Root the Power, a grassroots youth group founded in 2017, is mobilizing young people across Wichita KS, particularly high school and college aged students, to advocate for change in their communities. Many face some of the nation’s highest exposure to environmental hazards, with low-income and minority neighborhoods bearing the heaviest burden. In Matlock Heights, where 86% are people of color and 57% live in poverty, a decades-old chemical spill has led to groundwater contamination and liver cancer rates 2 ½ times the rest of the state. Across town, residents near Wichita West High see toxic air releases, hazardous waste facilities, and waste water discharges at levels higher than 90% of communities across the US. With partners like Heartland Environmental Justice Center and the League of Women Voters, RTP mentors young activists, increases voter registration and turnout, organizes youth-led candidate forums, and connects residents directly with elected officials. RTP is building a movement of young leaders ready to challenge officials, confront polluters, and demand clean air and safe water for every neighborhood.
outh Ambassadors with Root the Power welcome community members to the Vote Mob Early Voting Celebration. Source: Jondalyn Marshall
Black and women-led, RTP is supported by a team of 10 staffers, 5 volunteers, and 11 interns working directly in Black, Latino, and low-income neighborhoods transforming how young people think about voting and community power. Their signature event, “Vote Mob: A Celebration of Early Voting,” turns early voting into vibrant community celebrations with free food, live music, performances, and inspiring speakers — all designed to energize voters before election day. From their Wichita roots, Vote Mob expanded to six cities across three states in 2024. Invested in local youth, they’re building trust and visibility through Back-to-School community events, youth-led civic engagement clubs including their pilot program at Wichita Heights High, and Environmental Justice 101 workshops. Guided by their core principles—Speak Up, Organize, Engage—they’re cultivating a new generation of leaders who understand their collective power to create lasting change in their communities – through their voices and their votes.
Root the Power hosted “Vote Mob: A Celebration of Early Voting,” at the Urban League of Kansas headquarters on Nov. 2, 2024. The event, which drew over 120 community members, offered free food, performances, speakers, and early voting.