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We are in an all-hands-on deck moment in our nation.
In the wake of the Great Depression and after World War II there was a recognition that without intervention, America would risk the economic stability of millions and indeed threaten its own economic security. As a result, public and private sectors united to change the trajectory of a generation and their descendants. This framework, in part manifested through the New Deal programs, created new systems, policies, and structures to reimagine life for people living in poverty. We know that those systems, policies, and structures created and propelled the white middle class, while excluding Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and immigrant communities of color.
We need this same commitment to youth and young adults now. And we must center policies on those communities that were not fully included in the New Deal and now are the most impacted by structural racism and income inequality that creates unemployment, poverty, debt, police brutality, inequitable education, and an unjust criminal justice system. What we need is a New Deal for Youth. Why? Because:
- Young people in this country, and especially young people of color, experienced economic violence during a period of national prosperity. As the national poverty rate declined, young adults consistently experienced higher poverty rates.
- Millions of young adults are drowning in student loan debt, which reinforces the racial wealth gap and threatens their economic stability well into their lifetime.
- Young people, and particularly young people of color, still experience lower rates of health insurance coverage than other people in America.
- The over-criminalization of children of color and the over-policing of Black and Brown communities has long placed young people of color at risk of harassment, arrest, injury, and death at the hands of law enforcement.
- An estimated 52% – 55% of youth voted in 2020, overwhelmingly for President Joe Biden, and were critical to key races across the country.
We can’t wait for economic justice. We can’t wait for healing and well-being. We can’t wait for safe communities. It is time for a New Deal for Youth that responds to the historic roots and current scale of the crisis and that acknowledges how critical young people are to the present and future direction of this country.
When the current, once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe is over, our future as a nation will depend on how intentionally we invest in this generation.
Watch our video to learn more and join us at newdealforyouth.org
Read our press release here.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @NewDeal4Youth.
Sample Tweets
- Young people in America are unemployed at a rate double the national average. This is #WhyWeCantWait for policies and solutions that directly address our needs. Join us at bit.ly/NewDeal4Youth and learn more about A #NewDealforYouth #WWCW
- Young people make up about half the American population. It's past time for our public and private sector leaders to work with us on the policies our communities deserve and a future we can all be proud of. Learn #WhyWeCantWait at bit.ly/NewDeal4Youth. #WWCW
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