George Olufosoye, Wisconsin State Director for NextGen America
Businessman-turned-philanthropist Tom Steyer created NextGen America in 2013 to get young people involved in important issues such as voting. Since then, NextGen America has established branches in 11 states. It is currently on 26 Wisconsin campuses and employs more than 60 staff members and “fellows” (college students that are considered part-time employees). The organization’s state director, George Olufosoye, is an immigrant from Nigeria who was raised in Milwaukee.
Why should people know about NextGen America?
We saw how 2016 went. We didn’t win there, and I think that’s because we didn’t have young people engaged at the city level or at the statewide level. We’re the future leaders of this country. Without us, where is this country going to go? We are the fresh faces. We are the fresh voices. And we know what needs to be done to change what’s going on right now. We’re having those real conversations. We’re there to talk to the people who haven’t been engaged in a real way and that’s what we’re doing here.
How do you get the youth engaged?
We go door to door knocking, telling them, “Hey, there’s an election coming up on this date. You should turn out and vote and get some of your friends to get active.” We will help them get registered to vote, help them get their friends registered to vote. We can actually train them on how to do it at the same time.
What would you tell the youth who aren’t sure about voting?
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We may think our voices are just one by ourselves, but together we can create change. I’ve talked to people and they’re like “No, I don’t vote. That’s for lames, that’s for squares. We don’t do that.” But, at the end of the day, that one decision of you staying out can affect not only your own but also somebody else’s life down the road. So, you have to think about it just not as an individual, but what it means to the entire state, what it means to the city, if you don’t do your part to help out.
What should we be looking for in our next leaders and officials?
We need to look for someone that has the thoughts of the people in mind. Who really cares about what’s going on in communities like Milwaukee and Madison and Oshkosh and Green Bay. Somebody that’s really in these communities and talking to people in a genuine way; who understands what’s going on. Someone who will connect to local leaders to get their perspectives on what they think they should be doing. So, we need someone that has a progressive agenda in mind and is willing to bring young people into that space and power, so our voices can be heard.
For more on NextGen America, visit nextgenamerica.org.
