic engagement campaign for young adults, activists, policymakers, and philanthropic leaders. Fixing Democracy is supported by The New York Women’s Foundation and Tides Foundation Advancing Girls Fund.

Follow these links to view the full report of findings and on-demand briefing.

About Justice + Joy

Justice and Joy National Collaborative (Justice + Joy) is an intergenerational, gender, and racial justice advocacy and organizing nonprofit advancing social, economic, and political equity with and for girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth. Our goals are to achieve collective power to advance justice, establish affirming social narratives, and build ecosystems of support. We envision a world where all girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth of color can achieve their potential and live unapologetically joyful lives without fear of violence or injustice. www.justiceandjoynatl.org.