You already know the bad news: there are so many injustices and profound challenges in our communities. Our children face racism, climate change, underfunded public schools, homophobia, gun violence, and more. The good news? There are plenty of people, including kids and teens, who are organizing for social justice. Meet seven young activists who will inspire adults and kids alike to challenge injustice and work for a more beautiful world.
Photo credit: Megan Landmeier Photography
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7 Young Activists Whose Work for Justice Will Inspire Kids and Adults Alike
Havana Chapman-Edwards, Age 8
Havana is a young activist who understands that how justice issues are connected to each other. At the recent youth climate strike in Washington, DC, Havana reminded the crowd that “Black, indigenous, and people of color are doing the least damage to the planet but we are the ones who are paying the price first.”
Havana first made it into the national media at age 7 when she was the only child at her elementary school to participate in the National School Walkout against gun violence. Havana’s mom, Bethany Edwards, explained that Havana joined in because she wanted to stand up for Africans and African-Americans who are victims of gun violence, including her cousin Tony.
Havana is also a passionate advocate for girls’ education and the power of books in girls’ lives. You can support her efforts to raise funds for books, hygiene supplies, and more for girls in Ghana by purchasing one of her Unstoppable t-shirts.
Kids who want to be literacy activists should read:
- Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You by Marley Dias
- The Book Tree by Paul Czajak and Rashin Kheiriyeh
Desmond Napoles, Age 11
Demond Napoles, whose stage name is Desmond is Amazing, is a drag kid and LGBTQ+ advocate. He encourages every kid to “be yourselves always.” Desmond says that one of the things that sustains his activism, media appearances, and drag performances are the messages he gets from other LGBTQ+ youth. Some of them have told Desmond that his readiness to be himself has inspired them to come out.
Desmond has a lot of new projects coming up in 2019, including founding Haus of Amazing, the first drag house for youth. He will also be releasing his first music single “We Are All Amazing” this year.
Kids who want to defy gender stereotypes should read:
- I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel, Jazz Jennings, and Shelagh McNicholas
- The Gender Wheel: A Story about Bodies and Gender for Every Body by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Related Post: 5 Kid Activists from American History and the Books that Tell their Stories
Autumn Peltier, Age 14
“Water warrior” Autumn Peltier begin talking about clean water in Canada when she was 8 years old. She has now travelled the world with her message that water is sacred and must be protected. Autumn lives in Wikwemikong First Nation and is of Ojibway/Odawan heritage. Her great aunt Josephine Mandamin was known for protecting the waters of the Great Lakes, as well as numerous rivers.
Autumn gained international fame when she was chosen to present a ceremonial copper bowl to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The bowl was a symbol of his responsibility to protect the country’s water. Autumn spoke her mind boldly as she gave it to him. “I’m very unhappy with the choices you’ve made,” she told him, referring to his support of a number of pipeline projects.
Introduce children to indigenous traditions of protecting water with these picture books:
- The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson, Shirley Williams, and Isadore Toulouse (this book is about Autumn’s great aunt Josephine Mandamin)
- Young Water Protectors: A Story about Standing Rock, written by 8 year old Aslan Tudor and his mother Kelly Tudor
Related Post: 6 ways to make a children’s Peace Camp a success
Asean Johnson, Age 15
At the age of 9, elementary student Asean Johnson made an impassioned speech opposing Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel’s proposal to close his school and 49 others in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods. “You should be investing in these schools, not closing them!” Asean said to the mayor. In part because of Asean’s activism, his school, Marcus Garvey Elementary, remained open.
When Asean was 12, police shot unarmed Black men Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. This prompted to rally in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Asean broke into tears during a speech, saying “I don’t even know if I can make it past the age that I am with everything that’s happening.”
Kids who are inspired by Asean’s activism for public schools and Black Lives Matter should read:
- We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson
Related Post: Marley Dias’ Lessons for Kid Activists
Greta Thunberg, Age 16
When Greta Thunberg was 11 years old, she became so depressed by people’s lack of concern about climate change that she stopped talking and eating. (Greta eventually discovered that she is autistic, which she says helps her understand that certain issues like climate change, are black and white.)
In August of 2018, this quiet but bold Swedish teenager began a weekly sit in outside her nation’s parliament. Her activism inspired young people around the world to join a new movement called Youth for Climate. In March 2019, students in more than 1700 locations, including every continent, participated in a strike from school.
Kids who want to be activists for the environment should read:
- My River: Cleaning Up the LaHave River by Stella Bowles
- The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales by Dawn Casey and Anne Wilson
Students of Color Matter
In March 2019 a small group of high schools students at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in Bronx, New York, took over campus buildings to protest racism at their school. Calling themselves Students of Color Matter, their protest was intially sparked by a video of white Fieldston students using racial slurs. 17 year old Madison Mason said the video was just one examples of a culture of racism at the school. She recalls hearing a white student calling her best friend the n-word.
The students continued their lockout for 3 days, until school administrators made a formal plan of how they would address the students’ demands. The school has pledged to complete a full investigation of systemic racism at the school, engage in faculty bias training, recruit more faculty of color, and more.
Related Post: Helping Kids Understand the Difference Between Charity and Justice
Ella Briggs, Age 11
Fifth grader Ella Briggs was recently elected Connecticut’s “Kid Governor,” but she’s not stopping there. She hopes to become the United States’ first lesbian president. “A lot of kids don’t feel comfortable with who they are and that makes me really sad, because I just want everyone to be happy and be themselves. I like myself,” Ella told a reporter.
Ella says she’s faced harassment at her own school for being who she is. Her main goal for her time as the state’s Kid Governor is to make schools safer places for LGBTQ students.
Kids who are committed to LGBTQ inclusion should read:
- Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sander and Steven Salerno
- A Church for All by Gayle E. Pitman and Laure Fournier
Want to read the stories of even more kid and teen activists? Head to this post.