Generation Progress Summer Magazine 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

6

4

10 Years of Progress

10

12

Five Minutes With

It’s On Us

14 18 26 35

Progressive Economics

16 20 32 36

Higher Ed, Not Debt

Immigration

Gun Violence Prevention

Criminal Justice

GP Global

Civic Engagement

At The Supreme Court

From Our Networks

Generation Progress Magazine Summer 2015 Our Team Sarah Audelo Policy Director Gracie Aylmer Special Assistant Kristin Avery Campaign Manager, It’s On Us Liana Bishop Digital Communications

Associate

Keagan Buchanan For-Profit Campaign

Manager, Higher Ed, Not Debt Chelsea Coatney Communications Associate Kurston Cook Special Projects Manager Hannah Finnie Associate Editor Sunny Frothingham Policy Advocate Charlotte Hancock Digital Director,

Higher Ed, Not Debt Sheila E. Isong Policy Manager Anne Johnson Executive Director Rebecca Kaplan Partnership Manager,

It’s On Us Nicholas Kitchel Advocacy Associate Jamal Little Senior Press Associate Jessi Morales Policy Advocate Lauren Sills Advocacy Manager Mayu Takeda Advocacy Associate Maggie Thompson Campaign Manager,

Higher Ed, Not Debt Layla Zaidane Communications Director

Michael Beyer, Fiona Carroll, Asheeka Desai, Rebecca Drago, Martese Johnson, Russell Mindich, Josh Odam, Jordan Uter Generation Progress Interns

FROM THE DIRECTOR 2015 marks the 10th year we’ve worked to create progressive change for the Millennial generation. In those 10 years, we’ve engaged millions of young American on the issues most important to our generation.

We’ve advocated for student loan borrowers, launched a gun violence prevention network, and worked to ensure everyone gets a fair shot in our economy. And in the past year alone, we have expanded our global reach, grown our talented team to create progressive change, and launched two national campaigns, Higher Ed, Not Debt and It’s On Us. Over the next 10 years, Generation Progress will continue to mobilize and engage more Millennials in conversations about creating progressive change. Advocating for the LGBT and immigrant communities will continue to be a focus of our human and civil rights work. While marriage is now legal for all, too many of our LGBT peers can still be fired or denied housing for simply being themselves. We need employment non-discrimination protections to make sure everyone is treated equally under the law.

In addition, we will continue our social justice work through advocating for our undocumented peers and working with our gun violence prevention network. We will also fight to ensure that everyone gets a fair shot in this economy.

Our generation—nearly 95 million strong—will soon be the largest generation in our country’s history. For the past 10 years, we’ve worked to elevate the voices of our generation to make sure we’re heard at the ballot box and by legislators across the country. We will continue that work, advocating for our generation to create progressive change in our communities and beyond.

Executive Director, Generation Progress

genprogress.org @genprogress /GenProgress @genprogress genprogress.tumblr.com hello@genprogress.org Published by Generation Progress Center for American Progress 1333 H St. NW, 10th Floor Washington, D.C. 20005 Printed in the United States To republish this material, please visit genprogress.org/terms Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 3

Five Minutes With

John Podesta Photo Courtesy of AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta

BY HANNAH FINNIE

John Podesta sat down with us to talk about everything from climate change to “The X-Files” to how young people can lead the way in implementing innovative solutions to today’s problems. Podesta founded the Center for American Progress, served as Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton, and recently served as Counselor to President Obama.

You founded the Center for American Progress (CAP) back in 2003 and served as its first president and CEO. What inspired you to start CAP, and what would you tell young people who want to make a difference in their communities but don’t know where to start? Let me start with the first question. A bunch of us were feeling like the country was off on a seriously wrong track. It was just at the beginning of the Iraq war. It was my view that that was a strategic disaster. We were in the throes of passing two massive tax cuts to the wealthy, the result of which led to growing inequality and planted the seeds of the Great Recession. I think more than any of the particulars on the policy front, this was kind of a post-9/11 period and it felt like progressive voices had been silenced in the country.

We looked around the landscape and there was no one who was successfully doing what CAP was able to do—which was to build a multi-issue progressive think tank, give coherence to what a progressive vision of America could look like, and combine that with an effective communications platform… There was a gaping hole to fill both in terms of trying to put a coherent set of progressive ideas out there but also then to have the wherewithal to communicate it effectively within the public sphere.

As for the second question, I’m very taken by the fact that young people are actually pretty entrepreneurial these days. When they see a problem they get together, scratch their heads, and begin to figure it out. I don’t think there’s a 4 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

boilerplate answer to that other than to apply innovation, determination, and creativity to the problem… Young people have the sophistication and the tools—and as I said it’s a pretty entrepreneurial generation—to start things and make the social connections to make a difference. I won’t give a seasoned veteran’s view about the way to go from step one to step two other than to know your purpose, know your cause, and what problem you want to solve and go from there.

As you’ve seen Campus Progress grow and develop into Generation Progress over the years, what lessons have you gleaned about the role young people play in the progressive movement? I think they supply a lot of the energy and passion. When Sarah Wartell, Neera Tanden, and I started CAP, we wrote and executed a real business plan about how to start the center for American progress. I often commented the one thing we didn’t foresee to include in that business plan was the idea of building Campus Progress, which turned into Generation Progress.

That was an idea that was really sparked by some of the young staff. The first person who came to me with that idea was a guy named Ben Hubbard... In these early days, he was just a year or so out of college, and he really came up with the idea that there was a space to support campus advocacy and campus journalism that was being supported on the right and not on the left…

It was the insights and creativity of the young staff at CAP that led to the development of

that program and it was their determination to get it up and going that made it successful…. It’s just grown and continued to be fresh, I think because the young people who are part of Generation Progress are always bringing fresh energy, fresh ideas, fresh approaches, and fresh communications techniques.

It’s always kind of rediscovering itself.

What issue today do you think is most important for young people? The main challenge facing young people today is how we build a big, inclusive economy where opportunity is supported and made possible for people across the board, across the country, and across the world. How do you build a more peaceful and inclusive society and one that produces the kind of prosperity that is broadly shared? That’s the central economic challenge that we face. How do we ensure that wages are growing, that people can live out their dreams and have the kind of support that they need from their community broadly and from their country to be successful? And that I think is juxtaposed against what is in my mind the dominant need to address the real challenge of climate change, which I think will overlay tremendous complexity to security challenges, economic challenges, and economic challenges.

Your grandparents never attended school, and your father had to drop out of high school after his first year to support his family. You’ve said that you were only able to attend college because of the financial support you received from your college. We seem to be in the midst of a crisis in higher education, what should we be doing to make higher education a truly public good? When I was growing up my brother and I both went to school but my parents had zero money. But the combination of, at that time, federal and state support meant that we essentially graduated from college debtfree. Colleges were less expensive and you could make a little bit of money on the side. The aid was commensurate with the ability to go to college for people like us, and that was true of a pretty broad swath of my peers. Now college inflation has outpaced inflation more generally, costs have gone up substantially, and states have pulled back support. The federal government provides support mostly through loans. People come out of school in a situation that I think is deplorable. We have to try to get more value for a lower cost. We have to get more support so that people can leave school either debt-free or with a manageable amount of loans

that you could pay off with a decent job…

The president put the idea of two years of free community college on the table and I think that’s a great idea. I think there are ways we could refinance the current student debt at lower rates and the federal government ought to pursue that. Ultimately I think the trajectory of this rising costs and rising debt is going to crush prospects for people trying to really get the most out of the education that everyone urges them to get.

There’s a special problem with for-profit colleges in terms of high cost and low value—that’s not true across the board of course. But there is a special need to look at what is happening in that for-profit space, which sucks up a lot of financial aid provided by the federal government at a lot of places for a low return and at some places outright scandal. Again, that’s a special case but I think more broadly, even at four-year public schools, costs have outpaced people’s ability to pay. There are different models that have been put forward and we ought to have a good debate in this country about how we settle and solve this problem. I’m sort of partial to more aid in the form of grants and making sure when people take out loans they’re done in an income-contingent way.

You wrote a book back in 2008 on an issue of particular importance to you: climate change. Why is it especially important for young people to care about this issue? I think going forward over the next couple of decades it’s the great disrupter. It’s the thing that’s going to not just change and reorder the natural world but change and reorder society more broadly. As Pope Francis’ encyclical put it, the failure to care for the earth will have consequences that are deep and profound. I think that it’s going to be the center of what people are thinking about as a top-tier challenge and problem in government, in business, and in their own lives. In the days when I started thinking and writing about this, that seemed sort of far off but now it seems right at hand. The disturbances in the equilibrium we experience are just going to get more severe. That’s not just a function of reducing emissions but really responding to building more resilient societies that can manage the kind of change the world is going to experience over the coming decades.

What’s your life motto? The one I usually stick with is: “The truth is out there.” That’s a line from “The X-Files.”

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 5

10

YEARS OF MAKING PROGRESS

BY LAYLA ZAIDANE

From its founding in 2005, Generation Progress (then called Campus Progress) has been about making progressive change for young people, by young people.

“We wanted to engage more young people in politics and policy from a wide range of backgrounds, especially people who may not have known that you could make making change a career,” said David Halperin, founder of the organization and Executive Director until 2011. “We wanted to give them the tools to make positive change.”

Since then, Generation Progress has led young people in doing just that. At the 2015 Make Progress National Summit, we are honoring 10 incredible young Change Makers for the outstanding progress they have made on a variety of different issues. These individuals have worked with Generation Progress to fight for economic justice and protections for the LGBT community, tackle the crippling issue of student loan debt, and prevent gun violence in our communities.

They’re ending sexual assault on college campuses, engaging other young people in our democracy, and telling our stories to the world.

Lifting up the voices of the Millennial generation is how it all started: Generation Progress was born out of a need to invest in ideas. Working directly with young people to educate and engage them around progressive ideas has always been priority. However, in the first year of its existence, Generation Progress quickly expanded to include a focus on supporting youth activism around the country. For the next nine years, Generation Progress worked alongside partner organizations and individuals like our Change Makers on moving our country towards a more progressive future.

Check out the timeline below to see a few of the highlights from the past 10 years, and read about each of our Change Makers to learn how they’re making a difference.

