Reflection from the Organize for Democracy Program: Bridget Griffith

Blue Future teamed up with Grassroots Democrats HQ to create a compensated program to train young people in virtual organizing, which we called Organize for Democracy. At the conclusion of the program, we asked our wonderful participants to write a reflection on their time in the program.

Going into this year, I knew that the 2022 midterms were going to be important. That only became clearer with the overturn of Roe v Wade, the findings of the January 6th commission, and many other events this year. I was scared and angry about the future of our country and while I had been involved in some political campaigns and organizing in past, I was looking for an opportunity to stay engaged and organizing.

The Organize for Democracy Leadership Program was an amazing way to do this. It was flexible enough to be able to fit within my classes but allowed me to talk to voters across the country. I had so many interesting conversations with voters from North Carolina to Arizona to California. While phone banking can be at time demoralizing when no one picks up or you don’t have any good conversations one day, the team at Blue Future and Grassroots Dems also made sure to remind us the importance of the work we were doing and how our work was being amplified by the many other participants in the program. Being apart of the program helped me remain motivated and inspired.

I loved that Blue Future not only focuses on engaging a group of young people in political organizing but working with them to organize and engage other young people across the country. I had never worked on voter outreach specifically targeted at other young people before. It was amazing to see how young people truly shaped the results of the election and how organizations like Blue Future made that possible. It has inspired me to find other ways I can work to specifically organize my peers.

Not only was I able to work to increase voter turnout and help Democrats get elected across the country, the program also focused on how we could use these skills in the future. From trainings on time management and fundraising to the opportunity to connect with organizers across the country, this program was an amazing opportunity to grow my organizing skills.

The Organize for Democracy Leadership program helped me engage with voters across the countries while also inspiring me and helping me develop skills for future organizing. I hope to take the skills and ideas I’ve learned through the program to whatever I work on in the future.