Urban Youth Initiative in the Nation's Capital

Deborah Block is the author and a Summer Fellow at 21st Century Democrats

As a new resident of DC, I came down here this summer aware of a “rumor” that the city’s heat is unbearable during the month of August. But coming from freezing winters in Boston for four years, I told myself that if I can handle bitter cold, I can handle scorching hot. I mean really, how bad could it be?

Not bad at all. This past Saturday fell less in line with DC’s summer reputation and felt more like the beginning of fall—no humidity, a nice breeze, and cooler temperatures. But on one of the most beautiful days of the season, a crowd of progressive democrats decided to spend their day in doors. After all, with less than 100 days until the Presidential election, learning skills needed to be successful field organizers are just more important than taking leisurely stroll through Dupont Circle.

The SEIU generously offered to host our one-day field organizer training, a diverse group of individuals of all ages arrived ready to soak up information about canvassing, internet organizing, creating a field plan, and how to effectively deliver their message. Dan Lucas, our Vice President for Political Affairs, infused his lessons with anecdotes from the road. With experience as a political adviser to presidential candidates, members of Congress, as well as the upstate field director for Hillary Clinton for Senate, he knows the ins and outs of political field work.

As someone who started working on campaigns without technology like cell phones, the internet, or email, Dan sees our generation’s technology boom as a mixed blessing. Although the internet and cell phones expedite communication, today’s technology also has its drawbacks—it takes away from people’s willingness to make personal connections. Now, when it is so easy to send an email, a text message, or make a phone call, people—especially young adults—can too often hide behind technology and shy away from the power of person to person contact.

And in politics, although the internet and email makes our lives easier, on Saturday, Dan strongly emphasized how important these personal connections are to really making a difference on a campaign. When reaching out to constituents, people forget emails and snail mail, but they don’t forget faces and people who show up at their door. After all, democracy in its essence is all about giving people a voice. So when reaching out to the public and campaigning on behalf of candidates, we can’t forget how important it is to be proactive. Clicking a mouse may be convenient, but is it really more effective than shaking someone’s hand?

At our training on Saturday, I hope that Dan’s message resonated with the younger people in the room. Facebook, MySpace, and Gmail may be changing the way our generation connects to each other, but we must remember that the ability to elect progressive candidates and leaving a positive lasting impression is best done in person, face to face.

Check out some photos from our one-day Urban Youth Initiative and SpeakerSeries' training in Washington, DC.