Guest Op-Ed: Young People Are Our Future

By Minnah Sheikh

As a 20-year-old working in the world of politics since I was 13, I have heard that phrase more times than I can count.

But what does that mean? What does that look like?

My name is Minnah Sheikh and I am currently serving as Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe’s campaign youth director and fellowship coordinator. If you’re wondering what that means – my job is to make sure that anyone under the age of 26 knows about Pat and gets out to vote on/or before September 19.

On Thursday, August 17, the Keefe campaign hosted a Youth Town Hall where we incited young people from across the city to come to our office and share what issues were important to them to the Acting Mayor. (Photos from this event can be seen on Page18)

I spent a good chunk of time trying to figure out what message would resonate with all of our attendees? What could I stand up there and say that would motivate a room full of young people – a group that is notroiuous for having extremely low rates of turnout – to vote and voice their opinions?

Is it climate change? Is it education? Is it housing? Is it career opportunities?

The truth is, there isn’t one answer. There’s no singular issue I could stand up there and point to that would motivate every member of Gen-Z to vote. There is, however, a personal reason for each of us young people to get involved.

Whether it’s having a sibling in the RPS school system, trying to find work opportunities in the city after graduating college or simply wanting to take pride in saying “I am from the City of Revere.”

Now, the other campaigns are counting on young people to not vote. They are counting on us to be disengaged. To be lazy. To not show up. Because when we don’t vote, they don’t have to pay attention to us and our ideas. They don’t have to care.

So let me put something in perspective for you. The last mayoral election was decided by around 500 votes. That’s roughly the size of my RHS graduating class of 2021. That means that if every single person in my class voted, we could have swung an entire election. That’s not even taking the remaining three class years into consideration. That is power. That is the power of young people.

Unlike the national political climate, local politics can be swung with a few votes. The future of the city that we call home can be swung by just a few votes.

“Young people are our future.”

To answer what that looks like, it looks like our Youth Town Hall.

It looks like bringing young people to the table and giving them a voice. It looks like electing Patrick Keefe for Mayor of Revere.

Whenever someone asks me why I chose to work for the Keefe campaign, I give the same three-word response every time – he shows up. From his commitment to youth sports to his dedication to the Revere Public Schools to making sure young people have a seat at the decision-making table – Patrick Keefe shows up.

That’s why I’m voting for Patrick Keefe to continue as our Mayor, I hope you’ll join me in doing the same on or before September 19.

Minnah Sheikh is Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe’s campaign youth director and fellowship coordinator.