Young People Are Committed to Realizing the Promise of Democracy
This post is written by Nellie Ellis, a working group member of PACE’s Civic Language Perceptions Project.
America is often described as a melting pot, a phrase that was first popularized in 1908 in a play by Israel Zangwill. He depicted a utopian vision of America that welcomed all people, a place where rivalry and hate were triumphed by brotherhood and love. The metaphor has persisted for generations, suggesting that our nation has successfully blended together a variety of ethnicities, cultures, races, and religions. Today, we know that, for many people, the melting pot has been a myth — a broken promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Yes, America has gathered people of various cultures on its shore, but inclusivity, representation, and equitable opportunities have been all but few for many. As a result, discrimination, hate, and bigotry have been able to thrive. Recent events have illustrated that discrimination, inequity, and racial resentment are alive and well.
At the same time, narratives that counter these troubling ideologies are also growing louder and challenging the roots of racism and white supremacy.
Stories from people of all walks of life have found their way into the mainstream — on TV, in books, and online. New shows like Black-ish, Fresh off The Boat, and One Day at a Time tell honest stories of families of color in popular culture. Series like When They See Us tell heart-rending historical stories of discrimination and oppression, broadcasting the grim realities of social injustice to average Americans. These stories are mainstream entertainment, but eye-opening in a way that contributes to the collective awakening of Americans to the harsh realities of inequality in America. Popular novels are also capturing these stories. Two fairly new New York Times best-selling books — which both became popular films — include The Hate U Give and The Sun is Also a Star, stories centering themes of race, discrimination, and the experience of being black and brown in America.
Outside of the mainstream spotlight, everyday people are able to share their stories as well through social media, which has created a platform for many who were historically excluded form mainstream culture to share their views, struggles, and triumphs with the world. Online campaigns like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo have started national conversations about inequality, sparking widespread action that is shifting American culture toward equity.
Of course, social media has also provided a platform for the backlash to the momentum as well — as those who oppose equity have expressed and organized against this evolution in American culture. We have seen these violent sentiments play out across our nation, in places like Charlottesville in 2017, when a white supremacist group held a violent and deadly protest. We’ve seen it in the Charleston church shooting where nine worshipers were murdered because of the color of their skin. We also see backlash against equality and diversity in political gerrymandering that aims to suppress voters of certain beliefs and backgrounds.
With such opposition gaining energy and national attention, the youth of today feel like the progress our country has made toward racial equity and diversity is being threatened. And they’re taking action. In PACE’s recent Civic Language Perceptions Project, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of Americans across the political spectrum about words we use to describe civic engagement and democracy, one trend became clear right away: young people think and talk more about racial equity and diversity than any other age group. They were also more likely to hear, use, and have an emotional reaction to the word “diversity,” and more likely to “like,” “use,” and have an emotional reaction to “racial equity.” (To learn more about the survey data, you can access the quantitative research memo here.)
As a young person myself, these findings ring true to my experience.
The change young people have experienced in our society — the trend toward equality, justice, and inclusion — is one they are willing to fight for. I believe the terms “diversity” and “ racial equity” drew an emotional reaction from young people because we are in the midst of a battle to preserve and protect a more equal and diverse America. We were born into that fight and we’re committed to seeing it through.
The democracy that previous generations learned about in school — with values like “liberty” and “justice” for all, is not the reality we see today. Those words — alongside “patriotism” and “democracy” itself tended to rank more highly with older generations than with young people. I believe that young people today really do care about these values as well, but we don’t see them reflected in the democracy we were promised, which is why “racial equity” and “diversity” are at the top of our minds.
We are a generation who has witnessed a rise in inclusivity, representation, and opportunities for all Americans. We are a generation who values the importance of diversity and racial equity because it has been a part of our consciousness for most of our lives; these aren’t just abstract terms — they are integral values. We are a generation that wants to ensure that America continues to make progress toward being a true melting pot.
My name is Nellie Ellis, and I’m a high school Senior. Throughout my school career I have actively pursued my passion of making positive change through civic action. Some highlights on the national portion of that work have been the Citizens University Youth Collaboratory, the American Civil Liberties Union Advocacy Institute, and America’s Promise’s State of Young People. I also work at home by being apart of groups like Promising Appalachian Leaders in Service and Kentucky Youth Advocates. Whether I’m traveling across the country or simply to my state capital, I am always trying to give and receive knowledge that I can use to grow as a leader.
