Quick Take
In the wake of Donald Trump's reelection, Ayo Banjo, a former student body president at UC Santa Cruz, reflects on the Democratic Party's shift toward the center, which he argues cost Kamala Harris the presidency by failing to ignite the progressive base. Drawing from his leadership experiences, Banjo urges a new generation to adopt a playbook of courage and action, harnessing progressive values for transformative change. He calls on young leaders to step up and create policies that will define their futures and foster equity.
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I stood overlooking the mist-shrouded redwoods on the UC Santa Cruz campus where my political journey began, listening to the news that Donald Trump had won the presidency again. In that quiet moment, the echoes of my earliest leadership battles resonated, reminding me that the true essence of leadership isn’t merely holding positions, but enacting bold changes.
In the wake of the 2024 election, we face a stark revelation: The strategies that once electrified campaigns like Barack Obama’s in 2008 and fueled Bernie Sanders’ progressive crusades are missing today.
The Democratic Party, in its bid to capture the middle ground, lost sight of the vibrant, youthful energy that is the lifeblood of transformative change. Kamala Harris’ campaign, with its cautious dances around centrist policies and alliances, failed to ignite the progressive passion needed to challenge the resurgence of Trump’s divisive rhetoric.
Reflecting on my time as the youngest student body president in UCSC’s history in 2018, I recall the fervor with which we tackled campus housing crises — not with promises, but with concrete actions that established emergency housing funds. These weren’t just administrative decisions; they were lifelines to those on the brink of despair. It taught me that true leadership means creating safety nets that catch not just the fall but also catapult our collective aspirations to new heights.
Today, our political landscape cries out for this kind of actionable leadership.
Harris’ hesitant stance on issues like military engagement and the rights of Palestinian people, her reluctance to champion bold environmental policies amid our climate crisis, and her failure to decisively tackle the affordability of living, have shown that leadership requires not only vision but also the courage to act on it.
As young leaders, our charge is clear.
We must step into the arena with a new playbook — one that doesn’t hedge its bets on safe political gambits but invests boldly in the progressive values that define us. We are the digital natives, the global thinkers, the indefatigable optimists who see beyond the immediate crises to the long-term solutions that reshape societies.
Our movement is for more than just addressing climate change or managing the housing crisis; it is for rewriting the rules of political engagement. From my early days at UCSC to my advocacy on the climate action task force, every step has reinforced my belief in proactive, not reactive, leadership. It’s about building not just campaigns but a legacy of impact that carries forward.
The path forward isn’t paved with mere intentions but with actions that resonate deeply across generations.
Let this be our call to arms, a summons to every young person feeling the weight of this political moment: Rise up.
We need to mobilize, to vote, to run for office — to do whatever it takes to ensure that our voices are not just heard but are influential in shaping the policies affecting our lives. This is our time to transform disillusionment into action, to turn our collective angst into the blueprints for a renewed democracy.
We’ve faced challenges before, and we’ll overcome this one, together. Stay engaged, stay vocal, and above all, hold fast to your values — no matter who leads us.
Ayo Banjo was the youngest student body president in UC Santa Cruz history, taking on the job in his first year. He initiated programs, including PACE admissions to enhance educational opportunities for Black students and led significant fundraising efforts for low-income student housing. He currently serves on Santa Cruz’s climate action task force and champions green technology and job creation for minority businesses.