Youth Activism

Our impact on the world is not proportionate to our age. When we see young people speaking up with strength and eloquence or organizing support for vulnerable members of our communities, our first reaction can often be awe and celebration. However, many of us stop short at working to change the systemic structures behind the issues young people are trying to address. Even as we celebrate them, we still often discount youth voices as idealistic or aspirational, rather than reasonable thinkers whose arguments can hold up “in the real world.” Minors rely on the efforts of community citizens to stand behind them, not just in agreement, but in substantive pressure toward those in power and in changing how we live our lives.