Let's be honest, when you say 'historic commissioner' or 'member of the planning board' you envision someone north of 50 years old, most probably in a suit and tie. Civics aren't particularly sexy and selling it to a 20-year-old involved is about as easy as getting them interested in crochet. Minutes and meetings and roll calls aren't as awesome as nightclubs, Xbox, and rock 'n' roll – no matter what kind of spin you put on them.
But the point isn't excitement, it's involvement, and there are some local young people who are breaking the stereotypical mold of, well, young people, and looking toward their civic duty as a tool for shaping not only the future but the present.
"It's all about giving back to the community," says Amy Lampinen, a 25-year-old who was just appointed to the Historic District Commission of Royal Oak. She says there's one other person she works with who is also in his early 30s. "And it's important for someone my age to be here. As a young person I can give a fresh perspective. It's an investment in the community. Other young people see a young person involved and it makes them feel represented and invested to stay here."
Members of Lampinen's generation, those born roughly between 1982 and 2001, are affectionately known as millennials. Take a look at modern advertising and it's obvious how important a demographic they are. But do they have a voice in their
community?
Locally, there aren't hard numbers on how many millennials are civically involved, whether it's an appointed or an elected position. It's not necessarily something that is asked or tracked. Ferndale's Downtown Development Authority Director Cristina Sheppard-Decius says it's not really her priority to ask a person's age but, she added, that they do have a few millennials in their midst on various committees.
In Roseville, Charles Frontera is the vice chair for the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. He was 19 when the mayor appointed him to the commission (which was then approved by the city council) last year. Now he's 20 and gearing up to run for city council. But, for him, it's not political ambition, though he is looking toward politics as a career. Right now, he says he's much more interested in giving the youth a voice and showing that they have a vested interest in the future.
"Your mom doesn't pick out your clothes for you when you're in college," Frontera says. "You make your own decisions. And as a young person you should do the same with city government and your future. People making decisions for you now aren't going to be around as long as you. They are in their 50s, 60s, 70s."
The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) states that, as of 2006, 21 percent of the voting-eligible population in the United States is between 18 and 29.
"The millennials are the second largest demographic right now in the United States," says Arnold Weinfeld, president of the Michigan Municipal League Foundation. "In a few years they are going to take over the largest demographic – the baby boomers. We have to reach out to them. Get them involved." There are an additional 70 million residents in the U.S. 17 and under. Compare that to the 77 million baby boomers and you see what Weinfeld is getting at.
"Young people are not only the future but we are also the present," says Marlon Brown, a 24-year-old who sits on the Warren Planning Commission. "We need to be involved now. Young people bring a new mindset; we advocate issues on energy, green technology. This is our generation. We're growing up in this time. We're actively thinking about it." Brown is also the first African-American to serve on the Planning Commission. He also blogs about his experience on the commission.
Brown is right about that. His generation, the millennials, is growing up in an age where energy questions and plans for green technology are ingrained with each news cycle. And with the election of Barack Obama as the president of the United States on a platform of change and a push toward sustainable policies, it'll be the millennials who will ultimately be living with the outcomes of these decisions.
"On my board the biggest thing I bring, what I emphasize, is the idea of greening," Frontera says. "The greening of parks, recycling bins in parks, eco-friendly playgrounds. The group looks to me for that and they've been really receptive. We're getting a state grant to improve existing parks and I'm pushing to use that money to bring in some green aspects."
The 2008 presidential election, on both Republican and Democratic sides, saw a push in the youth movement. According to a CIRCLE exit poll, 22-24 million young Americans ages 18-29 voted -- the second largest number ever. Estimated youth turnout (the percentage of eligible voters who actually voted) was between 49 and 54 percent. The young are much more civically engaged now than they were in 2004, and even more so than in 2000.
"There seems to have been a youth movement started with this election," Lampinen says. "And young people getting involved shows an investment in their community and portrays that investment to other young people. It brings another set of stakeholders to the table. Seeing young people involved like this within the community makes them feel invested to stay here, and then bring their friends here."
Frontera adds that a lot of the members have been on his board longer than he's been alive and – "of course" – he was intimidated at first. But he knows his youth and its importance to civic duty.
"I know I bring a lot of new ideas and a new perspectives to the table," he says. "A lot of young people don't get involved 'cause they don't see their peers in these offices. They see people like their dad or grandparents. But that needs to change."
City governments and civic organizations have initiatives to get more youth pumped into the system. Sterling Heights, for example, has established a youth consortium that addresses youth concerns within the city. The commission engages young people to be involved in planning, parks and rec, and other civic committees. Something like this, Brown says, is highly beneficial for a community. "The young people are a part of the city, too," he says.
Michigan Suburbs Alliance is also active in engaging young talent, bringing in a Millennial Mayors Congress to engage Metro Detroit millenials to participate in shaping their future.
Brown says that there are opportunities for young people to get civically involved, but they have to be very proactive with the whole thing. "They're there," he says. "You have to search if you want to be civic-minded and young, but they are there."
So, as Frontera says, young people should stop having someone else pick out their clothes and do their own shopping for a change… with change being the key word.
Terry Parris Jr. is the utility infielder for Metromode and its sister publications
Concentrate and Model D.
His previous feature for Metromode was A Room With A View.
Photos:
Amy Lampinen, at meeting with the Historic District Commission of Royal Oak
Charles Frontera is the vice chair for the city's Parks and Recreation Commission in Roseville.
Marlon Brown, in front of Warren City Hall
All photographs by Detroit Photographer Marvin Shaouni Marvin Shaouni is the Managing Photographer for Metromode & Model D.