“I’m kind of the stereotypical young person in that I was looking forward to voting for Bernie Sanders, and I’m not really thrilled with the choice of Joe Biden,” says 19-year-old Miles Brewster, a recent high school graduate. He adds, “But it’s got to be done.”
This year Gen Z, or those born in 1997 or later, will make up 10% of the electorate, compared to just 4% in 2016, according to the Pew Research Center. This comes at a time when many young Americans are leading protests as part of the Black Lives Matter movement and pushing race to the forefront of election issues.
TIME asked several Black youth, who will be voting in their first national election this fall, their views on the Black Lives Matter movement, the state of American politics, and this year’s presidential election.
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Write to Arpita Aneja at arpita.aneja@time.com