The youngest generations are trending to the right, and they’re flocking to a new organization in search of community.
The Young Right gained a massive following practically overnight.
This Gen Z-led organization says its aim is to “make conservatism cool again.” Their Instagram page reflects the popularity of that sentiment; in just one year, they have accrued nearly half a million followers on Instagram alone.
Their three pinned posts — “God, family, country, in that order,” “I apologize to no one that I’m American,” and “Jesus is King,” with Americana-style photos in vibrant, hopeful colors — have pulled in more than a quarter of a million likes. Their most popular videos to date have millions of views and likes: “Gen Z is based” with smiling crowds of cheering youth awash in American flags; homages to Charlie Kirk; “Them: ‘You guys are so fun’ Us: ‘Thanks, We aren’t liberals’”; and Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Texas A&M chapter choosing America as their recruitment theme.
The Young Right was founded by Pepperdine University graduate Michael Sugimoto last summer. According to Sugimoto, the organization aims to connect politics, culture, faith, and community in a way that centers and speaks to America’s youngest generations.
In the first half of the calendar year, The Young Right reported an online reach across all 50 states, averaging more than 20,000 cities, more than 4,000 colleges and universities, and more than 16,000 high schools.
“We’re the fastest-growing conservative lifestyle brand in America because we’re 100% organic and entirely led and run by Gen Z, for Gen Z,” said Sugimoto in a recent LinkedIn post. “All glory to God, He is at the center of everything we do and the reason we succeed and build every single day. Make Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life, your work, your business, your family, your home, and watch your life become transformed.”
Per LinkedIn, the organization has around two dozen employees, all Gen Zers who are either current students or new graduates.
A significant online presence is one thing, but it’s another to provide the younger generations with the community they’re craving post-COVID.
Sugimoto and his founding team propose that Gens Z and Alpha experience politics differently, and that culture creates politics. They looked to the well-trodden path of college campus tours to test their theory, but not with microphone-laden tables challenging freshmen to “change their mind.”
In keeping with their “timeless Americana” approach, The Young Right has targeted a quintessentially American activity: tailgating at football games. They even got the fraternities to get on board.
The organization kicked off their “Tailgate Tour” last month at the University of Mississippi in partnership with the Delta Gamma chapter of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. Members gave away free food and swag.
It turned out The Young Right may be onto something.
At their first tailgate, the organization drew in 5,200 attendees.
The Young Right say they plan to continue their Tailgate Tour.
They hosted a tailgate at Texas A&M with Tau Kappa Epsilon this past Saturday, to be followed by Indiana University with Sigma Alpha Epsilon on Oct. 17, University of Alabama with Pi Kappa Alpha on Oct. 24, and Army vs. Navy on Dec. 12 in New Jersey.
With such a following and turnout in just one year, The Young Right may become the new leader of the conservative movement.
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