If Not Now, When? Perspective from NYC Votes Youth Ambassador
Victoria N. is a student at our CBI partner high school, Marble Hill School for International Studies.
She is also active with NYC Votes as a Youth Ambassador, and though she is not yet of voting age, she is committed to educating others about the importance of voting and addressing issues that she has seen in her community. We asked her to tell us about her experience with NYC Votes and what inspired her to get involved.
I sat on the cold tiles of my living room floor seated in a circle with my siblings around the Monopoly board. “This isn’t fair!” I exclaimed loudly; I’ve just gone bankrupt and watched as all my properties were handed to my sister. A part of my nine-year-old self wanted a rule that supported players who constantly went bankrupt like myself. Or at least a pass that gave us a chance to skip bankruptcy. But of course, this wasn’t possible, and I understood that as I took my seat out of the game.
As a young adult, I have had similar experiences where things in my community seemed beyond my control. The climate crisis as we all suffered heat strokes on long summer days or even animal cruelty as cats like a stray I take care of is left in basements to fend for themselves. These issues inspired me to participate in a program where I would be educated about democracy, issues in my community, and New York City as a whole.
“But why now”, many of my peers asked. Why does it matter to pre-register to vote or educate ourselves about the elections our parents are voting on? This was something I used to ignorantly ask too: what does this have to do with me? But through taking classes such as “Participation in Government” at my school and NYC Votes, this question became very clear: if not now, when? We must arm ourselves with knowledge about the community we live in, political leaders, and important issues our community is facing now so we can continue to grow and make a change in the future.
Thus, we should all educate ourselves so we can make a change for our tomorrow; whether this looks like educating your friends and family or taking part in voter registration drives. Or like my nine-year-old self sitting to the side of the unending Monopoly game would suggest, it may look like creating a new rule to allow you to stay in the game.
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