Getting Ish Done: The Youth Movement Moves Beyond Voting
In 2008, young Americans proved their interest in voting and their passion for progressive causes. Now, a range of individuals and organizations are tackling the challenge of bringing the Millennial Generation—the largest, most diverse and most progressive in American history—into the realm of policy advancing. Join us for a structured conversation regarding tactics currently employed—and help us figure out how we can better transition from electorally-focused to passing progressive policy.
Smith is an Oregon native, graduate of the University of Oregon, and magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law. He clerked for the US Court of Appeals before returning to Oregon to found the Oregon Bus Project. His work with the Bus-a grassroots political incubator-has engaged thousands of new people to the political process and advocated for forward-thinking public policy.
In 2008 he succeeded now US Senator Merkely in the Oregon legislature. In his first session, he has co-sponsored landmark legislation to bring online voter registration to Oregon, put Government spending online, and update Oregon’s water policy.
Heather Smith is the President of Rock the Vote. In 2008, under Smith’s leadership, Rock the Vote ran the largest non-partisan voter registration campaign in history, and helped fuel historic young voter turnout. Prior to taking over Rock the Vote, Smith founded and directed Young Voter Strategies, which provided data and research on the youth vote as well as best practices to effectively mobilize young people. And in 2004 Smith served as national field director for the Student PIRGs New Voters Project. Smith started her career as an organizing director for Green Corps’ Field School for Environmental Organizing.
Christina Hollenback is the Director of Generational Alliance, a multi-issue, national collaboration of organizations that support the empowerment of low-income youth, youth of color, and LGBT youth. Christina was born and raised in Syracuse, NY and left to become a movie star via the University of Michigan where she took a different turn. Before coming to the GA, she worked for Planned Parenthood Federation, the League of Young Voters, the DNC as Field Director for the Maryland Democratic Party, WalMart Watch, American’s United to Protect Social Security, and the United States Student Association Foundation’s Electoral Action Project.
Williams is a Washington DC based political activist and commentator who works for the political empowerment of the Millenial generation, people of color, and other underrepresented communities. She currently serves as the Deputy Director of Campus Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress. Listed by Politico.com as one of 50 Politicos to Watch, she leads the organization and young people across the country in implementing national campaigns on a range of progressive policy issues. She is a former staffer of Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park.
The Executive Director of the League of Young Voters Education, Rob "Biko" Baker is a nationally recognized young leader. In his home community of Milwaukee, he has organized town hall meetings and used the power and agency of art to inform, mobilize, and motivate young people to participate in civic life. Baker has served as the deputy publicity coordinator and young voter organizer for the Brown and Black Presidential Forum. He has appeared on C-SPAN, Fox News and CNN, has interviewed luminaries Cornell West, Russell Simmons, and Howard Dean. Baker is a Ph.D. candidate at UCLA.
