Researchers rank Florida as one of the least civically engaged states in the nation. Studies have painted the millennial generation as less likely to vote or contact elected officials. But as the oldest members of a new generation turn 21 this year, the ground is shifting. From the rallies about gun violence ignited by students in Parkland to advocacy for undocumented students, a new wave of participation in civic and political spaces is emerging in Florida and nationally. What is driving this new Generation Z? How are young people transforming political participation, and what does that mean for democracy? How will these changes impact universities, like the University of Miami, that are dedicated to promoting education for citizenship?
Robin F. Bachin is Charlton W. Tebeau Associate Professor of History and Assistant Provost for Civic and Community Engagement at the University of Miami. Her research, teaching and writing explore American urban, environmental, and cultural history and universities and community engagement. She is the author of Building the South Side: Urban Space and Civic Culture in Chicago, 1890-1919 and “Big Bosses:” A Working Girl’s Memoir of Jazz Age America. She has received numerous awards and grants for her work on civic engagement since founding the Office of Civic and Community Engagement at UM. Bachin is Project Director for the Miami Housing Solutions Lab and a member of the Aspen Institute Working Group on Inclusive Innovation in America’s Cities.
