February 06, 2020 

By Niele Anderson 

Contributing Writer 

 

For the third straight year Maxine Waters has created a youthful space on Capitol Hill for podcast host and media outlets. The Congress member has labeled the evening Millennial Media Row and State of the Union Screening.

 

The media row featured VICE, Huffington Post, Refinery29, Essence, Blavity, the Root, NBC Asian America, Pod for the Cause, LBTQ Nation, Paper Magazine, XONecole, Howard on the Hill, The Electorate Gen Mag and many others.

 

Many members of the Congressional Black Caucus and members of Congress flocked to the Rayburn Gold Room to be plugged –in with the media outlets targeting millennials, Gen Z, progressives and diverse communities to discuss the real State of our nation.

 

Waters stated, I think it’s time we welcome millennials to their government and provide an opportunity for them to interact with their legislators. We have all these podcasters and new ways by which millennials are talking to other young people and I think we should pay attention to that give them the opportunity to find out what their legislators are thinking and what issues there involved with. This is about broadening the inclusion of young people.”

 

After the interviews the media outlets, hill staff, civil rights leaders, advocates, interns and students were invited to join Rep. Waters to watch the impeached president’s State of the Union address live from Capitol Hill in the House Financial Services Committee room that the member chairs.

 

When the Congress member was asked why she decided not to attend the State of the Union, she replied, “I did not feel I could give the honor to this impeached president, of sitting listening to him tell one more lie.” She went on to give comments about his address by stating, “he exploited the most vulnerable people in the worse way.  I think it was not only undignified but it was typical of this dishonorable human being.”

 

When asked about the role of millennials in the 2020 election Waters replied, “I think millennials are going to be extraordinarily important in the 2020 election and I think they can make a significant difference. I think they’ve seen what they do not want in a president. I think they know the difference now.’”

 

Millennials and Gen Z will make up 37% of 2020 electorate.

Category: News