by John Reid

“It’s Your Future…Fight for It!”

That is the mantra of one of the fastest growing organizations dedicated to getting Gen Z representation in politics on all levels. Following in the footsteps of candidates such as Florida’s Maxwell Frost, who became Congress’s first Gen Z member, are those being promoted by Maya Luna, founder of Progress Libs. Recently, Maya, a rising star for her advocacy work in getting Prince William County Democrats elected, spoke with the PW Perspective about how Progress Libs, the organization she founded just a year ago, is getting that done.

Maya talked about the success of Progress Libs in getting more young voters involved. “My devilish good looks and charm [laughs].”

“Seriously,” she said, “it really didn’t start off as some big mission. I was an 18-year-old immigrant who wasn’t able to vote, so I was trying to get votes the only way I know how, and that was by getting other people to vote. I had a bit of a social media following already, so I let people know I was going to canvass. I just said on a post ‘Hey, I’m canvassing, who wants to join?’

“First time we did it,” she continued, “there were only five people who came out, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it got me to thinking, there’s so much to stress nowadays with institutions and traditional power because of this broken trust which has occurred, let’s keep this going.”

She looks at the broken trust of institutions as a reason for the necessity of Progress Libs.

“If we look at the church, our state, local, and federal government,” she said, “over the last 20 years we have seen a total breakdown of trust. Because of that, we have grown into this new environment, where people trust people over these institutions.”

“It has its strengths and weaknesses, and its why we’ve seen so much disinformation recently. Going back to myself and Progress Libs, we have unknowingly been able to capitalize on that yearning for a real human voice in politics, especially in youth-based politics.”

“For instance, you’ve probably received pamphlets in the mail from candidates you’ve never heard from? Well, Progress Libs gave a face to this big political movement that has been happening in Gen Z for quite some time. I didn’t go out to build something big, but three months in, I had to file for legal purposes.”

Looking back on the growth of Progress Libs, she’s enjoyed what it has become to this point. “It’s been amazing, and it’s given me a lot of perspective on how traditional politics have been missing out on this huge movement.”

Also, the success of Progress Libs is an opportunity to answer what has been a longstanding question of Gen Z involvement as the 2024 general election is underway. “A lot of established politicians keep asking, ‘Where are the young people? How come they aren’t involved?” she said. “If you look at any march or any action, young people are getting things done at the school level and on digital platforms. The problem is, most of those young people do not have the financial resources yet to put that everywhere. The oldest person in our organization is 27 years old.”

“With LGBTQ rights, to housing reform, young people are a lot of times are leading the charge,” she continued. “We have one person, Micah, who is helping to get young Democrats elected in Texas to make it a better place to live. I have a friend in North Carolina, Ava, who is helping to get climate change on the ballot in her county. It’s happening, but these established politicians need to listen.”

How do we get young voters to get more informed in an era of misinformation? “Leaning to the other side,” she said, “Republicans have done an amazing job of creating engaging content and messaging for young people. If you look at Ben Shapiro, Steven Cawthorne, Charlie Kirk, and even Tucker Carlson’s ability to reach that fanbase, these are big Republican pundits who appeal to young people and are funded by big Republican money and tower over any Democratic pundit. The only one close to that is Jon Stewart, and what they all have in common, they are fun. They don’t cram a message down your throat, they make you laugh with that message, they make you think with that message, and that is something Democrats have not made us able to do.”

Maya makes a clarion call for more engaging conversations by the left.

“If you look at MSNBC, CNN, it almost throws people out. Fox News, which is constant arguing and talking about the end of the world, it’s horrible but it engages people. The left needs to put more effort into that.”

Despite the rhetoric on social media saying otherwise about Gen Z not being a participant, Maya is encouraged about the goals for Progress Libs in getting it changed. “Progress Libs, going into 2024, is looking forward to bringing a more positive message for young Democrats. President Biden has done an amazing job of enacting progressive legislation. If you look at the Inflation Reduction Act, the Respect for Marriage Act, and the Chips and Science Act, these are landmark legislations which have not gotten the messaging they deserve to get. It’s because Democrats do not have the messaging ecosystem yet.”

“Progress Libs in 2024 is teaming up with influencers from Twitter, TikTok, Twitch, to all different arenas to create a unified yet compelling message to reach out to every young voter. This includes one-on-one talks with politicians, and fund news and content people like to watch.”

So, how do they change the narrative?

“The solution to changing bad narratives isn’t just truth, but with good narratives,” she said. “[Donald] Trump can say anything he wants and gets away with it because his base believes in it. I’m not saying the Democrats should lie, but we need to stop being so scared to ruffle feathers. We have to make excuses for the bad actions of others. Republicans do it, and they don’t even care.”

Ever the visionary, Maya sees the work of Progress Libs doing more than just getting current candidates elected, but to establish something new beyond 2024. “Progress Libs, Voters for Tomorrow, these Gen Z organizations are focusing on building the bedrock for a better tomorrow,” she said.

“We have seen the worst of America these past 20 years. Civil unrest, political division, pandemics which put us in our homes for three years. These issues are not solved by putting a Band-Aid, it’s solved by fundamental change. teh way we look at justice, gender equality, and education reform. None of us can do it alone.”

Visit Progress Libs on X and on their website. On Friday, February 23rd they will host a fundraiser for their 2024 Launch.