Texas Youth Power Alliance

Harnessing the full power of young people to transform the state of Texas

The Texas Youth Power Alliance (TYPA) is an existing consortium of groups working to register and activate voters in communities of color in Texas. The three participating groups—MOVE, Texas Rising (a project of TX Freedom Network), and Jolt—have a track record of success and are now expanding their work to include climate change under the TYPA umbrella. Their efforts are focused on shifting the narrative on climate change in Texas, advocating for policy change, developing leaders in communities of color, and engaging/mobilizing/educating voters. Undertaking this new work on climate requires additional funding but is an amazing opportunity to leverage existing groups and their strong collaboration to both build political power and increase the visibility of climate change in the Texas Latinx community. 

High ROI Texas is at a tipping point, which will have profound impacts on US politics. In addition to being the country’s largest oil and gas polluter, the largest power sector emitter, the largest transport sector emitter, and the largest industrial emitter, Texas is the second fastest growing US state. This growth is largely stemming from Latinx populations and they are more likely than any other ethnic group to believe that climate change is real.5 

• Young Texans under age 35 make up 52% of the population. 

• The racial generation gap is the fifth-highest in the country: 62% of young people under 30 are people of color, while 66% of Texas seniors are White. 

• 50% of Texans under the age of 18 are Latinx, 12% are African American, and 4% are Asian or Pacific Islander. 

• Over the next decade, nearly two million Latinx will turn 18 in Texas and 95% of them will be US citizens. They will account for 78% of all new Latinx voters in Texas over the next decade. 

TYPA is working to ensure these voters show up and are educated. However, if they are not demanding climate action, then little changes from the status quo. However, if these voters have climate as a priority, then the outlook for what the biggest emitting state can do to reduce its emissions changes dramatically. TYPA’s work on climate will ensure that climate is a priority. 

Website: www.texasyouthpower.org