Y&P History

Our Mission:
The mission of the Young & Powerful Group shall be to involve its members as an organization dedicated to civic engagement, to encourage the highest and noblest form of professionalism, and aid the community in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic, and intellectual status by continuing the change message through action.

These aims will be achieved by promoting civic involvement among politically minded adults, by building grassroots support for civic engagement opportunities, by supporting the advancement of future political leaders, and by providing social, leadership and professional development opportunities, all in an effort to institute a network of trained leaders dedicated to strengthening the bonds between grassroots efforts and young people locally and nationally.

History:
Young people throughout the country were empowered with change by the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama for US President, after attending the announcement on a typically cold winter day in Springfield, IL in February of 2007 the concept of Young & Powerful for Obama was conceived.

With a progressive candidate and cause to get behind, clear direction on how to get involved, and an earnest request for our help, we organized and became part of a movement for change. We supported the Obama campaign in numerous ways including fundraising events and voter outreach.

Although many of us had never made political contributions previously or worked on campaigns, we were able to hold successful young professional fundraisers in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC and Atlanta to name a few which a Madison, WI newspaper stated we created the “hip-hop fundraiser”. Young & Powerful for Obama raised over $150,000 in 7 cities through over 2500 donors nationwide for the Obama for America campaign mostly through low-dollar donations. The organization also coordinated phone banks and door to door volunteer bus trips to battleground states such as Indiana and Virginia which both eventually became blue states. Our grass roots efforts helped achieve a monumental victory on a unusually warm November in 2008 in Chicago.

In September of 2008 The Young & Powerful Group founders believed it was critical to continue change through action as we continue to dedicate young people locally and nationally through civic engagement and The Young & Powerful Group was born.