This past Friday, July 25, 2025, I was honored to attend the Voters Of Tomorrow 2025 “Fight For Our Future” Summit in Washington, DC. I heard from speakers such as Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Activists David Hogg and Jackie Corin, and many other leaders.
First, not only did I get to attend, but I was also invited as a creator! As many of you know, I recently began creating content on Instagram to help promote this blog, expand my reach, and, above all else, meet young people where they already were: social media. It has been a tremendously rewarding experience, and I’m so grateful to Voters Of Tomorrow for inviting me as a credentialed creator!
I caught a 5 AM train from Richmond to DC, arrived at the summit venue at 9 AM, checked in and got my creator badge, had some complimentary breakfast, and then the speaker series began shortly after. Some of the speaking sets were panels, such as one titled “Let’s Be Real About Politics,” featuring Illinois Congressional Candidate Kat Abughazaleh and Content Creators Suzanne Lambert and Haley Lickstein, and others were individual speakers, including my favorite address from Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.
In Speaker Pelosi’s address, she assured the audience that Democrats will be back in charge of the House in 2026. The nearly exclusively Gen Z crowd erupted! The electricity in the room during Pelosi’s address—the claps, the cheers, all of the young people staring in awe—gives me hope, hope that we WILL flip the House in 2026!
Another speech that moved me was that of Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta.
“We have a guy in the White House who does not give a damn about the very working people, and working families, that put their trust and their faith in him just a couple of months ago,” Kenyatta said. He later exclaimed to the awe-struck crowd that, “Young people are not the far-off future, we are the right damn now. We are the right now!”
California Representative Ro Khanna’s speech followed shortly after Kenyatta’s—Khanna’s was just as powerful, but moved me differently. A way that made me swallow hard and quiet down as chills rose across my arms; unlike Kenyatta’s, which was more akin to a pep talk, Khanna’s was an outcry.
“There are children in Gaza crying themselves to sleep, because they do not have enough food to eat, enough medicine to keep alive,” Khanna said. “Today I’m calling, very clearly and very simply, it is time for Republicans, Independents, and Democrats to make it clear, as the United States of America, Mr. Netanyahu: let in the food!”
While the humanitarian crisis in Palestine was not at the forefront of the Voters Of Tomorrow Summit’s issues, it was evident by the roar of the crowd during Khanna’s speech and all the clamor following that it is an issue weighing heavily on many of us young progressives.
In between speaking panels and individual addresses, I would head to a separate area of the venue to take interviews with some of the guest speakers, including Kat Abughazaleh, Jackie Corin, and David Hogg. I had a wonderful time getting to meet so many of my inspirations face-to-face and an even better time being able to chat with them. Stay tuned via the_changemakers_diary on Instagram to see these interviews and some BTS summit content!
Towards the finale of the summit was a special pre-recorded address from none other than THE Kamala Harris! The best part? Since it was pre-recorded, you can check it out too! Click here to watch.
The summit concluded at 5 PM, at which time a friend and I (who also, completely coincidentally, happened to be invited to the summit as well) headed out for ice cream and some DC exploring! After our short DC adventure, I caught a train back home to Richmond and arrived home shortly after midnight. It was a loooong day, but I was beyond grateful for the amazing opportunity!
If you’re a young person interested in politics and/or advocacy, I highly recommend Voters Of Tomorrow as your starting point! They work to engage Gen Z in politics and advocacy, simplifying the process of using YOUR voice and ensuring you have the necessary tools to speak your mind on all that’s going on in American politics. Navigate to the “Volunteer” tab on the Voters Of Tomorrow website to unlock a world of opportunity for change-making!
Don’t wait for change, be the changemaker!
-Lyn Jones
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