Young adult voters may once again play a pivotal role in this presidential election, but their importance to our democracy runs much deeper than any one political cycle. Millennials and Gen Z represent the future of our multiracial, pluralistic democracy.
Next100 and GenForward teamed up on a national survey of their perspectives on how well our democracy is working and its potential, their trust in government, and their civic engagement. The findings were illuminating, and revealed significant frustration with and disconnection from our political system.
Featuring:
- Moderator: Stefan Lallinger, executive director, Next100
- Cathy J. Cohen, principal investigator and founder, GenForward
- Tabitha Decker, deputy director, Next100
- Chantal Hinds, senior policy entrepreneur, Next100; fellow, The Century Foundation
- Nia Johnson, policy entrepreneur, Next100
Presented by Next100, The Century Foundation, and GenForward.
Speaker Bios
Stefan Redding Lallinger is the executive director at Next100, a diverse and inclusive think tank created for and driven by the next generation of policy leaders. He is a former teacher, principal, and district leader who has researched and written on school segregation, housing policy, and education policy. He is also a Commissioner on the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners and an adjunct lecturer at American University.
Cathy J. Cohen is the David and Mary Winton Green Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. She currently serves as the inaugural chair of the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity (RDI) at the University of Chicago. She is also the founder and director of the Black Youth Project.
Cohen is the author of two books: Democracy Remixed: Black Youth and the Future of American Politics and The Boundaries of Blackness: AIDS and the Breakdown of Black Politics; and co-editor with Kathleen Jones and Joan Tronto of Women Transforming Politics: An Alternative Reader.
Tabitha Decker is the deputy director at Next100, a think tank and leadership development program that’s strengthening policymaking by centering the vision and expertise of those with the most at stake. Tabitha has researched, written about, and led advocacy campaigns on improving transportation as a means of advancing racial, gender, and economic equality. Tabitha is on the board of Spring Street Climate Fund, on the advisory board of New Yorkers United for Child Care, and is a member of Brooklyn Community Board 2. She has a BA in international relations from Wellesley College and a PhD in sociology from Yale University.
Chantal Hinds is a senior policy entrepreneur at Next100 and an advocate for students involved in the foster system, working to ensure they have the educational support they need to succeed. At Next100, Chantal’s work focuses on improving academic outcomes and narrowing the opportunity gap between students in the foster system and their peers. Chantal graduated from Adelphi University and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She also holds a master’s of biblical and theological studies from Dallas Theological Seminary.
Nia Johnson is a policy entrepreneur at Next100, a community organizer, and an advocate for social change. Her current work focuses on corporate oversight initiatives that impact racial equity and worker empowerment. As a movement support organizer from California, Nia unites patients, workers, and policy advocates to enhance patient protection and oversight of healthcare consolidation. Nia received her bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Los Angeles. While there, she was a student leader in a campaign focused on increasing students’ financial aid and acted as an alumni liaison for the university system.
