# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Last week, Michelle Obama traveled across the country promoting her "Let's Move" Campaign, which encourages schools, families, and communities to combat childhood obesity through healthy food and exercise. The First Lady is asking schools to do their part by providing nutritious meals and strong P.E. programs to their students-important goals, given that obesity can cause serious physical and mental health issues and reduce academic achievement among kids.

© MarkHatfield

But new scientific findings suggest that Mrs. Obama may need to add another component to her program: volunteering.

In a study published yesterday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, 106 10th-grade students were asked to volunteer in after-school programs where they worked with elementary-aged children for 60 to 90 minutes per week for 10 weeks; another group of 10th graders, who were waitlisted for volunteering, served as a control group.

Compared to the non-volunteers, the students who volunteered showed a steep drop in risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including cholesterol levels and body mass index, at the end of 10 weeks. These benefits were even more pronounced for students whose empathy and altruistic behaviors increased the most and whose negative moods lessened over those 10 weeks.

So, while the study didn't focus on decreasing obesity specifically, it did show that volunteering may prevent one of its potential consequences: heart disease. And it has the added value of increasing kind, helpful (or "pro-social") behavior-a nice alternative to the low self-esteem and academic troubles that can result from childhood obesity.

The findings add an exciting new physical dimension to what scientists know about the many social and emotional benefits volunteering brings students, including: higher levels of positive emotions; a stronger ability to regulate their emotions; lower levels of risk behavior, such as early pregnancy and drug use; increased civic engagement and moral reasoning; and a greater likelihood of volunteering in adulthood.

So for schools that already provide volunteer opportunities for their students-keep up the great work! Research tells us that you're benefiting your students not only mentally and emotionally but physically as well.

But for those schools that haven't yet integrated volunteering into the curriculum, or for those that would like to make student volunteering more effective, here are some research-based tips.

1) Make service social. As much as possible, provide opportunities for students to engage directly with people who are receiving the service. One study discovered that student volunteers who worked directly with people versus those who didn't afterwards felt a stronger connection to other people in general, along with the belief that they could make a difference in the world. Another study showed that direct contact made students more likely to take a stand on issues they cared about, for instance by demonstrating or boycotting about those issues. In general, research has found that social connection provides a vast array of physical and mental health benefits, whereas loneliness weakens our cardiovascular and immune systems.

While the authors of the JAMA study didn't test different kinds of service, I think it's quite possible that volunteering helped the students' hearts because it fostered greater connections between them and younger students; indeed, if they felt stronger empathic connection to others, these cardiovascular benefits increased even more. I know when I was a teacher, I saw a significant change in my older students when they were given the responsibility of working with kindergartners. It was as if they had taken an empathy pill-one that made them more patient, understanding, and kind.

2) Service-learning vs. community service-take your pick! Some schools mandate community service through formal service-learning programs, while others make service voluntary through more informal community service opportunities.

According to researchers, it doesn't matter which way you go-both have the same positive impact on students, particularly when compared with students who never volunteer. So, what's important is that students are volunteering-period.

However, I would add from personal experience that requiring service might help students who would never consider volunteering try it out-and they just might fall in love with it. Case in point: One of my best friends was required to do community service in high school and found that working with autistic children changed his life. Rather than becoming a lawyer, he decided to teach high school and start his own fabulous service-learning program.

3) Consider the people and organizations receiving service. While most of the studies on service-learning and volunteering focus on the students who perform the service, some researchers decided to turn the lens around and ask those receiving service about their experience. And what they found isn't all roses.

Imagine this scenario: An enthusiastic 16-year old arrives at your workplace, ready to save the world. However, this teen has very few skills and even less knowledge about the work your organization does. Oh-and can only help three hours a week for six weeks total. Needless to say, the organizations interviewed for the study responded with a hearty, "AAACKK!!"

So when you're sending your students off to volunteer, be sure to communicate with the organizations ahead of time to find out what their needs are and consider if your students have the skills and time to fill those needs.