2005

2005

2005

Campus Progress launches

First event, with Rev. Al Sharpton

Launched the Voices Network

2008

2009

2007 Led young people in political protests

Promoted youth activism at concerts and festivals (with the Foo Fighters!)

2006 Then-Senator Obama at the Campus Progress summit

2010

Advocated for CP “Vote Again” passage of the video gets shoutout Affordable Care Act on Jay Leno

2012

2013

2013

2014

Lobbied for low interest rates on student loans

Began our gun violence prevention network

Rebranded to Generation Progress

Launched two new national campagins

6 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

2006 Expanded to support local advocacy campaigns

2011 Youth roundtables with Leader Pelosi

2015 10 years old!

Jamira Burley Analiese Eicher Senior Campaigner at Amnesty International | Member of the GP Gun Violence Prevention Network

What does ‘make progress’ mean to you? It means using your passion, knowledge, and resources in order to create and demand change that is equal and just for everyone.

What one concrete piece of advice would you give young people trying to make a difference? Everyone is the expert of their own experience, so live in your truth and allow that to help guide your work.

Program and Development Director at One Wisconsin Now and One Wisconsin Institute | Member of GP Partner Organization

What issue do you think is most important to young people today? For most of us who have student loans, student loan debt is our most important issue. We have ideas, we have dreams, we have solutions, and we also have student loan debt. Imagine what we could do if we didn’t collectively have $1.3 trillion in debt!

What’s your life motto? Is “there’s always money in the banana stand?” an acceptable answer? Kidding, mostly. I try to have a sense of humor about life. Some things are going to be great. Some things are really going to suck.

Decide what makes you happy and fight for it.

What would you like to see young people come together to change in the next 10 years? The biggest impact I think anyone can make is changing how we treat each other. When we start treating everyone the way How can we inspire young people to become more we hope to be treated, we can create communities that civically engaged? Give them the opportunity! Most of sees our differences as something to celebrate and not us who do this work are in it because someone gave us an justification to exclude. opportunity when we were young.

Change Makers

Robert Fisher

Intern for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions | Former GP Intern

What’s your life motto? If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together

Mary González State Representative of House District 75 in the Texas House of Representatives | GP Partner

What does ‘make progress’ mean to you? In my office, we are explicitly committed to interrupting oppression whenever possible. And, to me, this is progress.

What’s the most rewarding part of working with young people? When I work with other Millennials, I witness their capacity to do amazing things for their communities and it gives me hope that young people can truly can make a difference. Of course, change will not come overnight, but it is rewarding to feel like I am part of a generation of people vigorously and energetically working to make the world a better place.

How has your connection to Generation Progress impacted your professional and personal life? It is important for us as a progressive movement to have spaces that bring us together in conversation. GP helps me to do that, most recently by working with our office to host a forum on economic policy initiatives for young people in Texas.

What would you like to see young people come together to change in the next 10 years? I would like to see young people come to together and change the demographics of our elected officials. So many identities are underrepresented in Congress, state legislatures, and city councils across the country.

How can we inspire young people to become more civically engaged? They already are engaged in the issues that are impacting them. As legislators, we have a responsibility to connect these issues with civic engagement by pursuing policies that matter to young people.

How has your connection to Generation Progress impacted your professional and personal life?

Whether it’s on sexual assault prevention with It’s On Us, or college affordability, or other issues affecting young people, Generation Progress helps me and the Administration make sure we are hearing what’s important to young people around the country.

What would you like to see young people come together to change in the next 10 years?

I think college, and at least community college, should be tuition free for those that can’t afford it in the next 10 years. I’d also like to see us increase the level of civic engagement in our generation to a point where young people are voting at the same rates as older Americans.

What one concrete piece of advice would you give young people trying to make a difference?

Be nice to everyone. Follow-up.

And be confident but humble.

Kyle Lierman Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement | It’s On Us launch partner

Angela Peoples

Co-Director of GetEQUAL | Former GP Staff

What one concrete piece of advice would you give young people trying to make a difference? Trust your instincts. There will always be people who are ready to give all kinds of advice or who will try to convince you to take action based on their perspective. But we all have those gut feelings, the driving force in us to help guide our path. Trust that feeling because it’s there for a reason.

What issue do you think is most important to young people today? Confronting white supremacy and taking steps to counter the deep impact it has on all areas of our society.

What’s your life motto? Lead with love. More love.

How can we inspire young people to become more civically engaged? I think the better question is how can we inspire those is power to take a step back and create space for more young people to lead the way.

What self-care tips and tricks do you use to avoid burn out and stay healthy? My self-care regimen is setting aside time to relax, reevaluate, unplug, and learn to say no without apology in an effort to achieve an appropriate work-life balance.

How has your connection to Generation Progress impacted your professional and personal life? This partnership has offered me the opportunity to connect and collaborate with other Millennials while providing space to have productive conversations about the policy choices that are available. Having an outlet dedicated to lifting up the needs and ideas of the Millennial generation benefits us all.

What one concrete piece of advice would you give young people trying to make a difference? Be sure to listen to and include the “voiceless” people in your communities. People of color and low-income folks are often not given a spot at the policy table.

Tazra Mitchell

Public Policy Analyst at the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center | Member of GP Partner Organization

Matt Singer

Executive Director of The Bus Foundation | Member of GP Partner Organization

How has your connection to Generation Progress impacted your professional and personal life? How GP treated me when I was in college reflects the values I try to bring to work—respect young people, trust them to lead their movement, and give them resources they need to win.

What issue do you think is most important to young people today? Millennials are one-third of the country.

We don’t have a most important issue. We have lots of them, and they’re largely interconnected, which means that we can’t pick a single issue to fix first. Be an ally to our interconnected movements even if you’re not putting other issues at the top of your list. We can’t win if we’re not together.

What one concrete piece of advice would you give young people trying to make a difference? Don’t look down on your brothers and sisters in the movement. Ask what they know that you don’t and learn from them.

What one concrete piece of advice would you give young people trying to make a difference in their communities? Be skeptical anytime someone tells you that “this is the way it’s always been done.” Change and progress are about doing things differently.

What issue do you think is most important to young people today? The Economy. From student debt to entry-level jobs, we need to make big fixes so that young people can be confident about the future.

What does ‘make progress’ mean to you? To make progress means to always remember that we should never simply settle for the status quo. We should always push for a better tomorrow, for ourselves and for the world around us.

What’s your life motto? Leave everything better than when you found it.

Rohit Chopra Center for American Progress Senior Fellow | GP Senior Fellow

If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

What does ‘make progress’ mean to you? Progress means always pushing and prodding toward a more inclusive and equitable society, little by little, bit by bit.

What inspires and drives you to do the work that you do? The opportunity to inform and add value to the policy debate, change the terms of the conversation and convince somebody–just one body!–of my point of view.

What young person inspires you? [GP Gun Violence Prevention Network Regional Organizer] Sarah Clements.

Her motivation, dedication, and sheer excitement about working for change–gun safety and other issues–is really awe-inspiring.

What self-care tips and tricks do you use to avoid burn out and stay healthy?

Unwind, unplug and relax—the news, politics, the cause will all still be there when you return.

Igor Volsky Director of Video and Contributing Editor at GP sistersite ThinkProgress

#WearingOrange June 2: National Gun Violence Prevention Day

Frederick Douglass

President Chris Shelton Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens District Vice Presidents • Dennis Trainor, District 1 • Ed Mooney, District 2-13 • Richard Honeycutt, District 3 • Linda Hinton, District 4 • Claude Cummings, Jr., District 6 • Brenda Roberts, District 7 • Tom Runnion, District 9 Lisa Bolton, Vice President, Telecommunications & Technologies • Brooks Sunkett, Vice President, Public, Health Care and Education Workers • Charles Braico, Vice President, NABET-CWA • Bernie Lunzer, Vice President, NewsGuild-CWA • Jim Clark, Vice President, IUE-CWA Industrial Division • Sara Nelson, Vice President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA • Dan Wasser, Executive Officer, Printing, Publishing and Media Workers Sector • Martin O’Hanlon, Director, CWA-SCA Canada At-Large Diversity Members • Frank Arce, Local 9400 • Anetra Session, Local 6327 • Vera Mikell, Local 2205 • Carolyn Wade, Local 1040

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 9

It’s On Us:

Changing the Culture Around Sexual Assault

One Campus At A Time Gallaudet University, Washington D.C.

Students are stepping up to fight campus sexual assault, organzing over 600 events in 48 states during the 2014-2015 school year. We asked Kishla Connor of Old Dominion University, Dakota Inman, a student-athlete at SUNY Oneonta, and Christina Berardi of Miami University Ohio what It’s On Us means to them.

What events did you host on campus this year?

KISHLA: Old Dominion hosted a Dine and Donate benefit, which encouraged students, faculty, and staff to take an active role in preventing sexual assault in our community. The highlight of the event was a screening of the documentary It Happened Here. We also hosted a Campus Kickback, which celebrated the 1,500 students who signed the It’s On Us pledge, and a Greek Step Show where the Greek community came together as one to take the pledge.

“

CHRISTINA: This year I hosted a Night of Unawareness, a student-led conversation and art gallery centered around the taboo of sexual violence on college campuses. With the goal of changing the discussion from “it doesn’t happen here” to “what can we do to change this,” the Night of Unawareness was a safe place to discuss the undiscussed.

It’s On Us has sparked conversations that students need to be having. - Christina

DAKOTA: I was a Resident Advisor in one of SUNY Oneonta’s First Year Experience (FYE) buildings. I sought out two forms of action—a promotional video featuring Resident Advisors and a weeklong pledge drive in the FYE buildings.

”

What is It’s On Us? In September 2014, Generation Progress, in partnership with The White House, launched It’s On Us, a campaign to change the culture around campus sexual assault.

Take the pledge to stop campus sexual assault at itsonus.org.

10 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

Have you seen a culture shift on your campus since the It’s On Us campaign launch?

KISHLA: We have been able to reach students all over the university community with our events. As a result, students are more aware of how widespread the issues are and now feel empowered to take the initiative to make change.

DAKOTA: Our goal is for our peers to recognize

Making Change, State By State that our community is full of good people and good leaders that will not stand for sexual assault, a monstrous issue on college campuses nationwide, and that their actions as individuals can collectively enact culture change. We want our peers to know that they can be part of the change.

