There is a school of thought that individuals are born to do certain things. Call it destiny or natural talent, nineteen year old Fred Green would be considered one of these people. Politics is in his blood. Just a year out of high school, Wilmington, Delaware residents recall Green entering the political arena at just 13 years of age. Now Green is being called Delaware’s first Youth Czar by many.
“I am the voice of the youth. The current leadership cannot take the youth for granted this time. We are a force! We are much more organized than we were four years ago.” In 2007 Fred Green campaigned for President Obama the entire year. The culmination of that year on the campaign trail was the then 14 year old Green on stage at Widener University in Pennsylvania with candidate Barack Obama. Green strongly believes that God gave him the talent to work with youth, to organize them, understand their wants and needs and makes them his priority.
In addition to campaigning for other candidates, Green is no strange to throwing his hat in the ring. In 2006 Fred ran for the youth development president of a housing development in Pennsylvania. “I won by a landslide.” He says. “My opponent only got 7 votes.” In 2010 Green was elected President of the Delaware Student Leadership Conference. “This involved all the high schools in Delaware. This was a very important position.” Green went on to represent the Student Leadership Conference in Washington D.C.
So what is the next step for the nineteen year old veteran politician? He would like to meet with state leaders to form youth councils throughout the state. “We pay taxes!” “Many of us are old enough to also vote!” “We now have in place voting youth throughout Wilmington who will be part of our youth council.” “We know what we want.”
After Green co-organized the Trayvon Martin rally in Rodney Square in March of this year the youth Czar idea came about. Green says in less than four days he was able to call youth together. He says that more than 2,500 people were called together by using his wide social network on Facebook and Twitter. That day Green had many of the youth who attended the rally come up to him after and ask that the city address high unemployment and crime. Green received a call from Governor Jack Markell after the rally to congratulate him on the organization of the event.
“We need recreation centers throughout Wilmington and the state. We need skills training! I will meet with politicians and tell them this.” Green remarked.
Currently Green is working on getting the governor and mayoral candidates to the upcoming youth debates. The discussion would be centered on incorporating the youth of the state in the political process. These events would involve 18 to 25 year old voters interfacing with the candidates for local and state offices.
In addition to the youth debates, Green plans to attend Delaware State University and major in Mass Communications. He’s hoping the upcoming election will open the door for him to become the first youth administrator for the State of Delaware.