I take heart that so many schools already have volunteer programs in place-together, you're creating a world of do-gooders. And as we're learning, so many activities that are good for the world are also good for students' own minds, bodies, and hearts.
I'd love to hear from those of you who work with student volunteer programs about what does and doesn't work. Please leave a comment below if you'd like to share your experience with other readers.
Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
New research shows that adolescents who volunteer decrease their risk for heart disease.

# data[].attributes.body
6 Inspiring Young Women Making a Difference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Disney.com | The official home for all things Disney

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The official website for all things Disney: theme parks, resorts, movies, tv programs, characters, games, videos, music, shopping, and more!

# data[].attributes.headline
Article: Muslim Teen Hopes to Help Diversify Emojis with Hajab Version

# data[].attributes.subject
Article: Muslim Teen Hopes to Help Diversify Emojis with Hajab Version

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

# data[].attributes.body
Spotlight on: Margot Wilsterman From Massachusetts

# data[].attributes.headline
Article: The Problem with Youth Activism

# data[].attributes.subject
Article: The Problem with Youth Activism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Do you think this is the right color ribbon?" asked a petite brunette, her hair pulled back in a haphazard ponytail, her college sweatshirt engulfing her tiny frame. "And do you think these are the right length of sections I'm cutting? I don't want it to be all funky when we pin them on."

"Mmm ... I'm not sure," said the guy next to her, sucking on a lollipop, his football-player physique totally evident in his tight band T-shirt.

"Looks good to me," his roommate said without even glancing over at the ribbon or the girl.

Meet the college anti-war movement.

I just got back from a two-week campus speaking tour during which I had the privilege of hanging out in a women's center at a Catholic college, eating bad Mexican food with Mennonite feminists, and chatting with aspiring writers and activists at a college in which half the students are the first in their families to experience higher education. I heard the stories of transgender youth in Kansas City, jocks with food addictions in Jacksonville, and student organizers who are too overwhelmed to address all the world's problems in Connecticut.

When my plane finally landed with a resounding bump at LaGuardia, I felt totally inspired by the earnest enthusiasm that beamed out of almost every student I encountered -- and also terrified that the university system is sucking the life out of them. At the risk of biting the hand that feeds me (I am usually paid to speak, in part, by student organizations and women's centers), I have to attest that the institutionalization of activism on college campuses seems to be a key culprit in the absence of visible youth movements in this country.

The scene above illustrates just the kind of vibe you can find at an anti-war or nonviolence club on college campuses any day of the week. It is sweetly collaborative, mainly focused on raising awareness among students, very keyed in to particular dates (Love Your Body Day, Earth Day, Black History Month), and most of all, safe. This is not terribly surprising considering that these clubs are sanctioned and funded (sometimes with upward of thousands of dollars a year) by the school administration through a formal application process. They are structured to legitimize but also to domesticate student passions and actions from the start.

And students do have passions, contrary to what some hippies-turned-well-paid-pundits argue. A survey conducted just this year by the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA) found that 98 percent of students at their annual meeting saw the war in Iraq as one of the issues most important to them. Erin Wilson, the director of communication for NACA, reports that student involvement in campus activities is increasing all the time and adds that among their 1,040 member schools, a yearly total of $150 million is spent on campus programming.

As great as it might seem that colleges and universities are supporting student causes, I actually believe that it has tamed the critical energy necessary to be young, outraged, and active. When you're being funded by a team of white-haired academics in suits, taking real risks -- acts of civil disobedience like sit-ins, hunger strikes, boycotts -- don't seem like such a smart idea. Students rightly wonder whether they will "ruin it" for the next class if they cross the line and lose the school leadership's support. Plus, it's so much easier to just eat the free pizza and cut the three-inch ribbons than to mastermind a rebellious and potentially dangerous student uprising.

The academy, in general, encourages specialization, intellectualization, civility -- not exactly the key ingredients for effective social action. Students are surrounded by professors reminiscing about the glory days of youth activism, when groups like Students for a Democratic Society, the Weather Underground, and the Black Panther Party really ignited social change. But the professors don't seem to make the connection that none of these were school-sanctioned organizations.