California passed legislation that would impose a mandatory minimum punishment of two-years suspension for students found responsible of sexual assault.

CHRISTINA: I have seen first hand the power of a conversation and I have seen that through It’s On Us so I absolutely would say that it has sparked a cultural shift on Miami’s campus.

Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan designated $500,000 to fight sexual assault on campuses. The money will be available in the form of grants to the state’s colleges and universities.

What’s been your favorite part about being an It’s On Us organizer?

KISHLA: My favorite part of the campaign has been educating students on safety and prevention of sexual assault on college campuses. As a student leader on campus, I hope my efforts inspire other students to become involved.

“Enough is Enough,” a bill that will establish a uniform sexual assault prevention & response policy among all New York State colleges and universities, is set to become law.

CHRISTINA: I had no idea the impact that I could have made at the start of my research. Leading the discussion at the Night of Unawareness was one of the most memorable and powerful moments of my life. There was so clearly a need for this discussion and it was so organic that I had students afterward come up to me saying, “after your discussion I went home and talked to my roommates” or “I talked to other classmates and it really changed the way we viewed sexual violence.”

Why does It’s On Us matter to you?

KISHLA: The campaign highlights the responsibility we all have in society to make change. It stresses how valuable students, faculty, and staff all are in supporting victims and educating each other.

Students at SUNY Oneonta sign the It’s On Us pledge.

(Photo courtesy of Dakota Inman)

A state task force delivered recommendations to help Virginia colleges and universities improve prevention education, track sexual violence, minimize barriers to reporting, and coordinate responses from colleges and law enforcement.

DAKOTA: I was empowered to get involved after watching an It’s On Us video that our athletic department had posted. In the days following, I was disappointed to hear my peers laughing at some of the athletes in the video. Being an athlete myself, I was upset at the conversations within the student body and felt I could use my platform as a Resident Advisor to strengthen the campaign and empower my peers.

CHRISTINA: I happened to mention to a very close friend of mine how cool I thought the program would be and how I would love to get involved.

That friend later disclosed to me that they had been sexually assaulted and felt that no one would care or that no one would believe them so they hadn’t said anything. Because I had voiced how important I felt It’s On Us was going to be they felt it was a safer environment to come out and say something about their own experience. Seeing how just mentioning the possibility of being involved in something like It’s On Us helped a close friend I wanted to get much, much more involved, which is what I did.

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 11

Photo Courtesy of AP/Danny Johnston

Legally Married.

Legally Fired.

Today the majority of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans can be denied a job, a loan, or housing because of who they are or who they love without any legal recourse for discrimination.

BY SUNNY FROTHINGHAM

After working in sales for Saks Fifth Avenue for over a year, 23-year-old Leyth Jamal was fired for being transgender.

Leyth worked at a Saks outlet store in Katy, TX before getting another job at the Houston full-line store where she had the opportunity to earn more and move up in the company. At the Houston store, management required Leyth to use the men’s restroom despite her request to use the women’s restroom and, along with other employees, consistently misgendered her. In addition to asking Leyth to change her appearance and not wear makeup or feminine clothing, management failed to address inappropriate comments and threats of violence from other employees. When her superiors refused to take action on her reports of harassment, Leyth filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

12 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

(EEOC). Ten days later, Saks fired her.

Leyth sued Saks based on the understanding that, because she was fired for her gender identity, she must be protected from discrimination by Title VII, which prohibits discrimination based on sex. While former Attorney General Eric Holder and the EEOC have fully embraced this interpretation of the law, the courts have not yet settled on an interpretation— and Congress has not passed any provision explicitly making discrimination on the basis of gender identity illegal. Saks, of course, argued that Title VII did not cover transgender people like Leyth, even as it claimed to be strong advocate for LGBT rights.

Today the majority of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans can be legally discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This means, because of who they are or

LGBT people face increased barriers to steady employment because of discrimination in hiring, firing, and career advancement opportunities.

A study of the retail sector in New York City, in which two applicants, one transgender and one not transgender, with evenly matched resumes applied for a job, found that the non-transgender applicants were two times more likely to be hired than transgender applicants. Once hired, the lack of discrimination protections poses a huge barrier to keeping employment and advancing in a career.

Like Leyth, 26 percent of transgender survey respondents reported being fired from their jobs because of their gender identity, with even higher percentages for transgender people of color.

Nondiscrimination protections will help LGBT Americans of all ages access economic security, who they love, LGBT Americans can be denied the and may especially benefit LGBT Millennials, most basic requisites for economic security, like jobs, who face economic barriers as young people in loans, education, healthcare, public accommodations, addition to the costs of and housing. This summer discrimination based we celebrate a historic on their gender identity sweeping victory on or sexual orientation. marriage equality, but Comprehensive without a comprehensive nondiscrimination nondiscrimination law, protections can sound we are missing a vital intangible, but for people step in protecting the like Leyth they mean rights of LGBT people.

-Leyth Jamal everything: access to jobs, housing, Comprehensive nondiscrimination healthcare, and loans unrestricted by legislation would especially benefit LGBT bias. They will have a huge impact on the day-to-day young people, young trans women like Leyth in particular, who not only face huge barriers to economic experiences of LGBT people who face discrimination for simply being who they are. security as young people but also incur the economic costs of legal discrimination because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Millennials are the largest, most diverse, and most educated generation in history, but we were also hit the hardest by the recession. Even as the economy recovers, one in five of us live in poverty, we hold record-breaking student debt, and we still see some of the highest unemployment rates. LGBT Millennials face our generation’s problems even more acutely. A comprehensive non-discrimination act would help LGBT Millennials obtain economic security by decreasing barriers to employment, housing, and credit.

While the unemployment rates for youth (16-24) and people of all ages have fairly consistently declined since 2011, the youth rate is still more than double the nationwide unemployment rate and the black youth rate is almost four times the nationwide unemployment rate.

A Center for American Progress report found

“

They say that they support LGBT rights fully. And the end of LGBT is trans… It’s contradictory.

”

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 13

Photo Courtesy of AP/Seth Wenig

Not Your Parents’ Debt Working your way through college? Not possible anymore.

BY ANNIE WOOD

The cost of college has climbed at an alarming rate over the last few decades, outpacing the rising cost of food and housing when factoring in inflation. The Class of 2015 is the most indebted class to ever graduate college, exemplifying the impossibility of paying tuition and fees upfront.

As average student debt hovers around $35,051, it is hard to imagine any scenario where a summer or even school-year job would cover the cost. Despite the clear rising cost of tuition, lawmakers still talk about how they worked as a janitor or waitress and were able to cover the cost of tuition and books (and walked uphill both ways to and from campus).

It is true that many of our parents were able to make it through college with little to no debt compared to the Class of 2015, but students today face an entirely different situation. Millennials who feel everyone is harping on them for being lazy can take solace in knowing they’re not: the cost of college has risen over 1,100 percent in the last 30 years and has reached a point where even hard work won’t cut it.

GET INVOLVED WITH HIGHER ED, NOT DEBT Share your student debt story and help make higher education accessible and affordable for young people for years to come.

Sign up for more info at higherednotdebt.org 14 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

When lawmakers today report that they worked their way through college, it is hard to state how out of touch they are with the reality of college costs today. Part of this, according to higher education expert Mark Huelsman at the think tank Demos, is that the bootstrap narrative of paying for college on one’s own is political, geared toward relating to the “everyday American.” However, according to work by Demos, this may have less to do with the responsibility, hard work, and foresight of 19-year-olds, and more to do with the escalating cost of college.

While attending college for many in generations past required having a summer or school-year job, students and graduates today with hefty student loan debt are no less hardworking.

If politicians are actually trying to appeal to the “everyday American,” perhaps lawmakers should consider the fact that if members of Congress went back to college today, they would be in for a rude awakening.

A Demos report found that when members of Congress went to college, they paid an average of $11,443 in fees per year (adjusted to 2013 dollars). If these representatives were to go back to their alma maters tomorrow, they would pay $32,279, three times as much. In fact, if members of the House and Senate committees dealing with higher education went back to their colleges today, they would have to pay a collective $1 million more.

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a longtime champion for making college affordable for all Americans, has acknowledged that working to pay off college was different in her day, when attending a commuter school cost only $50 dollars a semester.

“How can college cost $50 a semester?

Because the American taxpayers were helping support those public institutions to say to any kid: ‘Hey, look. If you work hard you play by the rules, you really get out there, you’re gonna have an opportunity, you’re gonna have a fighting chance,’” Senator Warren told NPR’s Boston station, WBUR. Warren has also noted that raising wages is an important step toward ensuring economic opportunity.

Playing by the rules today, unfortunately, means tough decisions. According to a growing body of research, the new norm is taking out student loans. Even students who receive need-based aid through Pell grants are taking on debt—84 percent of Pell recipients have student loans, according to research from Demos.

Summer jobs aside, students like Molly Messner, a rising senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, are working hard and still making tough financial choices and compromises that shape their college experiences. Messner has been able to save money on housing as a Residential Adviser, but has still had to work throughout her undergraduate career. “I have to make extra efforts—applying, interviewing, taking the job—and sacrifices, like not having the ‘traditional college

experience’ by being committed to live, eat, sleep, and work in the same environment for three years, plus rules and conditions,” she explains.

But Messner isn’t complaining about having to work throughout school. “Getting paid for work is really important to me and my parents, who advise against unpaid internships and even study or work abroad experiences that would end up being more expensive than a traditional semester,” she said. Still, her financial savvy and various jobs don’t cover the cost of tuition, and she worries stress over finances may be setting her back: “It limits opportunities and networking for my professional career.”

The cost of college is leading students to compromise, even early on, when it comes to school choice, but it is a myth that all students could avoid student debt just by choosing a cheaper college.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, average tuition, fees, and room and board at all institutions (public and private, two-year and four-year) increased from an average of $8,438 in 1982 to $19,339 in 2012.

Today, of the 43.3 million Americans who have student loan debt, 15 million are below the age of 30. There is clear evidence that students aren’t indebted for lack of hard work. If students and their parents could pull a “Freaky Friday” and parents had to attend college tomorrow, they’d see that even working full time does not cover the cost of college.

