In the aftermath of the divisive 2020 presidential election, PBS NewsHour and Student Reporting Labs (SRL) aired We the Young People, a half-hour virtual special highlighting the impact of young voters. The show featured teen voices, and conversations with experts focusing on issues that affect young people.

In this video, Yamiche Alcindor, White House Correspondent for the PBS NewsHour, talked with three young women of color and former Gwen Ifill Fellows about the historic nature of America’s first female vice president. The NewsHour’s Gwen Ifill Fellowship was created to honor the legacy of Gwen Ifill, a trailblazing journalist who co-anchored the NewsHour before her death in 2016. 

Use the video and discussion questions to learn what representation in government and the media means.

Hosted by Amna Nawaz, senior national correspondent and primary substitute anchor for the PBS NewsHour. The event also included PBS NewsHour White House Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, newly-elected young officials — including New Hampshire State Rep. Tony Branch, 19; Kansas State Rep. Kristen O’Shea, 28; Michigan State Rep Abraham Aiyash, 26 – teen fact checkers from Poynter’s MediaWise program and student reporters from across the country.