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Happy Monday, John!
The Network is closing out Q1 with no signs of slowing down! Across legislative sessions, young organizers are making their voices heard—and we’re especially celebrating Georgia Youth Justice Coalition’s Youth Takeover last week.
Plus, hear from our Executive Director, Dakota Hall, and MOVE Texas’ Claudia Yoli Ferla as they respond to President Trump’s latest dangerous executive order and its impact on our communities.
Also, don’t miss Dakota’s latest Substack deep dive on how the right is outpacing the left in connecting with young men. He unpacks their success on college campuses, social media, and in shaping modern masculinity—plus, what progressives need to do to catch up.
Stay tuned for more updates, on-the-ground stories, and ways to take action!
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Youth Takeover in Atlanta, Georgia!
Last week, young organizers took over the streets of Atlanta and the halls of the Georgia Capitol, delivering a powerful message to legislators: their future is in their hands.
From demanding fully funded schools to pushing for real safety in their communities and the freedom to learn and be themselves, youth leaders showed up, met with legislators, and pushed back against harmful policies—proving that when young people move together, those in power have no choice but to listen.
For Georgia Youth Justice Coalition (GYJC), this work is nothing new. Every Thursday, they gather at the Capitol for Youth at the Capitol, a program designed to immerse young people in the legislative process. Through guided tours, scavenger hunts, and calls to action, participants don’t just watch democracy in action—they become a part of it.
This moment wasn’t built alone. GYJC was proud to host the Youth Takeover alongside incredible partners, all fighting for the Georgia young people deserve. Reminding us that, together, we’re unstoppable. Follow their work and see Youth at the Capitol in Action: @georgiayouthco [[link removed]] !
📢 Check out the work of their partners who made this possible:
Collective Renaissance Guild ( @crgvotes [[link removed]] ), HRC Atlanta ( @hrcatl [[link removed]] ), GLAHR ( @glahr.ga [[link removed]] ), Georgia Conservation Voters ( @gcvoters [[link removed]] ), Asian American Advocacy Fund ( @asianaaf [[link removed]] ), PODER LATINX ( @poder_latinx [[link removed]] ), ACLU of GA ( @acluofga [[link removed]] ), GA Working Families Party ( @wfpgeorgia [[link removed]] )
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Trump’s Executive Order is an Attack on Young Voters
Last week, President Trump signed a dangerous executive order [[link removed]] designed to silence young voters, students, immigrant youth, and military families. This sweeping move creates new bureaucratic hurdles that disproportionately affect young people and hands unprecedented voter-roll oversight to Elon Musk, threatening partisan manipulation.
This executive order:
1. Creates complex, confusing voter registration requirements, disproportionately hurting students and young people who frequently move or attend college away from home.
2. Strips resources from already-underfunded election offices, decertifying voting equipment in key states with large youth populations, directly impacting young voters’ ability to participate.
3. Grants unprecedented voter-roll oversight to Elon Musk, risking partisan manipulation and widespread confusion, further threatening the voting rights of youth and marginalized communities.
Young voters have consistently proven their power to shape elections and drive progressive change. That’s why they’re under attack. At this pivotal moment, supporting youth-led efforts to defend voting rights isn’t just necessary, it’s essential to protecting our democracy itself.
The Alliance for Youth Action Network is fully committed to empowering young voters, eliminating barriers, and fighting back against any policy aimed at suppressing their voices. Now more than ever, we must stand united behind young people—our democracy depends on it.
“This executive order isn’t just another political move; it's a direct attempt to silence the fastest-growing and most diverse voting bloc in America: young people and students. By adding unnecessary hurdles to voter registration, especially for those attending college out-of-state or coming from immigrant families, Trump is targeting youth-led progress at the ballot box. Protecting young voters right now is about safeguarding our democracy for decades to come”.
— Dakota Hall, Executive Director, Alliance for Youth Action
“Every day at MOVE Texas, we see young voters energized, engaged, and determined to shape their future. Trump’s executive order isn’t just bureaucratic red tape; it’s an intentional attempt to silence young voices, especially students and immigrant youth who are fighting to be heard. We’re seeing the same playbook here in Texas with anti-democratic bills like SB 16 snaking their way through our legislature. Just like Trump’s order, SB 16 would be a fake solution to a fake problem—an unnecessary barrier designed to silence eligible voters whose voices those in power are determined to ignore. This generation is ready to lead, and national and state attacks like this make our work protecting their rights more crucial than ever.”
— Claudia Yoli Ferla, Executive Director, MOVE Texas Action Fund
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The Ground Game: Insights & Analysis
Each week, our Executive Director, Dakota Hall, breaks down the latest developments in policy, activism, and social movements—offering critical analysis of the issues currently shaping our communities.
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The College Campus Battleground: Fighting Right-Wing Influence in Student Organizing [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] The Podcast Pipeline: How the Right Recruits Young Men Where They Are [[link removed]]
Why are college campuses one of the most crucial political battlegrounds today? Right-wing media isn’t just reaching young men—it’s reshaping their worldview. And podcasts are the secret weapon. [[link removed]]
While many assume young people naturally lean left, conservatives have been systematically working to shift that reality. Through strategic, well-funded campus recruitment to well-oiled media pipelines, the right is actively shaping the political views of students—and it’s working. Through long-form, personality-driven content, conservative influencers aren’t just broadcasting ideas—they’re cultivating deep ideological shifts, offering a sense of belonging, purpose, and direction. Meanwhile, progressives have struggled to produce content that resonates as effectively, leaving a significant gap that the right continues to fill. [[link removed]]
Dakota argues that countering this influence requires more than just turning up during election cycles. We must invest in year-round organizing, leadership development, and community-building that meets students where they are. Reclaiming campus influence means ensuring progressive narratives resonate beyond just moments of crisis. Dakota breaks down how this pipeline operates and what it would take for progressives to compete: not just viral content, but sustained investment in storytelling, relationship-building, and platforms that engage young men on their own terms.
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Buzzwords vs. Base-Building [[link removed]] What It Means to Be a Provider in 2025: Rethinking Economic Security for Young Men [[link removed]]
Is the left prioritizing rhetoric over real organizing? What does it truly mean to be a “provider” in today’s economy—and why is the right controlling this conversation?
While progressive movements dominate social media discourse, conservatives are playing the long game—building deep, sustained infrastructure that turns ideology into lasting power. Right-wing organizers are investing in young people through leadership pipelines, grassroots networks, and direct engagement, while progressives too often rely on slogans and momentary mobilization. Economic instability, evolving gender roles, and conservative narratives have reshaped how young men understand masculinity and responsibility. The right has tapped into these anxieties, offering a sense of purpose and direction, while progressives have struggled to present a compelling narrative.
This piece unpacks the imbalance and asks: are we spending too much time debating language when we should be going back to the basics and strengthening movements? Dakota makes the case for a shift away from performative messaging toward real investment in political power. Through insightful analysis and personal reflections, Dakota explores how to challenge these narratives and redefine economic security—not through individual competition, but through collective care, economic justice, and a movement that speaks to young men’s real needs and true security for all.
Read More Here! [[link removed]]
Thanks for being with us on this journey. Let’s keep moving forward—together.
Selasi Tagbor Morales
Communications Coordinator
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Learn about The Network! [[link removed]]

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