Making Change, State-By-State Connecticut has passed a Student Loan Bill of Rights, appointed a student loan ombudsman, and passed a bill that will make student loan refinancing available to students and parents.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris took a stand against for-profit colleges, successfully suing former industry giant Corinthian Colleges, Inc. and fighting for studen loan forgiveness Tennessee was the first state in the nation to offer free community college to all students.

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 15

GOING BEYOND DACA:

Demanding Tuition Equity for Undocumented Students

Photo Courtesy of AP/Samantha Sais

BY MAYU TAKEDA

The myriad of bureaucratic terms being used in today’s debate over immigration has created confusion among many including immigrants, advocates, and young people. The centerpiece of the discussion is “DACA,” President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Undocumented people who qualify for DACA are deferred from deportation and receive two-year work permits and are also eligible to receive a Social Security number.

At the heart of the debate, however, are the undocumented immigrants themselves, people who have been living in constant fear of one day being taken from their homes and into deportation procedures. One of these people is Carlos Estrada, who has moved back and forth between Mexico and the United States since he was three years old.

Fluently bilingual in Spanish and English, confident, and charismatic, one would be tempted to think he has mastered that impossible immigrant balancing act between fitting in and preserving his identity.

But asking him about his path towards higher education—now a gate-keeping factor for almost all upwardly mobile jobs in the United States— quickly reveals the enormous struggles he has faced and continues to bear. “It was really tough,” he says after a pause when asked about financing his education. “My freshman year, there weren’t a lot of scholarships for undocumented students. So I ended 16 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

up having to pay out of pocket, which was a huge strain on my parents.” In California, where Estrada attended the University of California Santa Barbara, qualifying undocumented students are able to pay in-state tuition, which is meant to provide some financial relief, but even that wasn’t enough. “They had to sell pretty much everything they owned to pay for my education, and by my sophomore year, I knew I was going to have to drop out. Then, the president made the announcement about DACA.”

Since the program was first announced by President Obama on June 15, 2012, advocates and scholars have described the financial, educational, and even health benefits that DACA has had on the qualifying undocumented population. “DACA has allowed our students to take advantage of opportunities they historically have not had access to,” says Alberto Morales, former Assistant Director of the Georgetown Scholarship Program at Georgetown University. “ They are Carlos Estrada at his graduation from UC Santa Barbara

going abroad for the first time, doing internships at prestigious organizations, and working on-campus jobs.” In states where DACA is tied to in-state tuition, higher education has become more affordable for qualifying undocumented students.

Furthermore, DACA beneficiaries can access some forms of financial aid by filling out the Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which requires a Social Security number. Filling out the FAFSA generates the Estimated Family Contribution number, which universities use to determine the amount of university-based financial aid a student will receive.

“DACA made it so I was able to apply for FAFSA and financial aid, while I didn’t qualify for most scholarships because they required citizenship or legal residence,” Estrada says. “If DACA wasn’t announced, I would have had to drop out of college my sophomore year.”

However, it is clear that DACA alone is not enough to increase higher education attainment.

One reason is the soaring cost of education, compounded by the fact that undocumented people, including those eligible for DACA, are prohibited from accessing federal financial aid such as Pell grants, work-study, and federal loans.

For “DACAmented“ students, undocumented students with DACA, the path towards obtaining a degree continues to be fraught with obstacles, with some states explicitly banning undocumented and DACAmented students from accessing state financial aid and from enrolling in public colleges and universities. In addition, the very nature of DACA means that students who qualify for the program only receive relief in two-year increments. “I still have no legal status,” Estrada explains. “They’re just telling me ‘we’re not going to deport you, for right now.’”

For students who are not eligible or have not applied for DACA, their future is even more uncertain. “It further marginalizes the undocumented in two groups,” Morales says of the binary between the DACAmented and undocumented, which serves to further the narrative of “deserving” and “undeserving” immigrants. “They can’t participate in paid internships, work-study, or on-campus employment opportunities…. Students are working to meet their basic needs and to send money home, so there is a constant dilemma on how to maximize college opportunities while meeting financial demands.”

Some colleges and universities are taking

the proactive step of creating programs to support students who do not have legal status. During his time as an administrator of the Georgetown Scholarship Program, Morales worked to raise awareness among faculty and staff of the presence of undocumented and DACAmented students on campus and provided a blue print for different ways to support them. “Universities need to set up specific discretionary funds available to undocumented students so they have access to additional financial resources when they need it,” explains Morales. At Georgetown, discretionary funds help students apply for DACA, which costs $465, and pay for things like unforeseen medical bills, allowing students to focus on their college experience.

While millions of undocumented people wait for congressional action on comprehensive immigration reform, millions of undocumented and DACAmented young people continue to wait for the moment they are able to fully harness their talents.

As young people like Carlos wait for full legal status, efforts should be dedicated towards the expansion of education resources to all undocumented people, including those who do not qualify for the 2012 DACA program. Progressive organizations and advocates should work at all levels—federal, state, local, and institutional—to provide opportunities for all students to thrive.

WHAT SHOULD BE DONE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

should allow undocumented immigrants

to access all federal education benefits,

including Pell grants, federal student

loans, and the federal work-study program.

STATES

should allow undocumented and DACAmented students to access in-state tuition and state financial aid.

COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

should train advisors and other administrators to address the needs of undocumented students.

CAMPUS CARRY LEGISLATION IN NEVADA AND TEXAS:

A Tale Of Two Campuses Over the past year, at least 15 state legislatures attempted to pass campus carry legislation, which would allow individuals to carry firearms on college campuses. In a largely successful effort to push back, Generation Progress worked with young activists in these states to block campus carry, which would put millions of college students in harm’s way. Through the work of our Gun Violence Prevention Network, 13 out of 15 of these campus carry bills failed in their respective states. Generation Progress worked with Dulce Valencia Sanchez in Nevada and Jordan Pahl in Texas in an effort to defeat campus carry bills in their states.

BY MICHAEL BEYER

“

NEVADA

It’s a tough fight honestly, and sometimes it seems like the other side is being louder but we just have to keep going. Gather our resources, mobilize our youth, and make sure our voices are heard. We can win this fight.

”

- Dulce Valencia Sanchez

Dulce Valencia Sanchez became involved in the gun violence prevention movement through Battle Born Progress, a progressive non-profit in Nevada dedicated to building a state where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Seeing the frequency of tragic school shootings, background checks were a no brainer to Sanchez. She attended a Battle Born Progress protest against Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval’s veto of a background checks bill. It was then that Sanchez knew she had to become involved. Ever since the protest, she has been doing more work with the movement through the Generation Progress Gun Violence Prevention Network—specifically fighting back against campus carry legislation.

This past legislative session, many dangerous gun bills plaugued Nevada. Sanchez was worried because it seemed like legislators were determined to pass campus carry; no matter how many times campus carry was rejected, legislators

18 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

would find a way to bring these bills to the forefront. She attended hearings, protests, and town hall meetings. Sanchez recruited many of her friends to attend these events so they would know the dangers of campus carry. “When you throw guns into the mix it just opens the door to hidden terrors,” she said.

In June, Nevada’s campus carry bill died in the state legislature.

Sanchez continues to fight for safer campuses, stating her primary motivation in contesting campus carry legislation is maintaining her own campus’ safety and ensuring that her siblings can attend college without fear. If campus carry had passed, she said: “We would have to change our way of living. Just think of going to school, I’m going to be worried if a person is armed.”

But when Sanchez thinks about policy changes, she thinks about her siblings, particularly her younger sister. “I don’t want her to be afraid in the future,” Sanchez said. “Everything I do is for them.”

Campus Carry Across The U.S.

2015 was a big year for campus carry legislation.

Fifteen states introduced bills that would have allowed the concealed carry on college campus.

These legislative attempts failed in 13 states, with legislation in Ohio still pending. In passing SB11, which goes into effect in August, Texas joined seven other states that allow campus carry.

(Source: The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus)

“

We did everything to kill this bill as students.

”

- Jordan Pahl

GET INVOLVED WITH THE GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION MOVEMENT

Familiarize yourself with your state’s campus carry legislation. Contact your local representatives to urge them to oppose campus carry bills or change or repeal the law.

Join the Generation Progress Gun Violence Prevention Network. Learn more at genpr.gs/GVPResources.

TEXAS

Jordan Pahl knows the high cost of campus carry all too well. At a time when Texas universities are scrambling for funding, campus carry presents new and unnecessary costs in campus security and insurance. As a student at the University of Texas, Pahl worries about the safety of her fellow students now that Governor Greg Abbott of Texas signed the campus carry bill into law on June 13, 2015.

Although the law does not take effect until August 2016, individual campuses must now decide what areas on campus will be designated “gun-free zones.”

Pahl fought hard to stop campus carry from coming to Texas and mobilized student and youth voices in the legislative debate over campus carry. She involved other students in the process by organizing them to call their legislators. “We tried to make sure that students were loud,” she said. Given the high volume of calls, some legislators admitted that received more calls against campus carry than they had on any other issue in their entire tenure in the Texas Legislature.

Despite these efforts, campus carry passed the Texas Legislature and Governor Abbott signed the bill last month. The law allows each public university to individually develop a plan that would enable some “gun-free zones” on campus, with an exception for private universities. The next step for Pahl is “focusing on individual campuses to make sure they develop a safe policy.” Since the Texas Legislature ignored the voices of students on campus carry, Pahl hopes that the implementation process will prioritize students’ voices in order to make individual campuses safe.

No matter how the policy is implemented, campus carry will disrupt the academic environment of college campuses in Texas. “[I’m afraid] of the isolated incidents that color the way people interact with their campuses on a daily basis,” said Pahl. The repercussions are far-ranging: a professor who now has to worry about a student carrying a gun into their office hours, a Resident Assistant who may not know which of their residents carry guns in the residence halls. With the passage of campus carry, Texas students will have to wonder which people on campus are carrying a gun, disrupting the academic purpose of the university on a daily basis.

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 19

Hands Up, Don’t Shoot: Criminal Justice Reform And Young People People of color are more likely to be incarcerated than any other group. How can young people come together in the wake of the highly publicized deaths of young black men and women to change our criminal justice system for the better?

