Happy Thursday, John!

As legislative sessions heat up across the country, the Network is stepping up to champion policies that matter and fight against those that harm. From grassroots advocacy to impactful testimonies, youth organizers are driving change in statehouses nationwide.

Plus, our Executive Director, Dakota Hall, shares key insights on the performance of resistance and revolution during the Great American Game and the challenges of connecting with young men in our political landscape.

Stay tuned for updates, stories from the field, and ways you can support these critical efforts!

It’s Officially Lege Session Season!

Across the nation, the Network is hard at work, ensuring young people and their communities have a voice in shaping the policies that affect their futures. They have been stepping up their efforts to educate and engage youth—empowering them with the knowledge and tools to participate in their democracy.

This is especially urgent now, as attacks on voting rights, LGBTQ+ communities, reproductive justice, economic equality, and environmental protections threaten to undo hard-won progress. In Kansas, SB 63 was recently passed, banning youth gender-affirming care despite strong opposition from Loud Light and other local organizations. This is just one of five anti-trans bills in the state and part of a staggering 614 introduced nationwide. But young people aren’t backing down. They are leading the fight, and our Network is ensuring they have the skills, resources, and platforms to push back against regressive policies. From organizing youth advocacy days to leading workshops on policy impact, our 19 Affiliates are creating space for young voices to be heard where it matters most.

Engage Miami and Florida Student Power Network are teaming up with organizations across the state to equip young people with skills to engage in the legislative process. Through workshops on testimony preparation, policy strategy, power mapping, and more, they are preparing youth to take action at two state-wide events: Earth Advocacy Day (March 5-6) and Youth Power at the Capitol (April 14-16), where they will meet with lawmakers and rally for the issues that matter to them.
Natalie Somerson, Minnesota Youth Collective’s Political Director, recently led an Advocacy 201 training as a part of Minnesota’s Youth Day at the Capitol. In her session, YOUth Advocacy: Know Yourself + Take Up Space, she guided 100 high school students through a crash course on self-interest, values, and community involvement—helping them apply these lenses to issues they care about using MNYC’s organizing theory.
Washington Bus had an action-packed February! They kicked off the month by participating the Youth Advocacy Summit, presenting their legislative agenda to local organizations and youth in their community. They also hosted Party @ the Capitol, offering trainings, workshops, and opportunities for youth to meet with legislators. Plus, they launched the WA Bus Underground, a yout-led weekly advocacy clinic providing support for legislative engagement throughout the rest of the session.

Many groups are also tactically leveraging social media and digital campaigns to break down complex legislative topics into accessible formats, ensuring that everyone—no matter their location or background—can engage in civic action.

Forward Montana has been keeping followers informed and engaged with Calls to Action, breaking down key bills on housing rights, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, and more. Through the link in their instagram bio, Montanans can easily get involved in the legislative process and learn how to give testimony.
Loud Light’s Executive Director, Davis Hammet, is using short-form video to reach new audiences with Legislative Recap videos, making policy updates more accessible. These videos, along with transcripts, are also available on KC’s The Pitch website.

As legislative sessions around the country continue, the Network’s efforts remain vital in ensuring that all voices, especially young voices, are heard and valued in these decision-making spaces—particularly at a time when their rights, identities, and futures are on the line.

The Ground Game: Insights & Analysis

Each week, our Executive Director, Dakota Hall, breaks down the latest developments in policy, activism, and social movements—offering critical analysis of the issues currently shaping our communities.

The Ground Game: Insights & Analysis

When ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ Goes Primetime

This year, Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show did more than entertain; it sparked a conversation over Black culture, protest, and the ever-tightening grip of right-wing narratives. With echoes of Gil Scott-Heron’s The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Kendrick’s inspired the question: Can true resistance ever break through the corporate spectacle?

From an American flag made of Black bodies to a biting critique of the "game" of assimilation, the performance walked a razor’s edge between mainstream approval and radical disruption. Although some were quick to dismiss it as “DEI pandering”, Kendrick’s performance was a jolt of unfiltered truth, a reminder that real revolutions aren’t safe, sanitized, or corporate-sponsored. They unsettle. They provoke. And sometimes, even on America’s biggest stage, they refuse to play by the rules.

Provider, Protector, Presider: Why the Left Fails to Connect with Young Men, and How to Fix It

What does it mean to be a man in today’s political landscape?

Across the country, young men are navigating what it means to be a provider, protector, and presider, yet progressives have too often ignored these deeply ingrained identities, ceding the conversation to reactionary voices.

This piece dives into how masculinity shapes political engagement, why the Left struggles to reach young men, and how reclaiming and redefining these roles could change the game. If progressives want to stop losing young men to conservative narratives, it’s time to meet them where they are—without shame, without fear, and with a message that actually resonates.