How A Group Of Young Nashvillians Wants To Show Baby Boomers They Can Make An Impact With Their Votes

Young people all across Tennessee have taken on the streets to protest racism and police brutality.

And, as a crucial election approaches, some of them are now focused on making sure they also vote.

Mekka Abdullah, 23, is one of the organizers of a non-partisan event called “OK Boomer, Watch Me Vote.” The virtual forum is part of an election project created by young members of the Congregation Ohabai Sholom and the American Muslim Advisory Council.

Abdullah says they want to target many of the young voters who have been out protesting.

“For some reason, when it comes to voting there isn’t that same vigor and that same enthusiasm,” she says. “But, voting is one of the most effective ways that we can do that and voting is so easily accessible to everyone.”

Abdullah wants younger people to understand that their vote can have an impact.

And it will, says Steve Venick. The 35-year-old Nashville resident says this could be the election where young people can create an actual change.

“If you’ve been in the streets, if you feel you are disengaged … the only way for the system to represent you is for you to vote,” Venick says. “If we can translate everything we’ve seen in the streets over the last few months into the voting booth, then we are going to see a pretty massive shift in our politics in November.”