BY SHEILA E. ISONG

Photo Courtesy of AP/Patrick Semansky 18 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015 West North payouts to individuals who have challenged the Avenue looked like a war zone. Trash and debris city in court. Baltimore paid $5.7 million to victims everywhere, the police presence remained strong. of police brutality between 2011 and 2014. Over Local residents worked to erase as much of the the past four years, more than 100 people have painful night as they could, stooping down in won court judgments or settlements related to comfortable clothing to clean up rubbish amidst allegations of police abuse and civil rights violations. armored tanks and police officers clad in riot gears.

Determined to clear as much of the wreckage from The Aftermath of the Baltimore Protests the aftermath of the protests as they could, residents Before Baltimore there was Charleston. Before prepared to do it themselves if the city wouldn’t help Charleston there was New York. Before New York them. there was Cleveland. Before Cleveland there was

This was a day after the funeral of a 25-yearFerguson. old black man named Freddie Gray. Earlier that

“This is a reminder that there’s a Mike Brown month, Gray died after injuries sustained while he in every town,” stated Deray McKesson, an activist was in police custody. After the Baltimore Police and Baltimore native. If Ferguson, Mo. was the Department arrested Gray for allegedly possessing catalyst to a national campaign to address criminal an illegal switchblade, police transported Gray in justice and policing concerns, Baltimore was the a police van—where he was not properly secured. impetus. A city a mere 40 miles from the nation’s He died a week later due to neck injuries sustained capital—no one could ignore what was happening during that van ride. in Baltimore. The fires kept blazing and the people

After Freddie Gray’s funeral, people were kept marching. rightfully upset. Emotions ran

Since the protests, the high and tensions ran thick. mayor of Baltimore and other Baltimore residents quickly community leaders have took to the streets to voice started the “One Baltimore” their opinion on their long and campaign in efforts to unify tenuous relationship with the the city. Mayor Stephanie Baltimore Police Department.

Rawlings-Blake stated: “This Despite many local and is an opportunity for us to national organizations’ peaceful protests, - Deray McKesson focus more intensely on systemic problems other people set buildings on fire and that have faced our city for decades, if not looted and damaged businesses, injuring residents generations.” The campaign wants to partner with and police officers in the cross-fire. In response, churches, community groups, and philanthropic Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of organizations. While the campaign has no concrete emergency in Baltimore. Emotions grew so tense initiatives yet, it’s a sign that Baltimore officials are the mayor instituted a curfew. According to the ready to begin these difficult conversations. mayor’s office, when it was all said and done, people Some other positive steps are being taken in set 19 buildings and 144 vehicles on fire and police Baltimore. The city has raised additional funding to arrested 202 people. Politicians both local and pay for more jobs for a summer youth employment national weighed in on the situation and political program. In 2014, Baltimore led efforts to place correspondents placed blame on everyone from the 5,600 young workers in employment. This year, the Mayor to local gangs. For this period of time, all eyes city will expand the program and pay for placement were on Baltimore. What a shame that it had to come for 7,000 young people. The program, YouthWorks, in exchange for the life of a 25-year-old black man. places 14- to 21-year-olds in short-term jobs with

What led to Freddie Gray’s death may have public and private employers. While the city can come as a surprise to many individuals around currently pay for 7,000 youth positions, they only the country, but it was no surprise to those who have employment positions for 6,000. This has led have ever spent legitimate time in Charm city, to Mayor Rawlings-Blake to call for businesses and as Baltimore is often called. Police abuse and employers to assist in boosting the program. misconduct has been widespread in Baltimore for

A new recreation center recently emerged decades, leading to numerous law suits and large near Lexington and Mount streets in the Franklin

There’s a Mike “Brown in every town. ”

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 21

misconduct and police brutality that ended each of their lives. It’s important to note, however, that police brutality is not the only criminal justice issue that deserves scrutiny and attention. One has to also investigate the school to prison pipeline, mass incarceration, current laws such as “stop and frisk,” gun violence, youth unemployment, police surveillance, and re-entry initiatives to fully comprehend the urgent state of criminal justice in America and our nation’s youth. All of these issues disproportionately affect young people, A man asks the crowd to back up as part of a community effort to disperse the crowd specifically young people of color and ahead of a 10 p.m. curfew in the wake of riots following the funeral for Freddie Gray in more specifically black youth. There have Baltimore. (AP Photo/David Goldman) been countless Rekia Boyd’s over the last few decades, all of whom had community, Square neighborhood in Baltimore. It’s a beacon of hope for a community recently scrutinized under the family, and futures to look up to. It is important for youth organizations to work to eradicate the watchful eye of the entire nation. The city’s youth mechanisms that made their deaths possible and have Baltimore fire dispatcher Arthur “Squeaky” Kirk that will take honest conversations, local and to thank for the new center. He wanted to see West national organizing, and policy changes.

Baltimore’s Martin Luther King Jr. recreation center

After the death of Freddie Gray, Baltimore revitalized, so he put up $30,000 of his own money and the state of Maryland have attempted to into the new project. Soon he was able to organize address some of the other issues mentioned donations from local business, individuals, and the above. The governor’s office created a panel to find state government.

The reinvestment into Baltimore is pouring in ways to reduce incarceration and recidivism. The panel will analyze how other states have changed from outside the city as well. At the grand opening their sentencing policies and produced change. of the new recreation center, Governor Larry Hogan Christopher B. Shank, chairman of the council and announced $3.3 million in state funding—a $1 head of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and million increase—to provide Baltimore youth with Prevention, said: summer job opportunities and work experience “The current revolving door of the criminal justice through the YouthWorks and Hire One youth system is a drain on our economy. We need these programs. He also announced $4.15 million for individuals to be contributing members of their business recovery loans, homeownership, and communities. The justice reinvestment process will targeted assistance for improvements for Baltimore ensure prison beds are reserved for the most serious businesses the riots affected. criminals and low-level offenders are supervised

Undoubtedly, Baltimore hasn’t been the same since the Freddie Gray protests and it likely never will be. The entire community has been affected and an entire culture is on display for the country to evaluate. Hopefully this means progress for Charm city, and the vulnerable and attacked will begin to receive the long overdue support and understanding they deserve.

“

Criminal Justice Issues Facing Young People

Over the last year, names like Mike Brown, Rekia Boyd, Tamir Rice, and Freddie Gray have become staples in criminal justice reform conversations due to allegations of police 22 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

We want our police officers to understand that they are public servants who serve as guardians rather than - Deputy Police Chief Melron J. warriors.

Kelly, Columbia, SC

”

through community-based programs that are proven to be effective.” Baltimore is moving in the right direction—and for the youth who have been suffering there for decades, it’s about time.

America & Racism

At the heart of all of these issues is the dreaded “R” word – a word that has plagued American history since the arrival of the first group of African slaves on American soil centuries ago.

Racism, though not always overt, underlies many of the institutional barriers to progress for black people in America. And it’s inextricably linked to the high profile cases of Mike Brown, Rekia Boyd, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, and so many others.

It’s no secret that the criminal justice system disproportionately affects the criminal justice system. Although people of color make up 30 percent of the United States population, they account for 60 percent of those imprisoned.

One in every 15 black males and one in every 36 Latino males are incarcerated compared to one in every 106 white males. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in three black men can expect to go to prison in their lifetime. America also disproportionately incarcerates black women: according to the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, they’re three times as likely as white women to be incarcerated.

These are startling statistics considering the fact that an overwhelming majority of these individuals are in prison due to drug-related offenses. Although rates of drug interaction are comparable across racial and ethnic lines, black and Latino communities are far more likely to be criminalized for drug law violations than whites.

In June 2015, a Texas police officer violently manhandled a 15-year-old black girl in McKinney, TX. The entire ordeal was caught on camera and went viral almost instantaneously. Recorded yelling profanity at black teenagers outside of a pool party, the officer drew his gun on two black male teens before vigorously dragging 15-year-old Dajerria Decton to the ground, twisting her arm, shoving her on the grass, pulling her braids, and kneeling on her back. Other police officers stood by without intervening.

If a police officer treats a 15-year-old girl in a bathing suit with no ability to hide or harness a weapon or threaten an officer with such disdain, one can only imagine how the very same police officer

THE WORDS WE USE

BY LAUREN SILLS AND NICHOLAS KITCHEL As of June 2015, over 100 cities, as well as major companies like Target, have all “Banned the Box,” effectively helping reduce workplace discrimination against individuals with past convictions by removing sections requiring applicants to disclose ther criminal record on job applications, giving them a fair shot in the hiring process. Returning citizens face challenges like any other individual—attaining employment, health insurance, and housing—but one unique challenge is weathering the storm of stigmatizing language that society showers upon them. The successful “Ban the Box” campaign highlights a growing focus in the progressive movement—that is, a focus on people-first language and how inclusivity, or lack thereof, impacts people’s lives.

With the rising number of young people involved in the criminal justice system, it is very important that we are intentional in how we address and describe those who have served their sentence. Current labels, like ex-con, felon, and thug, challenge the humanity of people and tie them to the crime they previously committed.

All people are worth being treated with formality and respect, and for this reason, it is important to use people-first language when referencing formerly incarcerated individuals. People-first language simply means avoiding perceived and subconscious dehumanization in one’s dialogue.

As young organizers and activists, it is important that we are cognizant and intentional about the language we use. In our work, it is paramount to our success that coalitions continue to grow and that the movement expands. Using inclusive, people-first language will ensure that nobody feels isolated and that we are able to continue to fight injustice and oppression together.

would treat others. The violence perpetuated against black youth through law enforcement agencies is widespread and prevalent. McKinney, TX could have been Portland, OR or Charlottesville, VA. This is not to say all police officers make it their mission to attack and criminalize black youth. This is to say that some police officers harbor prejudices and profile black youth in certain communities. This happens daily regardless of education level, demeanor, or appearance. It’s time for cities and communities to begin addressing this ugly epidemic.

Community Policing

One way to address these disparities is through community policing initiatives, which can come in many forms but unite around the idea that for communities to be safer, law enforcement and citizens must engage in healthy and open dialogue on a consistent basis. This can look like sports programs for inner city youth, police foot patrols, or community forums hosted by the city.

Law enforcement and community members come together in chasing the goal of safer communities for everyone, with the hope that further transparency leads to further understanding.

Some communities have a difficult time trusting the police. But for progress to be made, conversations with police departments will be necessary to improve current conditions.

