The VOTE16MO Campaign is a youth-led initiative to lower the voting age in local and school board elections to 16. Vote16MO was started by a 17-year-old from St. Louis and his friends. It is a product of their passion, ambition, and determination to fight for what is right. It is locally run out of St. Louis entirely by the youth. Every speech, tweet, rally, post, and word on the website was crafted out of their own energy and time to fight for a better Missouri. They work to counter the increasing issue of voter apathy in the United States by fostering civic engagement in youth.
Their goal is to help start new local campaigns and elevate the issue’s prominence on a national level. And Campaign Director, Dj Yearwood is using his voice to better communities across the nation.
Dj Yearwood stated “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” This quote from former President Barack Obama perfectly describes why I am doing the work that I am. I believe that advocacy and grassroots work are some of the most important parts of the steps of change.”
In addition, The Youth Empowerment Initiative’s executive leadership is also a part of the campaign leadership. You can learn more about The Youth Empowerment Initiative at: http://www.yei-jc.org