Today's youth activism is largely enacted within the gated fortresses of higher learning. Students are overwhelmingly and often motivated by applying to law school or resumé-building. (How do you think they got into these undergraduate institutions in the first place?) They funnel their outrage into weekly club meetings and awareness campaigns that look good on paper -- activities that convey to future employers and institutions that they are socially involved and aware but not at odds with the system. Students seem to join sanctioned, existing clubs, rather than launch their own radical actions, without much resistance or critical questioning. Perhaps they've been socialized to accept the status quo, but even more, I believe they simply don't have the time or energy to start innovative revolutions from scratch because they are so busy taking standardized tests and building their resumés with internships and assistantships.

I watched a group of them sort through a brightly colored stack of anti-war quotations to make sure that every single one, literally, bore the stamp of approval from the college activities office so they could hang them around campus without getting in trouble. It made me cringe. This is where their energies were being diverted during the deadliest month yet in the Iraq War.

It made me reflect on my own undergraduate days -- just about five years ago now. I wasn't a rah-rah student government officer, but I certainly did my share of club activities: school newspaper, writing fellows program, resident assistant, volunteering at a Harlem preschool, even the hip-hop club (talk about taming outrage). I remember feeling so busy, so responsible, so important. Now I realize that there was a real cost to that frenzy of school-sanctioned productivity. I rarely thought beyond the borders of folding tables that lined the student activities fairs. I rarely put my body or my future on the line. While I was tutoring fellow students in grammar and composition and making door tags for my residence halls, I missed the escalation of a bogus justification for a messy war in my name.

In one of the largest studies ever conducted of Generation Y, psychology professor Jean M. Twenge found that college students "increasingly believe that their lives are controlled by outside forces" -- called "externality" in the psychology field. Twenge writes, "The average college student in 2002 had more external control beliefs than 80 percent of college students in the early 1960s."

Is it any wonder? We were raised to organize our adolescent lives in pursuit of external approval: church awards, athletic scholarships, and college admissions. More than any generation in history, we've been signed up, roped in, and overscheduled. When we get to college, many of us rush to join clubs in an attempt to recreate this safe feeling of sanctioned activity, of organized energies, of potential approval by authorities. Our innate passions and spontaneous actions have essentially been bred out of us.

The LearningWork Connection, a consulting firm on youth issues, reports that from September 2004 to September 2005, 79 percent of first-year males and 87 percent of first-year females described themselves as "volunteers." They add, however, that "Gen Y is less engaged with civic and political activities than they are with other causes."

Which prompts me to ask, what are "causes," really? The word stinks of bureaucracy and timidity, of the most educated, wanted generation in history sprawled across standard university furniture -- not planning the next revolution, but eating free cookies and voting on whether buttons or ribbons will be less destructive to students' clothing.

I saw the surefire glimmer of pure passion in these students' eyes. I know they are capable of great and ingenious uprisings, a type of protest that is totally 21st century, a trademark Generation Y invention. Viruses in campus administrators' computers with pop-up windows demanding no more expansion into poor, local neighborhoods? Mock draft cards sent home to their parents? A dance party -- 1 million youth strong -- on the Washington lawn? It all seems possible.

They need to stay out of the student center long enough to figure out what their version of outraged activism really is. Small as it may sound, big change would happen if college students today could protect their purest intentions from the pacifying force of free pizza and resumé kudos. Our generation needs to step into our raw power -- the priceless power of being young and mad. We need to stay hungry long enough to get angry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The institutionalization of activism on college campuses is a key culprit in the absence of visible youth movements in this country.

# data[].attributes.headline
How Children's Books Are Inspiring the Next Generation of Activists

# data[].attributes.subject
How Children's Books Are Inspiring the Next Generation of Activists

# data[].attributes.body
by Susan Hood

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Susan Hood | The Children's Book Review | March 21, 2018

KidLit is Shaking Things Up

I had the great honor of meeting Ruby Bridges a few weeks ago...thanks to a fifth grader. I'm talking about THE Ruby Bridges-the civil rights pioneer who at age six became the first African American student to integrate an all-white school in 1960. THE Ruby Bridges I researched and wrote about in Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World. I have ten-year-old Dana Warren to thank for what was one of the most moving experiences of my life. So do two thousand other people.