Community policing initiatives can work to bridge this divide. Columbia, SC provides a great example of community policing at work. Melron J. Kelly, the deputy police chief in Columbia, has seen significant gains in community trust because of their proactive campaigns. “The key is to being proactive versus reactive,” stated Kelly. “We want our police officers to understand that they are public servants who serve as guardians rather than warriors. When police officers are immersed in the communities they patrol—when they drive your kids to basketball practice or tutor them in math or science, they know these kids and hold a level of compassion that allows them to de-escalate tense situations.”

The Columbia police department promotes an ethos amongst their officers that emphasizes service.

It requires new recruits to spend a week volunteering, often working at homeless shelters, children’s hospitals, or soup kitchens. The goal is to convey the importance of service to the community at the beginning of their training, their most impressionable time. To immerse their officers in the communities 24 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

Hundreds march during a protest in response to an incident at a community pool involving McKinney, TX police officers. (AP Photo/Ron Jenkins)

they patrol, the department provides low-cost loans to officers wishing to live in the city of Columbia.

The residential officer program is designed to allow officers to become members of the communities they serve. “When you live next to Columbia citizens, go to the grocery stores with them, you get to know them—if you encounter a combative situation with a city resident you can then address it with a level of compassion for your fellow city resident,” stated Deputy Police Chief Kelly. This is not to say police and resident interactions are always positive in Columbia but it is encouraging to see the city taking a proactive approach to criminal justice instead of waiting for a tragedy to happen and then trying to conduct damage control.

What Next?

Criminal justice reform is not just a catch phrase. These issues have real-life consequences that disproportionately affect young people, especially young people of color. For there to be any progress, all parties must be open to having proactive dialogue on these topics. Individuals that have traditionally not had a seat at the table need a seat—including those who have previously been incarcerated. The truth is that there isn’t one clean-cut answer to all of these questions. And yet, conversations on criminal justice reform are flourishing across the United States—conversations that were not happening a year ago. There is hope for better days and hope is better than despair. We can’t bring back those whose lives have been lost. We can’t give those incarcerated unjustly their time back. But we can advocate for change so these instances happen less and less.

That’s what progress looks like in 2015.

On The Ground Interviews by Martese Johnson

To read the extended versions, visit genpr.gs/GPOnTheGround

with Derrick Quarles South Carolina native Derrick Quarles works closely with the State Senate and the Legislative Black Caucus of South Carolina and is deeply invested in the state’s politics.

Here Quarles shares his thoughts and opinions on the tragic shooting that occurred at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston.

Is the purpose of taking down the Confederate flag to diminish similar thoughts in other people or is it more a symbolic representation of progress?

The majority of the SC House and Senate agree that it is time for the flag to come down. This is progress but a lot of us, especially African Americans, see that flag as a symbol of hate. I know some people say the flag is about their heritage and where they come from, but to us it is a symbol of hate and that’s all there is to it.

What are young people in South Carolina saying about this issue? Some people see the flag as heritage, but still want it to come down just as much as we do. For the most part, young people are excited that progress is being made. We’re excited because, once this flag comes down, SC will truly be recognized as one of the 50 states.

Growing up here, I don’t think we’ve been recognized as a progressive state. So I think young people are excited about it all.

What do you believe is the best way for young people who are not involved formally in politics to influence policy regarding gun violence prevention? When young people experience gun violence at a place like a church where you’re supposed to feel safe, it should inspire every young person to be involved to some degree. We then need to start a larger conversation about race. We always get on Facebook and Instagram to have these rants about how things are going, but we need to offline and begin talking to people about changes that we can make in our own communities and across the nation.

with Shaun King Shaun King is a Justice Writer for Daily Kos, where he discusses issues at the intersection of race, discrimination, injustice, and equality. Today, he advocates primarily for reform in the criminal justice system, with a particular focus on the issue of police brutality in America.

What are the primary goals of activists in the arena of police brutality at the moment? There are so many different types of activists, and the style of activist changes from place to place; all of that is important. Ultimately, our goal is to start seeing these numbers go down: the number of police abuses, people killed by police, and officers killed in service. Until those numbers go down, I won’t be the least bit satisfied.

How do you envision progress, both on short and long term bases, in regards to the racial activism you have been participating in? I am simultaneously encouraged and discouraged about the state of racism in America. I see scores of young people who are completely driven to fight for justice in ways that I’ve never seen before. At the same time, the Charleston shooter was a young man as well. I’m encouraged to see businesses and leaders stand against the Confederate Flag as well. I believe these symbols actually matter. At the same time, we have to continue to address the root causes of racism.

How do you believe social media activism works in conjunction with physical protest? They definitely support each other. Social media allows you to broadcast what you’re doing. It can have real carryover where people can share resources, ideas, and information in a way that really makes a difference. Social media has the power to spread awareness worldwide, reaching those community members who may have been initially ambivalent.

What advice would you give to young people who want to contribute to improving the racial climate of the nation, but may not know where to start? Start locally.

Injustice doesn’t just exist in big cities, it exists in your school, in your hometown, and even in the businesses and police departments around you.

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 25

Debating Millennial Apathy:

What Are Global Attitudes Toward The Political System?

BY DR. ERNST STETTER

Secretary General, Foundation For European Progressive Studies

DAVID KITCHING

Director Of Social & Political Research, Audiencenet Photo Courtesy of AP/Charlie Riedel

MARIA FREITAS

Junior Policy Advisor, Foundation For European Progressive Studies

Generation Progress partnered with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies as part of a world-wide study on Millennial attitudes toward politics, politicians, and the future. The results show a common disillusionment with the old guard, but an interest in civil rights, the economy, and more.

Media commentary throughout advanced democracies is full of coverage on growing trends of political disengagement, such as low voter turnout and a growing disillusionment with politicians and political parties. Much of this coverage has come to focus on the Millennial generation.

Young adults, we are told, are politically apathetic compared to older voters. But is this really the case? To what extent are Millennials worldwide truly disengaged from their respective political systems? Have today’s institutions become stagnant, failing to adequately serve the needs of the Millennial generation?

In light of these questions, the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) and the Center for American Progress (CAP), Generation Progress’ parent organization, began the “Millennial Dialogue” to understand the aspirations, issues, and values of those aged 15–34 and how they affect their interaction with politics. To do this, FEPS and CAP partnered with AudienceNet to gather insights into this age group across 15 territories, providing the most comprehensive international survey of its kind.

Millennials might not see the world in the same way as other generations but this is often due to circumstance. There is a sense of grievance at having expectations raised so high during 26 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

childhood, only for them to be dashed in adulthood.

The political system, as it stands, is not improving this situation. One American respondent told FEPS: “I feel the cost of living seems to rise every day but our pay isn’t, it gets so frustrating because as a young child you’re encouraged to go out and become successful and you’ll be happy and things will be easier but that’s not the case. I feel like we are not being heard. I have yet to meet a politician who understands me.”

This is a generation irritated by experience, feeling that it cannot turn to the political system for solutions. The shadow has been cast beyond national government too. For many in Europe, the EU did not deliver in its response to the economic and employment crisis. While this has had the negative effect of rising populist and Eurosceptic trends, that tendency is less apparent among younger voters. Millennials have been taught not to expect job security or other typical moments of career development, such as raises and promotions. Some have even pointed to a proxy class conflict, with Millennials turning away from trade unions, which are mistakenly seen as protecting older workers at the expense of the young, exacerbating the longterm instability of work for Millennials themselves.

All of this serves to delay the fulfillment of

various markers of adulthood, like homeownership.

Increasing numbers of young adults are forced by circumstance to live with their parents. Some see this as a sign of immaturity, with young adults choosing the easy way out. The survey shows, however, that Millennials who live with their parents (rather than with friends, partners, or alone) are less happy with their lives by a factor of 10 percent. One of the most poignant statements in this project came from a young Italian person who said, “I have been without a job for three years now, and with it my dream to buy a house. I was living at home with my parents, and I shelved the idea of getting married and having children because even my partner is not working... At what age we will have children? Never! It will never happen... and right now, we are too busy looking for work in order to start a family. And the years pass...”

The aspirations of this generation are not much different from that of their parents, but their experiences have been.

Disenchanted with solutions the traditional political system offers, Millennials are increasingly turning away from political parties.

The surveys show that mainstream parties are not only failing to attract young voters but are also seen as untrustworthy. Most Millennials say politicians break their promises and are far removed from the realities of everyday citizens.

Politics, they say, are reserved only for the elite and influenced by institutions at the expense of democracy.

This “Millennial Dialogue” survey took an empirical approach to make an effort to really hear the voices of the Millennial generation. The surveys show some inherent contradictions: Millennials know that decisions made by politicians have a direct impact on their lives and respond positively when questioned whether they will vote in the next election. However, actual voter turnout is much lower and many express a lack of knowledge as a factor keeping them from taking an active role.

This is not to say that young people have given up on the political system in its entirety. Many say they are interested in individual issues that

they read and comment about online. Equal rights are close to the hearts of this generation, as is the willingness to embrace a wider array of gender identities and sexual orientations. It is interesting to note the entrepreneurial spirit among this generation, with many young people aspiring to own their own business.

FEPS, CAP, and AudienceNet are working together to discover the underlying reason why this narrative of growing political apathy is gaining momentum. Studies like this one are therefore necessary in preparing for upcoming elections and addressing Millennials’ concerns.

How should mainstream political parties respond to these challenges? They need to recognize that traditional parties must adapt to Millennials, not the other way around. Online communication will be a crucial tool of engagement for Millennials.

Many noted that they believe social media should play a key role in politics and serve as a transparent and interactive platform for politicians and constituents to exchange ideas on how to shape their countries.

Mainstream political parties should do a selfcritique, followed by a careful selection of party leadership—personal integrity and honesty were the most appreciated qualities for a politician among surveyed Millennials.

Finally, politicians need to improve not only communication but also the content behind their policies. Online political communication shows a clear lack of empathy and social media and politics often mix to produce severe forms of bullying. The Millennial generation needs personal, fast, and responsive political leadership, as unemployment and the economic crisis continue to be a daily reality.

The times of greatest social advancement have been when institutions responded swiftly to a changing social reality. To avoid the stagnation of institutions and the tyranny of online mob rule, both our means of communication and governance need to adapt to each other. If this process is to be truly for Millennials, it will inevitably have to be done by Millennials.

