Alexa Nolasco, Nov, 26, 2024
The 2024 presidential election left many Americans feeling uncertain about their future, according to a Nov. 25 article from Fox, data from Gallup reveals that 50% of Americans feel optimistic about the 2024 presidential election results, while others express mixed emotions such as fear, anger, or relief.
The newly launched Democracy Institute at Cal Poly Pomona recently held an event called “Democratic Futures: Civil Rights in the Shadow of Political Violence” to help students reflect on the results of the election. Aishwaryi Kumar, the director of the Ahimsa Center and Democracy Institute, along with other professors and student leaders, took this opportunity to discuss how the election is affecting American democracy and what might come next.
“This is a particularly fragile moment for America’s democratic project, and we must take stock of how we got here and what lies ahead,” Kumar said.
The event began with a civil rights march, followed by a student panel focused on racial justice and democracy. One key topic discussed was “Democracy Without Violence,” which ties into Kumar’s work on nonviolence through the Ahimsa Center.
Kumar saw this event as a way for students to come together and think about the future of democracy.
“We wanted to create a common experience for students, so that they could spend the day together, talking about what this future means,” said Kumar.
Six students share their thoughts during a student panel on the challenges they face and how they see democracy in the future.
Although Kumar acknowledged many people are anxious about the political situation, he stressed the fight for democracy must continue.
Kumar also mentioned the confusion many people feel after the election results and questioned how so many Americans could have made such a complex decision. He brought up historical figures like Frederick Douglass, who said education makes a person “unfit to be a slave.”
Kumar believes this idea is important as Americans consider how to fight against the setbacks the country faces with race and politics. He pointed out how some people seem to want to return to America’s history of slavery and racial injustice.
“We cannot lapse back into America’s racial past,” Kumar said.
The Democracy Institute, established this year, is focused on getting students to think deeply about American democracy and how it is changing.
“Our broader project is to get students to engage with the future they are going to inherit, which, by all measures, might be worse than what they had expected,” Kumar said.
The Democracy Institute will host more events in spring 2025 to continue these conversations. Kumar wants to create spaces where students can talk about the tough issues they face today, including a program called The Faces of Freedom seminar. This seminar, which won the Teagle Foundation Award, is an important part of the institute’s goal to challenge students to think about how they will shape the future of democracy, Kumar said.
Kumar’s work, along with the Ahimsa Center, aims to provide students with the tools they need to think critically about the issues affecting our society.
“Education, in this context, is not just about understanding the past, it’s about preparing for a future where we remain unfit to accept injustice,” said Kumar.
While Kumar is focused on fostering reflection and discussion about the future of democracy, Nicole Martin, a member of the Bronco Young Democratic Socialists of America section , reflected on the impact of the 2024 election results and how her club is responding.
“Our main goal is to provide an outlet for students to solve problems and create change in our communities, and at the college level, we focus on initiatives like our current campaign to remove Lockheed Martin from our campus,” Martin said. “These companies profit from war and violence, which often affects people from similar backgrounds to ours,college students and people of color.”
However, the election has sparked mixed emotions within the club. Martin admitted many members were upset by the outcome, but she views it as an opportunity to engage and educate others on progressive ideas.
“Some of us on the board understand that we just need to organize harder,” Martin said. “This is an opportunity to introduce people to socialism and progressive thinking, which can combat right-wing ideologies.”
The election also left many students feeling scared, especially those who are vulnerable to deportation.
Martin recounted a member feeling frightened because she could not vote and was worried that she or her family might be deported because of the current political situation.
Martin also shared her thoughts on Kamala Harris’ campaign, saying that while it started strong, interest seemed to fade quickly.
“Kamala didn’t run a strong campaign, Martin said.” “People were excited at first, thinking she would bring change, but as time went on, it became clear that things would stay the same. With so many struggling with rent and food, her message didn’t resonate.”
Despite the challenges, Martin said she believes there is still hope in bringing people together and focusing on the issues that matter most to students.
“It’s not surprising that things turned out the way they did, but it’s now more important than ever to continue fighting for what we believe in.”
As the YDSA looks toward organizing and educating others on progressive ideologies, Aadi Mehta, president of the College Republicans at CPP, offered a different perspective on the election’s outcome, seeing it as a validation of their values and a sign of broader political shifts.
“We were very surprised,” Mehta said. “We’re happy, for sure, because this is what we wanted. But we were surprised in the sense that when you look at the results, we weren’t expecting (Donald) Trump to win as decisively as he did. He carried every swing state, which was unexpected.”
Mehta believes part of the reason for President-elect Donald Trump’s surprising success was due to voters who were reluctant to openly express their support for him.
“A lot of people in those polls don’t say they’re going to vote for Trump, but they end up doing so because they’re worried about political backlash,” Mehta said. “And so, a lot of people secretly voted for him.”
The results of the election, according to Mehta, reflect the desire for change on issues like the economy, immigration, and foreign policy.
“We want to end inflation, secure borders and have a president who doesn’t start wars but prevents them,” Mehta said. “We want a leader who works on resolving issues, not just creating more.”
Even though the club usually supports the Republican Party, Mehta said the recent election showed they still need to keep supporting conservative values.
“We think the country is headed in the wrong direction, and we are hopeful that with the new leadership, we can start to get things back on track,” Mehta said.
For the College Republicans, the election results also served as a reminder that their message is still relevant.
“It gives us hope that the country wants change in areas like the economy and foreign policy,” Mehta said. “And Trump’s victory, the fact that we still have control of the House, means we can start working on the issues we care about.”
Looking ahead, Mehta wants to make the club more visible on campus.
“We believe that even if the campus may not agree with us, the broader nation does, and the election results prove that our values are still supported by many Americans,” said Mehta.
