It has never made sense to me. The politicians shaping our nation—for better or for worse—were molded by the values of a generation prior and are making decisions for a generation yet to come. Surely, there has to be a space for the residents of the future to become their own governing body. The youth of today can be the changemakers of tomorrow, if only we allow them to be.

At the end of July, I attended the Vote Your Voice Youth Democracy Summit, hosted by the Southern Poverty Law Center, an enduring force for racial and economic justice. Thirty-five changemakers representing progressive organizations across the South convened to exchange their visions and share their progress.

We started by stepping beyond the bounds of realism and into our most aspirational visions for a More Perfect Union. On pieces of paper laden with our selfies, we scribbled any idea that came to mind—from aspirations as subtle as promoting kindness to ideas as bold as severing unconditional foreign aid to entities committing genocide and perpetuating apartheid.

As we rotated around the room, we realized how completely our experiences across rural, metropolitan, diverse, and homogeneous communities shaped our priorities for the future. Privilege determined priorities: I had been afforded a life that allowed me to focus on philosophical, abstract, and moral concerns, while my neighbor focused on the basic survival and preservation of their community. Neither was wrong, but each perspective extended only as far as lived experience allowed.

On the final day, we stepped into the shoes of politicians. In a group focused on economic injustice, my peers and I created a policy platform to present to the SPLC. The future of our society hinges on the work, policies, and priorities established today. We explored redlining’s effects on generational wealth, the consequences of Citizens United v. FEC on fair elections, and our desire for a cultural shift toward collectivism and caring for one’s neighbor over rugged individualism.

I left the conference with a new perspective on democracy. Americans have experienced the overturning of legislation and precedent that stood for decades: what could be better evidence that the work for tomorrow must begin today? We recognized that the road ahead would not be easy. But conferences like this one place the first brick on the road toward our visions for 2026 and far beyond. The future belongs to our generation, but the work of building it begins now.