On August 28, 2026, students, college and young adults across the country come together to defend the vote and show that the next generation is ready to organize, mobilize, and lead.
Young people have always been at the center of movements that have changed America. From the students who organized sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement and marched in 1963, to today's youth-led movements for racial justice, voting rights, and social change, history reminds us that when young people organize, our nation moves closer to justice.
Young people have also become one of the most influential voting blocs in the country. Election after election, youth and student voter participation has helped shape outcomes at every level of government, proving that our generation's voice is powerful not only in the streets, but at the ballot box. When young people are informed, engaged, and mobilized, democracy is stronger.
Today, the stakes are higher than ever. The right to vote is under attack. Educational opportunity is being challenged. Economic inequality continues to grow. The decisions being made today will shape the future that young people will inherit for generations to come.
That is why we are calling on students, young professionals, youth organizations, campus leaders, faith groups, HBCUs, PBIs, community colleges, trade schools, and young adults across the country to organize with us for the March on Washington: Defend the Vote.
Our generation’s voice is powerful not only in the streets, but at the ballot box. We are ready to organize, mobilize, and lead. This march is more than a commemoration of history. It is an opportunity for this generation to help shape the future.
The Youth, College & Young Adult Mobilization is led by the National Action Network Youth & College team.
Ashley Sharpton is the Director of National Action Network's Youth & College Division and the founder of NAN's Youth Huddle and youth initiatives. The youngest daughter of Rev. Al Sharpton and Dr. Kathy Jordan Sharpton, she studied sociology at Hampton University and built a career as an organizer, media entrepreneur, and social media strategist before turning her focus fully to activism in 2013. For more than a decade she has led NAN's work to engage students, young adults, creatives, and young professionals, organizing marches, rallies, voter engagement drives, and youth calls to action across the country, helping put a new generation of leaders at the forefront of the movement for justice.
Christian Matthew is the National Youth & College President of the National Action Network. A dynamic youth leader, community activist, and ordained minister based in New York, he has organized young people around civil rights, justice, and civic engagement, and has served in public service roles including at the local level and the White House. Through NAN's Youth & College Division, he works to empower students and young adults to lead, organize, and help shape policy in their communities.
Whether you are organizing on your campus, in your neighborhood, through your organization, or online, there is a place for you in this movement. We are inviting young leaders from across the country to:
Register to attend the March on Washington.
Reserve or organize a bus from your community or campus.
Join the Youth, College & Young Adult Organizing Coalition.
Participate in our National Youth & College Mobilization Calls.
Volunteer on March Day.
Help register participants in your community.
Become a social media ambassador and help spread the message.
Support communications, outreach, marketing, and digital organizing.
Share your talents in any way you can to help build this historic movement.
Every voice matters. Every vote matters. Every generation has a role to play.
Add your name to the Youth, College & Young Adult Mobilization. Tell us who you are and how you want to help build this movement for August 28, 2026.
On August 28, 2026, let's come together to defend the vote and demonstrate that the next generation is ready to organize, mobilize, and lead. Together, we can continue the unfinished work of those who marched before us.
Join the Mobilization →