Last week, the Young Democrats club was chartered by SA. The club is associated with the Tulsa County Democratic Party and the Tulsa Young Democrats and hopes to “educate, organize and mobilize” TU students for the Democratic party.
The club originated from president Breton Thomas’ increasing involvement with local progressive politics. From this experience, he realized the need for a club that would “bring together like-minded students who could work towards electing local Democrats to our state legislature.” In April, the nascent club began working with the local Democratic Party and Tulsa Young Democrats.
By educating students on political tactics like canvassing, fundraising and using a phone bank, the club plans to organize students to work for local candidates.
Through this, Thomas hopes to “[use] our combined enthusiasm to see progress in Oklahoma by electing our local candidates to office.”
The club has already made contact with local campaigns. Student will be able to “engage in every aspect of electing our candidates to office,” Thomas says. He hopes to see these efforts come to fruition in the Nov. 8th election.
As for long-term plans, Thomas hopes to create a “place to come, empowering yourself and those around you, promoting equality and accessibility for all marginalized groups.”
“Where we build bridges and not walls,” he continues, “love trumps hate, always.”
Thomas believes students should join the club because “the people of Oklahoma deserve better.” After listing off a variety of statistics on incarceration rates, education, and domestic abuse, among others, he stressed “our Republican dominated legislature has mismanaged our state, at the expense of its citizens, especially poor.”
This club offers students the chance to help change the political climate of the state and fight for those marginalized in the community.
Those interested in joining the club should follow them on Facebook or email brenton-thomas@utulsa.edu.
