Welcome to the Gen Z Activist Network’s first substack!
We are very excited to be formally kicking off this important initiative. As you’ve heard us say numerous times by now, the outcome of this election and the future of our democracy depend on effective peer-to-peer communications. This substack and the larger network is here to help you do just that. Throughout the year we will provide helpful messaging support, updates on current news and issues impacting the election and sharable social media content.
We also want you to create and share your own content with your friends and family. And the best way to start is by sharing your personal story about why you support Joe Biden.
Sharing your personal story:
The focus for this first week is to construct a personal narrative about why you support Joe Biden and record that narrative on video. And don’t worry, this isn’t some democratic litmus test, there are no wrong answers here. If you support Joe Biden because he is a lesser of two evils, tell us that and why. If you support Joe Biden because of a specific policy, tell us what that is. If you are conflicted about your support because of our policy towards Israel and Gaza, tell us about that. The most honest and authentic answers will make for the most impactful videos.
Why is your voice so important in this election cycle?
Young voters don’t trust politicians, political institutions, and the media, meaning the best messenger is YOU, their peers. Hearing directly from their peers, creates a permission structure for supporting Joe Biden, even if they have some deeply felt misgivings about him. In addition, Gen Z voters are more policy-driven and less likely to identify with a political party or candidate, again putting more importance on peer-to-peer communication.
That was a long way of saying YOUR STORY REALLY MATTERS in this election. There is a huge opportunity for YOU to talk about what policies you care about, how they impact you, your family, and your community.
To help do this we are going to borrow a page from President Barack Obama’s playbook. The Obama campaign was famous for focusing on personal narrative as an organizing tool, offering training around Marshall Ganz’s popular personal narrative framework called “Public Narrative”.
Here are some tips for using this framework within the context of the 2024 election.
Story of Self:
Ask yourself, what experiences have led you to be concerned about the 2024 election? What values have driven that concern?
Story of Us:
How do you define your community?
Story of Now:
How do your experiences, values, and community impact the way you think about the choice you face in the current election? How will the choice you, and other’s, make impact your future?
Use your answers to these questions to formulate your personal narrative around why you are engaged in this election and voting for Joe Biden. Remember, authenticity and honesty are key here. Don’t feel like you need to say anything you don’t believe but do try to be specific. If your answer is Biden is the lesser of two evils great, but tell us why you think he’s the lesser of two evils. If your answer is a fear of a second Trump term, great, but tell us why you fear a second Trump term.
Recording Your Story:
Once you have your personal story figured out, time to record. Let’s make this as easy as possible. Simply pull out your smartphone, connect your headphones for good audio, and record yourself directly on the phone. Here are some additional things to keep in mind when recording your videos:
Try to record in a bright room or outside in a quiet area
Try to make eye contact with your camera vs looking at yourself on the screen
Use on external microphone for good audio; can be as simple as the headset that came with your phone.
When you are done with your video, feel free to add it to slack so we can all see them and if you feel the desire share them on your social channels. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #GenZActivist2024 so we can ya and share your amazing work!
Inspiration:
Need a little creative spark? No worries. Here is example of personal testimonials we think rock.
Our friends at Republican Voters Against Trump have collected tons of personal testimonials from former Republicans about why they will never vote for Donald Tump. As you can see, the power of these videos is in their simplicity and honesty.
Still feeling stumped?
Ask yourself the following questions:
What issues matter the most to you and who do you think will best represent those issues?
What about Donald Trump bothers you?
What has Joe Biden done in the past that you supported?
Who do you know in your life that has similar values to you? If you were to explain to them why you support Joe Biden what would you say?
Happy Narrating!
And thanks again for being a part of this network. We look forward to continuing to work together.