It all started when Dana read two children's books -The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles and Bridges' autobiography Through My Eyes.

In the back of one book, Dana read that Bridges visits schools around the country. Why not hers? Unfortunately, budgets at Westhampton Elementary were tight; there were no PTO funds to make Dana's dream come true.

Dana didn't give up; she persevered. She decided to write a letter to Kathy McCartney, President of nearby Smith College, asking, "Can you help me with my dream?" She could indeed!

On February 2, 2018, Bridges visited Dana's school and later appeared at Smith College before a standing-room-only audience of thousands, including hundreds of kids. She told her story of how, at age six, she braved a screaming mob to integrate William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans; how she spent the entire year in a classroom for one, forbidden to go to the cafeteria or recess, isolated from other children. I spent the hour rapt, tears pooling in my eyes. Afterward Ruby took questions from the audience. One young boy had the courage to step up to the long line at the microphone. In a shaking voice he admitted his stage fright. But he had to tell Ruby he was sorry for what happened to her. That did it! The tears fell.

This life-changing evening started with one young girl and her books. I talked to elementary school teachers I admire to get their take on kidlit's connection to social activism and find out how they use children's books in the classroom.

"My goal is to promote empathy," says Michele Knott, a K-4 Literacy Specialist in Illinois. "We talk about point of view and perspective as a way of understanding and changing things."

Fifth-grade teacher Kristen Picone in New York agrees. "Last year when the word 'refugee' became an everyday word that kids encountered we turned to books to help students understand the plight of refugees, to understand the human side of the political debate that began to infiltrate their lives. We talked about the necessity of looking at all social issues from multiple perspectives."

Picone adds, "I spend a lot of time talking to my kids about questioning what they hear on social media, TV, and even from adults in their lives. Books give us a place to go when we need answers. Kids feel empowered that they were able to speak with adults about important topics from a place of knowledge."

Massachusetts fifth-grade teacher Jason Lewis says, "I love the conversations we have when reading these books. You can almost see [the kids] having those Aha moments. Things they've heard on TV, in the news, and from their friends finally make sense now. They're able to separate fact from fiction."

After February's tragedy in Parkland, Florida, Cara Newman, a fourth-grade teacher from New York, wrote a blog post about using children's books to tackle difficult conversations, necessary conversations. Newman wrote, "It's in times like this tragedy, that I am reminded of the deep discussions my classroom had, when we read books like Let the Children March, The Other Side, Wishtree, Shaking Things Up, The Story of Ruby Bridges and so many more powerful titles."

"Every time I close a #classroombookaday book," says Newman, "I hear myself saying or thinking the words 'history repeats itself and you boys and girls are part of the change. Every moment, of every day, you children have the power to make a difference. Even if it's through a simple gesture, smile, or invitation to be included.'

Illinois fifth-grade teacher Lorie Barber adds that reading makes her kids "more empathetic, deeper thinkers who care so much more about the world around them."

Inspired by books, kids are taking action. Ten-year-old book activist Olivia Van Ledtje ( thelivbits.com) from New Hampshire reaches a global audience through her "mom-monitored" website, selfie videos, blog, digital book club and social media. She shares her love of books, her kid's-eye-view of the world, and her passion for promoting digital literacy. Recently, she started a podcast called TheKidLitShow on Pinna and she travels the world delivering keynote addresses at national conferences. As she likes to say, #KidsCanTeach Us.

Twelve-year-old Marley Dias was weary of reading books about white boys and their dogs. So she started a campaign to collect 1000 books featuring black girls as lead protagonists with the hashtag #1000blackgirlbooks. To date, she has collected more than 11,000 books and given them away to kids who need them most.

Marley's efforts led to appearances on Today, CBS This Morning, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View and more. And she just published her own book- Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You!

What's next for young Dana Warren? It's hard to top bringing Ruby Bridges to town! This summer, Dana hopes to attend Camp Congress for Girls in Washington, D.C., where girls choose to run for a seat in the House, the Senate or for the Presidency. They run a campaign, register to vote, and once elected, learn how to propose and pass a legislative bill.