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Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 27

The New Guard: The Impact of Young Black Activists

BY JOSH ODAM

Protestors in Washington relate the death of Michael Brown to the mass kidnapping of 43 students in Mexico. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)

To understand todays movements, we have to understand black people across the Diaspora, from Cleveland to Colombia, New York to Nigeria, experience similar conditions: food insecurity, state repression, overpolicing, political disenfranchisement, segregation, among other instruments of capitalism and white supremacy.

Leaders are also often well-traveled people.

Malcolm X embarked on a spiritual pilgrimage to Egypt, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Morocco, among other African nations. Patrisse Cullors, along with activists from Black Youth Project 100 and the Dream Defenders, embarked on a Ferguson Solidarity Tour to the United Kingdom and Palestine.

When we listen to them retell their experiences while abroad, we understand that it is impossible to understand what is happening in Ferguson and Baltimore without understanding the conditions in Palestine, Colombia, and other parts of the Diaspora. While these journeys give us a better sense of how deep-seated anti-black ideologies are, they also shed light on the indelible impact young people have within these movements.

When people of the global majority share a collective condition, it is our responsibility to stand in solidarity with one another.

This past year, we bore witness to the birth of an international liberatory consciousness sparked by those under age 25.

Those who might have been too young to take to the street during the Second Intifada in

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the West Bank in 2000 or after Amadou Diallo was killed in New York City in 1999 have channeled their energy into direct action in the present moment.

Not only are we marching, protesting, demonstrating, resisting, and imagining; we are sharing our stories through social media. People occupied major boulevards in Baltimore carrying Palestinian flags. Students in Gaza tweeted to Missourians on how to protect themselves from pepper spray. Afro-Colombian anti-mining activists such as Francia Marquez traveled to Amherst, Mass. to meet with Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza, and Patrisse Cullors, founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, to discuss black liberation.

Young black people. Young brown people.

Separated by borders of land and sea, but linked together because they have the audacity to believe black lives matter and will not sit idly by as black lives are lost to state violence. Once we comprehend this magnitude of the movement, we can realize the call for #BlackLivesMatter is the embodiment of a true call for human rights.

As we quickly approach the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, we must take time for honest reflection and critical introspection. Old and young, Millennials and non-Millenials, those who belong to social justice collectives, think tanks, and non-profit organizations, those who have taken up various campaigns, ask yourselves: what have I done to interrupt anti-black racism in my space?

If the answer is nothing, you have a lot of work to do.

Young black people. Young brown people. Separated by borders of land and sea, but linked together...

28 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

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29 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

The War on Education

BY LIANA BISHOP

We’re in the midst of an education emergency. Students around the world are being kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and slaughtered in cold blood while attempting to gain an education.

In Chibok, Nigeria, the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram abducted and enslaved 276 girls from their school, and over a year later, they remain missing. In Swat, Pakistan, Taliban terrorists attempted to assassinate 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai, an outspoken education advocate. And in the United States, countless school shootings have occurred over the past few years, at Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, and Sandy Hook Elementary School. Young people around the world risk their lives every single day to get an education, and it’s unacceptable.

It can be easy to distance yourself from the atrocities committed against students outside of the United States, but the threats we face here are directly related to those occurring around the world. As the global population swells and we become increasingly internationally interdependent, education is more important than ever—studies show that investment in education is directly linked to poverty reduction. The more prosperous the global population, the less we have to worry about the devastation of preventable issues like infectious disease, environmental degradation, and overcrowding.

The Chibok mass-kidnapping case came 30 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

Photo Courtesy of AP/Hussein Malla

to attention in the global news soon after it was perpetrated, around April 14, 2014. A worldwide movement was launched immediately for their rescue, propelled by the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls, and was promoted by First Lady Michelle Obama, supermodel Cara Delevingne, and singer Steven Tyler. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, and China all offered their assistance to Nigeria, yet the girls still remain missing. The group claiming responsibility is Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist organization whose name means “Western education is forbidden.” The group specifically targets girls and young women Malala Yousafzai to be used as sex slaves, and (Photo Courtesy of is responsible for up to 10,000 AP/Matt Dunham) children being unable to attend school.

In Pakistan, the attempted assassination of activist Malala Yousafzai resulted in an internationally backed United Nations (UN) petition in support of her goals. They demanded Pakistan arrange education for every child, stop gender discrimination, and ask international organizations to get the world’s 61 million outof-school children into school by the end of 2015. This global outcry for accountability demonstrates the soft power of education—that an investment in education for children like Malala can reap exponential rewards for a community, country, and the world as a whole.

Meanwhile, kids around the United States

people “ Young around the world

risk their lives every single day to get an education, and it’s unacceptable.

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attacks on schools and schoolchildren as crimes against humanity. Schools are already under the same classification as hospitals under international law—it’s time to get them protected, too. One of the top organizations working to decrease violence against students is the Safe Schools Initiative, which was founded after the attack and kidnapping in Nigeria. As of July 2015, it’s raised over $30 million from businesses, the Nigerian government, and international donors.

Governments are interested in investing in their future via education. All 189 UN member states agreed to the Millennium Development Goals in 2000, which lists achieving universal primary education as a goal. As the UN Declaration of Human Rights attests in Article 26: “Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

In an increasingly interconnected world, universal education is becoming more and more pertinent. We’re growing at a rate of one billion people per year; we need to invest in education for the safety and health of our own future. Whether the issue is climate change, prevention of diseases like HIV/AIDS, or best reproductive practices, it’s clear that schoolchildren from Pakistan to Nigeria to the United States face obstacles to gaining an education that affect all of us, regardless of where we live or where we send our kids to school.

pass through metal detectors every day as they enter schools because of our country’s horrific legacy of school shootings. Children have become accustomed to random locker searches and schoolwide drills to teach students what to do in the case of an active shooter on campus. They learn about bullying in the context of its repercussions in a country in which many have easy access to lethal weapons. Unlike the violence against students abroad, those lethal threats usually come from within American schools. ThinkProgress reported that in 2014 that there was an average of one school shooting every other day.

Because school shootings in the United States aren’t perpetrated by ideologically similar groups, as is the case in Nigeria and Pakistan, it’s difficult to say conclusively why exactly these attacks occur with such frequency. The Columbine shooters blame bullying, the University of California Santa Barbara killer was motivated by misogyny, and the Virginia Tech massacre is attributed to mental instability. Both the U.S. and countries like Nigeria and Pakistan that struggle with violence against students, therefore, are confronted with a faceless enemy. One of the ways to fight it is to increase accountability, internally within the country and externally with international organizations.

In pursuit of this basic human right, many organizations are stepping up to protect children. One way that schooling can be made safer First Lady Michelle Obama lends her support to the international #BringBackOurGirls campaign. is if governments decide to define

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 31

The 2020 Project

BY ANNE JOHNSON

Millennials are set to become America’s largest and most diverse generation. Our leaders must reflect this. In order to set forth an agenda that works for young people, politicians must create an economy that works for everyone, recognize human and civil rights for everyone, and create stronger democracies and global leadership.

The Millennial generation, nearly 95 million strong, is the most diverse, most educated, and largest generation in our country’s history. By the year 2020, Millennials will make up 40 percent of the voting age population in the United States.

The power and political inertia of the Millennial generation can’t be understated, nor should it be underestimated. The level with which Millennials participate in democracy, whether that be through voting in elections, running for office, engaging with elected officials, advocating for local and national policy changes, or volunteering in communities, will influence the nation we become.

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responsibility of solving a wide spectrum of issues, most of which our generation was too young to create. These issues, both social and economic, range from issues of climate change to immigration reform, equal rights, criminal justice reform, economic justice, equitable economic growth, and student debt. How we handle these issues will be the defining mark of our generation.

By the year 2020, Millennials will make up 40 percent of the voting age population in the United States.

Millennials find themselves tasked with the

32 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

Yet in 2014, just over 20 percent of young people voted in the federal election, and in 2012, just over 50 percent did.

While Millennials volunteer in their communities and organize around important issues like campus sexual assault, climate change, and student debt, many don’t see political participation, specifically voting, as a viable option to solving problems. Some might say that young

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To create a more just and equitable society, we need to make the political system, elected representatives, and candidates more responsive to young people and we need young people to engage more fully in the democratic process.

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people are apathetic or that they will start voting when they get older, but the problem falls far deeper than a lack of participation.

In a recent survey conducted by Generation Progress, 67 percent of young people polled said that they had little or no confidence that the government could solve a problem when it tried.

When we asked young people why their peers didn’t vote in 2014, we heard things like “political candidates weren’t talking about issues young people care about,” “politicians are all the same,” and “it’s hard to get good information about the candidates and issues.”

To create a more just and equitable society, we need to make the political system, elected representatives, and candidates more responsive to young people and we need young people to fully engage in the democratic process. As leaders in our generation we also need to articulate our vision.

Over the past few years Generation Progress has hosted a series of convenings around the country and worked with local, state and national leaders in the youth engagement sector to come up with a bold progressive agenda that reflects the aspirations and values of our generation.

We’ve called it the 2020 Project.

Looking To 2016

Politicans need our vote—but what are they doing to get it?

BY GRACIE AYLMER While many describe the Millennial generation as apathetic and politically unengaged, research shows otherwise. This confusion, however, comes in differentiating apathy from a lack of trust in government. It isn’t that Millennials have given up, aren’t educated on the issues, or have a disrespect for their government, but rather as a generation have honed in on a few key issues that they deem more important than others:

• Laws that protect LGBT people from discrimination in employment, housing, etc.

• Raising the minimum wage • Allowing year-round access to Pell grants • Legalizing marijuana

Research shows that three out of four Millennials believe the government could be more effective, and that they key to effectiveness is better management.

#1

issue young people care about is the need for an economy that works for everyone.

In order to engage a generation of young voters, politicians will need to address the issues that matter to Millennials, and work to gain back trust that has been lost by years of corruption, disfunction and an out of touch approach to gaining the youth vote.

Calling for reform in areas of social, economic, and racial justice, the 2020 project centers on the idea that the political system should work for Millennials instead of the other way around. Challenging the stereotypical view of Millennials as apathetic and disengaged, the 2020 project recognizes that Millennials are actually deeply engaged in and passionate about a vast array of issues, but not necessarily in ways traditional measures of engagement can explain.

