St. John Fisher University junior, Isaiah Santiago, visited SUNY Brockport on Oct. 23 to discuss the importance and power of young people and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in elections. At 19, Santiago is the youngest elected member of the Rochester City School District board. He shared his story to motivate BIPOC students to feel empowered in political spaces.
“The responsibility is on us to stand up in this time of polarization, this time of division, and say that we are ready for change and articulate what that change should be to the older generation,” Santiago said.
When he was 15, Santiago began helping young people get away from gun violence by encouraging them towards extracurricular activities. To carry this out, he had to go to the city council. When he was 17, he got the ball rolling for a mental health literacy curriculum at the School of the Arts, which is still being worked on. To do this he had to go to the Board of Education and the New York State Board of Regents.
“It is important to analyze a problem, find out where the responsibilities of the problem and the solution lie, map out what the solution can be, and how effective the solution can be, and then start to execute,” Santiago said.
Throughout his life, Santiago said he noticed the lack of young people in political spaces.
“I noticed there weren’t many young people at meetings. Instead, they [people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s] were up there speaking for young people and about young people, without young people even at the table,” Santiago said.
This inspired him to run for the School Board at 18.
During his presentation, Santiago encouraged young people to vote and reminded them that local elections were just as important as presidential elections.
Following the speech, attendees were divided into groups to discuss a list of questions that were handed out at the beginning of the evening. Many students asked Santiago for advice on how they too could make a difference.
“It’s important never to limit the challenges you will face when attempting to do the right thing but to challenge the limits you put on yourself or others put on you,” Santiago said.
Polling sites and times for early voting in Monroe County can be found at https://www.monroecounty.gov/elections-earlyvoting.