Kids like Liv, Marley, and Dana are doing their part to spark conversation, empathy, and community action. And like the young Ruby Bridges, they may just change the world.

Susan Hood is the award-winning author of SHAKING THINGS UP: 14 Young Women Who Have Changed the World illustrated by Selina Alko, Sophie Blackall, Lisa Brown, Hadley Hooper, Emily Winfield Martin, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad, Sara Palacios, LeUyen Pham, Erin K. Robinson, Isabel Roxas, Shadra Strickland and Melissa Sweet (HarperCollins, 2018). She lives in Connecticut with her husband and dedicated this book to her two daughters and baby granddaughter. Visit Susan at www.susanhoodbooks.com or on Twitter @sHood125
Written by Susan Hood Illustrated by Multiple Illustrators
Publisher's Synopsis: Fresh, accessible, and inspiring, Shaking Things Up introduces fourteen revolutionary young women-each paired with a noteworthy female artist-to the next generation of activists, trail-blazers, and rabble-rousers.

From the award-winning author of Ada's Violin, Susan Hood, this is a poetic and visual celebration of persistent women throughout history.

In this book, you will find Mary Anning, who was just thirteen when she unearthed a prehistoric fossil. You'll meet Ruby Bridges, the brave six-year-old who helped end segregation in the South. And Maya Lin, who at twenty-one won a competition to create a war memorial, and then had to appear before Congress to defend her right to create.

And those are just a few of the young women included in this book. Readers will also hear about Molly Williams, Annette Kellerman, Nellie Bly, Pura Belprè, Frida Kahlo, Jacqueline and Eileen Nearne, Frances Moore Lappè, Mae Jemison, Angela Zhang, and Malala Yousafzai-all whose stories will enthrall and inspire. This book was written, illustrated, edited, and designed by women and includes an author's note, a timeline, and additional resources.

With artwork by notable artists including Selina Alko, Sophie Blackall, Lisa Brown, Hadley Hooper, Emily Winfield Martin, Oge Mora, Julie Morstad, Sara Palacios, LeUyen Pham, Erin Robinson, Isabel Roxas, Shadra Strickland, and Melissa Sweet.

Ages 4-8 | Publisher: HarperCollins | January 23, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-0062699459
Available Here: Discover the complete list of books mentioned in this article: 12 Kids Books That Are Inspiring The Next Generation Of Activists
The article How Children's Books are Inspiring the Next Generation of Activists was written by Susan Hood, author of Shaking Things Up: 14 Young Women Who Changed the World(HarperCollins, 2018). For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Books With Activism and Women's History.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Children's Books are Inspiring the Next Generation of Activists

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Susan Hood | The Children's Book Review | March 21, 2018 KidLit is Shaking Things Up I had the great honor of meeting Ruby Bridges a few weeks ago...thanks to a fifth grader.

# data[].attributes.headline
Nine Stories Made by And about Young People Making a Difference

# data[].attributes.subject
Nine Stories Made by And about Young People Making a Difference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nine stories made by and about young people making a difference

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teen producers find and tell stories of young people making a difference in their communities for this special PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs feature.

# data[].attributes.headline
Interview with Animal Rights ActivistRachel Atcheson 

# data[].attributes.subject
Interview with Animal Rights ActivistRachel Atcheson 

# data[].attributes.body
Humane League’s Philadelphia director

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Rachel Atcheson is the Humane League's Philadelphia director. I wanted to interview her to shine a light on her incredible work as an animal rights activist and, hopefully, encourage and inspire teens to take action on behalf of animals.

Why did you decide to become an animal rights advocate?

I decided to help animals because they are the most underrepresented group of beings in today's society. Some might think that animals get sufficient attention, but cats and dogs receive the bulk of it. When we hear of a hoarder with 100 cats and none of them sufficiently nourished, we empathize with those cats. But farm animals are suffering every day in factory farms and we rarely hear their stories. I decided to help farm animals because they need a louder voice.

How did you think you would be able to make a difference?

I didn't start out thinking I could make much of a difference. I began volunteering with a local animal protection group (the group I work for now, the Humane League), but I had no idea the ripple effect my activism would have in the world. With the help of many mentors, I've been able to hone my activism skills and influence many people to be more involved in activism.

