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Youth Organizing in Georgia

Black, brown, and youth voters surged to the polls in 2020 and 2021. In response to the results, Georgia established new obstacles to voting, making it harder for people to participate in elections. To overcome these obstacles and ensure robust civic engagement, RDI sees a huge opportunity for youth organizing—and Georgia has a high share of young voters, nearly half of whom are people of color.

In 2022, we supported Collective Renaissance Georgia (CRG) to expand their scope and impact dramatically. They worked closely with RDI grantees like Black Male Voter Project and Black Voters Matter to engage young people in rural areas and small cities, support emerging leaders, and build Black political power.

CRG uses culturally resonant events to engage young voters and get them to take action together. At CRG events—held at college campuses, skating rinks, and HBCU Football Classics—young people dance to live music by artists they love and popular DJs talk about the importance of voting. It’s also a chance to ask questions and get into in-depth conversations. Many attendees registered to vote for the first time and excitedly texted their friends about how to get more involved.

Building on the momentum from events, CRG ran a texting and mail campaign, and canvassed 73,000 doors. In the general election, the youth vote boosted Warnock, preparing him for winning the December runoff and ensuring the Senate majority.
 

This article was originally published in RDI's 2022 Impact Report. Learn more about RDI support for organizing in GA.