Student debt has exceeded $1.2 trillion. One third of black men are serving time in prison, and young black men are 21 times more likely to be killed by police than whites. Republicans are attacking DACA and aiming to deport more undocumented students. At the same time, unemployment persists at eighty percent for youth of color, and voter ID laws have quelled youth voter turnout in many states.
What do we say? Stand up, fight back, VOTE!

Students, immigrant rights activists, organizers from Ferguson, and young union members are all hitting the pavement right now to elect progressive candidates to the Senate and to Governor seats across the country.

Need more motivation? There is important legislation waiting to be passed on behalf of youth and students. Republicans have been holding these bills hostage.
* In response to Ferguson and mass unemployment among African American youth, Sen Bernie Standers is introducing a bill to provide $5.5 billion to states and municipalities to employ one million youth ages 16 to 24.
* Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act cuts interest rates on student loans. It was two votes short of stopping the Republican filibuster.
* Sens Bernie Sanders and Patrick Leahy are leading support to restore the fundamental protections of the Voting Rights Act and oppose voter ID and other laws that limit turnout of youth, African American, Latino, Native American and Asian Pacific voters.
Let’s turnout to vote and win in November and continue the fight to bring into reality these urgently needed pieces of legislation.

We’re taking the GOTV Challenge (Get Out The Vote)!

Lots of great work is underway across the country. A few examples: In Florida phone banking with AFL CIO and tabling at a youth voter event….In Arizona door knocking daily to turn out the vote for statewide races….In Connecticut door knocking in club neighborhoods for voter registration and GOTV with youth and with labor….In New York rallying with the Working Families Party and connecting the movement to end profiling with getting out the vote….In Washington State street corner “waves” with VOTE signs as early voting begins….In New Hampshire phone banking with labor….In Illinois participating with labor phone banking and completing a voter registration drive. Send in a note about what you are doing in your community! E-mail to politicalaction@cpusa.org with your experiences.

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