By Morgan Kinney, CCL Staff
On National Voter Registration Day, September 22nd, Jehmu Greene, former President of Rock the Vote, current Fox News political analyst, and lifelong social justice advocate, addressed a live audience of 100+ members of the Rice Community. From her many years of experience registering, educating, and mobilizing young voters, Greene brought a message of optimism, stating that she believes we are “closer to the promise of America than ever before.” Greene helped us kick off the Right to Vote series, sponsored through grant funding from the Humanities Resource Center and in partnership with the Moody Center for the Arts and the Politics, Law, and Social Thought program.
Greene’s message of optimism was undergirded by themes of youth empowerment, and facing uncomfortable truths for the sake of change. She started off by highlighting the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy of women’s rights as a demonstration of the impact one individual can have on the future of our nation. “The difference that one person can make, should be celebrated,” Greene stated in reflection of our recent loss of the legal giant, but, she transitioned “the difference a generation can make, is what I am so excited about.”
With vast experience in media and political reporting, Greene recognized and rejected the inaccurate narrative often promoted in said media that young people are disengaged. “No social change movement, not just in this country, but in the world—has ever been led by older people,” she remarked. Greene cited youth rates of volunteering and increasing numbers of young candidates running for office, and particularly the powerful role of youth in the recent activism against police violence and for community-based policing solutions.
On the topic of the day, voter registration and mobilization, Greene had this qualifier to add to her message of optimism: “Until we get to … 100% turnout, there will be work to be done.” Further, she proposed that bringing election processes “into the 21st century” is the way to do this work. She pointed to Jenna Griswold of Colorado, the youngest Secretary of State in the country, as the best example of voting accessibility due to a widespread mail-in voting plan with e-mail notifications of ballot receipts and online options for troubleshooting the process.
Greene concluded with a message of embracing discomfort: “If we rely on comfort, we go into our corners, we talk amongst ourselves, in a very small bubble” that comfort, Greene says, “that’s not going to create change.” She pointed to the friendship between liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and conservative Justice Antonin Scalia as evidence and promise that we can reach outside our small bubbles to build community out of discomfort. Greene also drew her experience as a progressive political analyst at FOX News to emphasize the importance of identifying and emphasizing shared values as a starting point to encouraging folks to join in uncomfortable and necessary conversations. Young people, she said, are more likely to lean into discomfort, a key reason why youth represent great potential for change. Greene ended with a call to youth to “grab the mic” when an opportunity arises to make your voice heard and to engage others in the uncomfortable truths of our society that need changing, adding finally that “nerves are expected. Embrace the feeling of anticipation or unknowing and know that that is where change happens.”
If you weren't able to attend the event, you can watch the full event recording here: Jehmu Greene - Full Event Recording
Visit ricevotes.rice.edu for more voter education, and mobilization resources.