POC: Politics of Color
By Jamila Roxas & Alyssa Torres
The countdown begins for the 2024 Presidential Election. Since Joe Biden withdrew his name from the ballot, current Vice President, Kamala Harris, has now taken his place as the democratic party nominee.
Kamala Harris is the first African American and South Asian American woman to run for president and has paved the way for younger generations through inspireing women all over the world that they are capable of more than what society has confined them to be.
After interviewing Chaffey College student Ty Peters about the upcoming election, we gained some good insight as to how she feels about the upcoming election. When asked how she felt, Peters responded with the fact that she has been hearing about Trump’s Project 2025. Peters does not like the way it sounds and its foundations regarding how it could affect school systems, climate research, and other aspects that move America forward.
Her concerns were regarding what it could mean and and how it will affect the future for the American people. When asked about her history of politics and if she was engaged, she told us that she was never into it; not until recently. When asked what changed, she said that she started to grow more concerned over the importance of voting and has been hearing a lot of people around her talk about politics, leading to her newfound interest and enhanced education about what is going on.
On that same note, another Chaffey College student, Deonna Dewitt, expressed her decision as to why she will be voting for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Dewitt noted that it does sadden her that there are people out there who simply do not want to vote. Upon asking her what we can do to get people involved, she thinks that it starts with the younger generation; allowing kids to develop their own understanding of policies, laws and ideas they lean toward will help with involvement.
This allows kids to expand their critical thinking skills and their awareness to the things that surround them, empowering them to make more informed decisions and advocate for a more positive change as they continue to grow older.
As for the election itself and the Democratic party nominee, Dewitt is ecstatic to see the representation for not only women, but for women of color. For years and years, women have fought to have a voice not just in the government, but all over the world. This election not only marks a turning point for the United States, but also inspires other young women that they can and have the ability to do anything they put their minds to.
Ty Peters and Deonna Dewitt, both student athletes at Chaffey College, believe that change needs to happen in order to move forward. Peters newfound interest in voting comes from discussions with peers and the broader effects of project 2025. Dewitt highlights the need for the younger generations to understand policies and develop their own opinions towards political concepts.
Both students make a clear emphasis on getting the younger generation more involved in politics. This shared focus on youth engagement underlines a collective effort to increase political awareness amongst students.