Keepin’ It Movin…

As we finish up our last week of being interns for Democracy North Carolina and Democracy Summer wraps, we can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia. Coming into this internship, we were so ignorant. So unaware. We were energetic and full of pre-determined ideas but boy did that first day prove us wrong. The training as helpful and informing as it was, was only a mere glimpse of what the summer had in store for us and the depth of our capabilities. Through hundreds of phone banking shifts, dozens of one-on-ones & countless speaking engagements, we were molded into young activists. Suddenly, at the mention of Sunday Voting, came facts such as “2008 election – 37,000 North Carolinians voted on Sunday.” With talks of Voter ID came terms entailing “disenfranchisement” & “calculate effort” rolling through our lips. We surprised ourselves by speaking on television and radio interviews without needing assistance from our valiant organizer. Working weekends never seemed to irk us & days that turned into nights never crossed our minds. Thinking of it now, we realize it wasn’t our negligence that made us forget about the long hours we were working, nor was it because of the heavy work load. Rather, it was the fact that we were enjoying ourselves to such an extent that through all the long trips and tedious work days, we could always find ourselves laughing. We learned a lot from each other, and not just about organizing, but about ourselves as well. Our organizer became not only our boss, but also our confident. He taught us the importance of honesty and integrity. We watched in awe as he always managed to keep his word. Whether it was showing up for a rally, or attending back to back meetings across town, he never let people down. If it was one thing, we could take away from this summer, it’s that if you treat people with respect and prove yourself to be reliable, in turn people will always return the favor. This summer, we met all the types of people, tried various different international foods, and explored various parts of North Carolina. And through our experiences and our inside jokes, the summer seemed to fly past us. Looking back now, though Democracy Summer only lasted a mere two months, we’ve gone through changes and learned lessons that we will carry with us for a lifetime. Democracy Summer took us in as a couple of inexperienced rising juniors looking for a summer internship, it leaves us now as aspiring young organizers ready to take on whatever the world has in store for us.

One last time…
Maiysa Mesbah & Joyce Lutu