As I stood among fellow Minnesotans at a DFL Get Out The Vote event in Minneapolis, listening to Attorney General Keith Ellison and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, I felt the weight of this election more than ever. Their words underscored a pivotal truth: our nation stands at a crossroads, and the direction we choose now will shape not just the next four years, but the next sixty.
Attorney General Ellison highlighted the progress we’ve made in Minnesota—universal school meals, legalized marijuana, protected reproductive rights, and restored voting rights for formerly incarcerated individuals. These achievements are not just policy wins; they are investments in our communities and our future. Lt. Governor Flanagan reminded us that “when we vote, we win,” emphasizing the power each of us holds to influence the trajectory of our nation.
But recent events have cast a shadow over this optimism. In Oregon and Washington, ballot drop boxes were set on fire, destroying hundreds of ballots. These attacks are not just crimes; they are direct assaults on our democracy, attempts to silence our voices and undermine the very foundation of our electoral process. In a time when voices of our generation are rising louder than ever, there are forces actively working to prevent our voices from being heard.
As a member of Gen Z and a young Black woman, I understand the stakes of this election on a deeply personal level. My generation is the most diverse in American history, and we are coming of age in a time of profound social and political upheaval. The decisions made today will determine whether we inherit a nation that values our contributions and respects our rights, or one that forces us to fight tirelessly to reclaim freedoms that should never have been in question.
For Black Gen Z, the stakes are even higher. In the past few years, we’ve seen our generation lead protests, mobilize communities, and demand accountability for racial injustice. We took to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and so many others whose lives were unjustly cut short. But I need to be real with you, because if we claim to be fighting for justice, we cannot sit at home on Election Day. We cannot call for change while refusing to exercise the most powerful tool we have to bring it about: our vote.
This election isn’t just about checking a box for a candidate. It’s about protecting our right to live freely, to make decisions about our own bodies, and to have a voice in a country that too often tries to silence us. When we vote, we’re telling the world that Black lives do matter, not just on protest signs or hashtags, but in every aspect of our society. And to those who may feel disillusioned or skeptical, I say this: voting is not the end of our fight—it’s the beginning. Protests and marches bring attention to the issues, but votes bring the power to enact laws, to elect officials who stand with us, and to remove those who don’t.
Recent rhetoric from some leaders reveals the very forces we’re up against. At a Republican rally in New York City, a speaker referred to Puerto Rico as “an island of trash floating in the ocean.” This statement was not just offensive; it was a deliberate attempt to dehumanize an entire community. This isn’t new. Trump and Senator J.D. Vance have spread similar lies about Haitian immigrants, accusing them of actions they never committed, just to stoke fear and resentment. This isn’t accidental—this is a playbook of division, a way to keep us distracted from what truly matters. When we let this language go unchallenged, it lays the groundwork for policies that harm our communities and limit our futures.
As Black Gen Z, we’re inheriting a world where our rights are not guaranteed. We have seen the rollback of fundamental protections, from voting rights to reproductive autonomy. We know the stakes because we live them daily. We know the cost of sitting out of the process because we have seen, time and again, what happens when people who do not represent our interests are elected into positions of power. This election will set the tone for decades to come. Do we want leaders who will serve as bridges to the inclusive, equitable future we envision, or those who build barricades, forcing us to spend our lives dismantling the damage done in one election? Another Trump presidency won’t just set us back; it will create hurdles that could take a lifetime to overcome.
To my fellow Black Gen Z voters: if there was ever a time to show up, it is now. Our votes aren’t just expressions of preference; they are declarations of the future we demand. We must understand that the policies enacted today will shape our lives and the lives of generations after us. We cannot afford to be complacent, skeptical, or silent. We cannot sit back and hope someone else makes the right choice for us.
Voting is our chance to prove that we will not be silenced, that we will not be deterred by fear tactics, voter suppression, or even the destruction of ballot boxes. We owe it to ourselves, our communities, and to those who fought for our right to vote. And we owe it to those who will come after us, who will look back on this time and judge us by what we did—or did not do—when our future was on the line.
So, I urge every young Black voter: let’s make our voices heard. Let’s vote for the future we deserve. Let’s prove that we are not only witnesses to history—we are shapers of it. We are not just demanding change; we are creating it, one vote at a time. Because when we vote, we win. Not just for today, but for generations to come.
