The Power of Young Black Women’s Votes

Sana Mamtaney | Ms. | October 5th, 2022

On National Voter Registration Day, panelists discussed youth voter turnout and the importance of its impact on the fight for equal rights.

Lexi Bushrod was in the fifth grade when she came home and her parents sat her down to tell her about the Sandy Hook shooting. She graduated high school during the pandemic, less than a month after George Floyd was killed by law enforcement. She completed her first year of college at Howard University completely online.

Bushrod’s story isn’t unlike that of many other youth voters. Today’s young people are tired, disappointed. We’ve been through a lot, but that hasn’t stopped Bushrod, and many other passionate members of Gen Z.

Today, she works toward getting out the youth vote, especially for young Black women, as the Treasurer for Howard University’s chapter of Black Girls Vote.

Bushrod spoke at the Getting out the Vote for Equality Roundtable hosted by the ERA Coalition and the Howard University Political Science Department on Sept. 20, National Voter Registration Day. Joining Bushrod were Dr. Robinson Woodward-Burns, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Zakiya Thomas, President and CEO of the ERA Coalition and Fund for Women’s Equality and Nandi Perry, Director of Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion of Gen Z for Change.

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