For far too long, the voices of Millennials have gone underrepresented in Congress, in local and state legislatures, and in the laws and policies of our nation. As the most diverse and educated generation in history, it’s time to fix that. The 2020 project presents a vision for change, one which acknowledges the passion, entrepreneurship, and engagement of our generation.

Together we can make this vision a reality—let’s get started.

A MILLENNIAL AGENDA Here’s where a vision for a more just and equitable society starts.

Create an economy that works for everyone by:

Recognize Human and Civil Rights for everyone by:

• Addressing student loan debt by refinancing student loans, expanding access to income based repayment programs and expanding loan forgiveness programs.

• Supporting 20 years of free, high-quality, public education including Pre-K, K-12 and four years of higher education.

• Expanding year-round job programs for young people and investing in apprenticeship programs.

• Promoting a wage that ensures those working full-time do not live in poverty.

• Ensuring that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are protected from discrimination in employment, housing, and other areas of life.

• Creating pathways to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented people and their families.

• Reforming the criminal justice system to ensure fair treatment for all people.

• Protecting the rights of people to make the best decisions about their healthcare— including abortion, family planning, and sex education.

• Addressing all forms of gun violence— including mass shootings and experiences of daily violence—in our communities.

Global thought leadership by:

• Tackling climate change by investing in clean energy, capping and reducing carbon pollution, and providing a just transition away Create a stronger democracy by: from fossil fuels.

• Automatically registering all people to vote.

• Supporting global youth movements for social • Moving to a non-partisan redistricting system and economic justice. in the states.

• Reigning in political spending.

34 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

UNPACKING THE SUPREME COURT

What It Means For You

BY JORDAN DUNN

Photo Courtesy of AP/ Jacquelyn Martin

In late June, the Supreme Court ruled on three cases that will change the lives of many Americans— Millennials included. Here’s a breakdown of why these rulings matter so much.

Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project

This case brought up the legality of disparate impact. In Texas, Low Income Housing Tax credits were being given to developments in minority communities more often than they were in white communities, bringing up the question of whether or not the practice was discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act. “Housing discrimination remains one of the unfinished project of the civil rights era,” Ian Millhiser, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress says. “If the Supreme Court had taken a bite our of the Fair Housing Act, it would have made it even more difficult for Millennials, and especially Millennial’s of color, to afford their first home.”

Photo Courtesy of AP/Tony Gutierrez

King v. Burwell centered around the legality of the subsidies provided by the Affordable Care Act in states that did not set up their own health care exchanges. If the court had struck down this central tenet of the ACA, millions of Millennials would have lost their health insurance. Ian Millhiser sums it up best: “King v. Burwell… is especially important for Millennials who are just beginning their careers because people who are just starting off in life often have less earning power and less ability to find a job with health benefits than they will as they grow older.”

King v. Burwell

Photo Courtesy of AP/ Jacquelyn Martin

Obergefell v. Hodges

Photo Courtesy of AP/ Evan Vucci

This case called into question the legality of states which banned the recognition of same-sex marriage. The court ruled that same-sex marriage is protected under the Fourteenth Amendment: since there is no difference between same-sex marriage and opposite-sex marriage, a denial of the right to marry for same-sex couples would deny some Americans equal protection under the law. “[Millennials] will remember a time before our nation recognized the shared humanity that straight and LGBTQ Americans share, but they will also mature into a world where the injustices of the past will become increasingly unthinkable,” Ian Millhiser says. From now on, Millennials will be able to love and marry whomever, as the law cannot deny the right to liberty.

Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 35

FROM OUR VOICES NETWORK

Becoming Kyle

BY MARISSA BARNHART PHOTOS BY NICOLE SAUTER

This piece originally appeared in The Burr, a student publication at Kent State University, a member of the Generation Progress Voices Network. It has been edited for length—read the full piece at genpr.gs/BecomingKyle.

“That’s not gonna come off,” he says, pointing at the ornament hanging from his rearview mirror. His car is the quietest place on campus at 2 PM. on a Thursday. “It’s devil hands,” he continues. “They were my mom’s. They were to protect her while she was driving.”

In two months, his voice is noticeably deeper, cracking here and there as a reminder of his “second puberty.” Facial hair is poking out around his chin, and he appears more defined, his former softness turning sharp—all signs the hormones are working.

Kyle Dunn has taken his testosterone shot every Wednesday since Dec. 10, 2014. Referred to as “T,” it is only one of Dunn’s steps in transitioning from female to male—he’s just waiting for the effects to take over.

“Body hair, voice dropping, fat redistribution, weight loss, muscle gain—anything you can think of on your body is just changing,” Dunn says. “I’m loving it.”

On The Homefront

Dunn has always known he was a boy, but it wasn’t until he was 15 that he found the word “transgender” through a musician on YouTube who appeared on Tyra Banks’ former talk show.

“I found it and I was like, ‘Oh my God, that fits, like, my life,’ and ever since, I’ve been trying it out on chat rooms and just different names and things and see what would fit,” Dunn says.

Before coming out as transgender, Dunn told his family and friends he was bisexual. He felt he needed to give an explanation, because he was dating girls but wasn’t ready to use transgender. “I had always gone by Kyle—in the back of my head I was like, ‘that’s right,’ ” Dunn says. “Then I just started coming out when I knew.”

Dunn says for him, coming out had two steps.

“The first one is telling people that you’re not the gender you were born—you’re not the gender that matches your sex,” Dunn says. “The other one is telling them that you 36 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

are transitioning and going through the transitioning process.”

Dunn says his family had mixed reactions to his coming out. Initially, Dunn came out to his stepmother.

She told Dunn’s father, who didn’t accept it at first. Over the years, Dunn says his father came around and has since become his number one supporter and best friend, specifically during summ er 2014.

“My dad sat next to me at my name-change court day,” Dunn says. “When I got my gender marker changed on my license, the paperwork got sent to his house. He faxed it to me the next day, so I could go get my license immediately instead of having to wait until I got home to get my mail. And now he is helping me with the insurance paperwork.”

Dunn says he is grateful to have his dad in his life, and he’s glad Kent State isn’t too far from home because he can visit his dad on the weekends. “It’s weird how it changes,” Dunn says. “I don’t know what I’d do without his support ... I couldn’t really see myself transitioning unless I knew he was OK with it.”

Brothers In Arms

Dunn says he was nervous about on-campus living when he came to college. He found Kent State appealing because it advertised gender-neutral housing, which he calls a “myth,” because at the time, the genderinclusive housing form didn’t exist.

“The phone number on their website didn’t work to call for gender-neutral housing,” Dunn says. “If you wanted to live with someone, they would either try to room you with someone else who is trans, which wasn’t actually a thing until this year when they started getting more trans people on campus ... or people of your birth gender.” Dunn says he didn’t have the best housing situation in his first year on campus, but he did get involved in organizations.

Dunn is active in the LGBTQ-inclusive fraternity on campus, Delta Lambda Phi. “There are actually two fraternities in the country that are trans-inclusive for pre-T,” Dunn says. “The fact that I was accepted and I didn’t need to be medically transitioned and didn’t have to hide anything was really awesome.”

Dunn holds three positions in his fraternity: pledge educator, sergeant at arms, and alumni relations.

He says he enjoys being in the fraternity because of the time he’s spent and the bonds he’s formed with his brothers. “It’s a lot of work, but what you give comes back,” Dunn says. “The time I’ve spent with these guys— we just know each other so well. They know when something’s up and I know when they’re feeling down.”

Branching Out

Since starting testosterone, Dunn says he’s become more confident. He feels comfortable speaking up in class and can now look in mirrors because he’s satisfied with what he sees. One of his favorite things to

do is take selfies. “The more pictures I have, even if I take one once a week, it’s still a big enough change that you can tell,” Dunn says. “And when you look at everything side by side, it shows the minor changes and not just the big ones.”

Dunn also says that testosterone isn’t always the answer—it’s a work in progress. “It’s a waiting game because you’re waiting for all the effects to take place, and you’re waiting for yourself to turn into the person you always thought you were or you’ve always been,” Dunn says.

For other alternatives to combat gender dysphoria, Dunn recommends looking into websites that sell binders, packers ,and gaffs. He says it’s important to find safe alternatives because some things, such as binding— compressing breasts to look flat-chested—can be dangerous to people’s health.

Dunn says he’s trying to raise money for top surgery—breast removal. He has a GoFundMe page, and he’s selling T-shirts, which can be found at t-fueled.spreadshirt.com.

Dunn says he’s taking his transition one step at a time, but he’s glad he came to Kent State, and he thinks he’s come a long way from his teenage days.

“I’d still be sitting in Mentor in my dad’s place going, ‘Wow, I want to transition,’ like every other trans kid in Mentor instead of actually going out there and doing something for myself and getting it done,” Dunn says. “For what I have, this is pretty damn good.”

JOIN THE GENERATION PROGRESS VOICES NETWORK Are you interested in media and communications?

We’re looking for progressive journalists, activists, filmmakers, and more to join our network.

Sign up for more info at genpr.gs/VoicesNetwork Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress | 37

Make Progress << Art Competition

What does making progress mean to you? We asked you to show us how you see the world and how we can move forward on progressive issues using any form of art you wanted. Here are some of our standout entries.

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WINNER: Gianna Judkins

I took this photo almost two years ago at the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. This photo speaks to making progress from the generational perspective. I was captivated by the expressions on the youth’s faces — they are young enough to have an awareness of the world around them but not quite old enough to have a full understanding of systemic and institutionalized oppression. This speaks to the progress our country made with our grandparents and parents, but still the work that must be done for my generation, their generations, and the others that follow.

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Installation by Cassandra Alessio Progress is about giving everyone the opportunity to achieve success if they work hard. It is not progress to force everyone into poverty who wants to achieve a higher education.

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38 | Generation Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress

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Photo by Kyle Gracey Our beautiful country is threatened by climate change. We can make progress toward a cleaner economy by moving more people and goods by rail instead of cars and truck, like in this photo of a freight train, which I shot from the window of an Amtrak train traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago.

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Poem by Patrick Cox

LEFT Painting by Saïd Martínez-Calderón

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‘Caverna’ is an icy cave that is slowly melting and erasing borders that will bring us closer together and work as citizen of this Earth. This is the progress I wish to see.

RIGHT Art by Lorraine Triolo

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Progress means we would use love and compassion instead of bullets and violence.

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