CINCINNATI, Ohio — An 18-year-old Cincinnati activist and 2020 high school graduate isn’t waiting for change to come to him. Instead, he’s setting out to make change as protesters continue to take to the streets across the country.
Jalen Alforde just graduated from Fairfield Senior High school in Cincinnati and he’s already working to making change at protests and beyond. Now, he’s got his sights set on something bigger, which includes running for office. It’s just one of many moves that’s jump-starting his future.
What You Need To Know
- Jalen Alforde and others have been registering at least 100 people each day during protests
- Young leaders from the NAACP are calling for police reform, which includes a ban on knee and choke holds
- Alforde plans to run for an open city council seat
For the last 11 days, Jalen Alforde’s been busy.
“Every day that there’s been a protest in Cincinnati or anywhere nearby Westchester, Fairfield, I’ve had the Cincinnati Youth Council out there registering voters, cause if we really want to make change in our country, we have to change the system that wasn’t built for us.”
So far, he says the current movement to address social injustice and racism is hitting home for a lot of people giving him and his group a chance to register at least 100 people each day during the protests.
“So, I’m really seeing a lot of engagement from the young people in our community, even some of the older people that weren’t voting before.”
For Alforde, that’s just one part of the work he’s doing.
“I have always been taught and I always believe that if you want change, you need to be the change.”
That’s why he and other NAACP youth and young adult members from across the country recently sent a letter to city leaders, governors, congress and even President Trump, demanding:
- A ban on knee holds and choke holds by police officers
- Suspension of officers without pay who discharge their weapon or use excessive force
- The allowance of citizens to petition officers out of their job for misconduct
As he and others continue to send out letters, the hope is that the NAACP youth chapter will shift from protesting to lobbying and going to committee meetings at the Statehouse and local city council meetings.
In the meantime, Alforde is looking to get a “seat at the table,” where decisions and policy changes are made, as he believes that it’s time for Gen Z and Millennials to step up.
That’s why he plans to run for city council at-large in Cincinnati in the near future.
“There’s definitely a seat open and the process that I’m at right now is that I’m team building and I’m fine-tuning some of my policies that I want to put out there.”
While he builds a platform for change, Alforde continues to get the word out while helping people make sure their voices are heard at the ballot box.
Alforde plans to major in political science as he heads off to college in the fall. While he waits, he is looking to get more signatures from people in the community for additional letters that will go out to leaders around the country.
To sign the petition, click here.
