Minority Millennial summit pushes political involvement for Long Island young people

Young people interested in building personal wealth have more opportunities than ever today — including in newer industries such as offshore wind development — but they need to be involved in political climate change too.

That was one of the main messages delivered Friday during the second annual “We Are the Future Summit” attended by more than 1,200 students and others from Long Island and the region at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale. The four-hour event was hosted by Minority Millennials, a nonprofit civic and youth development organization started in 2017.

“The political climate can shift initiatives and opportunities in a good or bad way,” said founder and president of Minority Millennials, Dan Lloyd. And participants in the summit agreed.

Maekyla Massey, an 18-year-old senior at Baldwin High School, says the combination of millennials and Gen Zers is a powerful group, and it should be taking the lead in today’s politics, but isn’t.

“They’re going to be the future leaders of this country, but you don’t see a lot of them getting involved in political spaces,” Massey said. “They need to get involved in the financial, economic and political sectors.” She added, “There’s been a power vacuum created in politics. The older generation has held on to power for so long that it’s discouraging young people.”

Massey says inspiration can be found in someone like Maxwell Frost of Florida — the first member of GenZ to be elected to Congress.

“He’s someone who said, ‘I don’t like what I’m seeing, so I’ll get involved myself,’ ” Massey said.

Massey says she sees herself possibly running for a county legislative seat or even state senate, but her ultimate political goal is higher.

“I’d like to foster a system of unity — unite people from all walks of life instead of having this gridlock [in Washington],” Massey said. “I hope one day to be president of the United States.”

Solomon Akaeze, 18, of Valley Stream, is entering his sophomore year at Columbia University and says things in Washington need to change.

“Our generation grew up with crazy politicians, and there’s a rising apathy,” Akaeze said. He said he could enter the political arena one day. First, he wants to go to Harvard Law School, “and we’ll see from there.”

The summit included a career fair and panel discussions, with traditional as well as emerging job fields promoted.

Although entrepreneurship is popular with a lot of young people, Billy Haugland II said not to count out trade careers such as construction, and touted the benefits of a union job. He’s CEO of Haugland Group in Melville, an infrastructure services holding company.

“The wages are typically 20- to-50 percent more than a job that’s not unionized, and there’s health care, retirement benefits. …” Haugland said. “It can give you the stability to let your entrepreneurial passions rise.”