Has your life changed since you started helping animals?

My life has changed dramatically. I have become more compassionate and more empathetic toward the plight of both human and non-human animals. I have taken on the role of an activist - and I think this is the most important change in my life, because now I understand that no matter how much a person wants to change the world, it's the hard work, the elbow grease, that really creates meaningful change.

What is the main problem animals face right now?

These issues of confinement and mutilation are common for farm animals everywhere. All factory farms treat animals as if they were commodities, property, and this is, I believe, the biggest problem facing farmed animals right now.

I'd love to tell you the story of one animal in particular. Buttercup is an egg-laying hen who has lived her entire life in a cage smaller than a piece of paper. She has never met her mother. Because of her close confinement with other chickens, Buttercup's beak was seared off with a hot blade soon after she was born so she wouldn't peck any other chickens in her cage. Ever since she was young, Buttercup has lived in this battery cage. She has never been outside, never felt the sun on her feathers or the grass beneath her feet. And she'll remain there for her whole life. Her feet might become mangled in the wire mesh she stands on. If she develops an infection, she will not receive veterinary attention.

On a typical egg-laying farm, there could be 500,000 chickens, so Buttercup is just one of many chickens who will never see the outside of that warehouse.

What does it take to become an effective activist?

Be positive, set a good example, read literature on effective activism and, most of all, practice. If you want to learn more about animal activism, consider getting involved with groups such as the Humane League, Mercy for Animals, or Compassion Over Killing. All of these groups are very effective in their work.

How can we make a difference in the lives of animals?

The number-one way you can make a difference in the lives of animals is to cut back on the amount of animals you eat; consider trying Meatless Monday. And if you already do not consume much meat, consider going vegetarian. Are you already a vegetarian? Cut back on the amount of eggs and dairy you consume. And finally, try veganism.

While it may seem daunting to do anything in this list, if you take it one step at a time, one meal at a time, you'll find it easy, exciting, and fulfilling. We have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of animals three times a day - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - and with your help, we will see changes for farm animals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rachel Atcheson is the Humane League’s Philadelphia director. I wanted to interview her to shine a light on her incredible work as an animal rights activist and, hopefully, encourage and inspire teens to take action on behalf of animals.&nbs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Download Article

Download Article

An activist is anyone who sees the need for change and devotes their time to doing something about it. And, as successful teen activists prove, structural, social, or economic barriers don't have to stop you from pursuing your passion and creating positive change. If you are interested in making a difference for a cause you care about, you can do so by educating yourself about the issue, finding ways to get involved in-person and online, and possibly even pursuing a career in a field related to your cause.

Add New Question

Is registering people to vote a form of activism?

Bridget Connolly has volunteered on political campaigns at the local and federal level for over 10 years, most notably for the 2008 Obama campaign in Nevada and Josh Harder's Congressional race in 2018. She has gone door-to-door to help register voters and get out the vote in both California and Nevada.

Yes! Registering people to vote helps remove barriers for people who have been marginalized by educational systems, culture, and misinformation about the importance of their vote. I've had so many experiences where every vote counts. If 500 people are registering people to vote in a specific county, and we each get 1 person, and somebody wins by 400 votes, that's a really big deal. I think it's a civic duty for people who understand how politics work and understand that voting is at the bedrock of all of that. The people who don't vote are essentially disenfranchised; they aren't playing a part in what's happening with their tax dollars and who is representing them at the local, state, and federal level. All levels. It takes a lot of work to stay informed, but that's how our system is set up. You're voting people into power, so it's a civic duty.

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

This article was co-authored by Bridget Connolly and by wikiHow staff writer, Christopher M. Osborne, PhD. Bridget Connolly has volunteered on political campaigns at the local and federal level for over 10 years, most notably for the 2008 Obama campaign in Nevada and Josh Harder's Congressional race in 2018. She has gone door-to-door to help register voters and get out the vote in both California and Nevada. This article has been viewed 888,355 times.

Updated: November 19, 2023

If you feel passionately about an issue and want to become an activist, start by contacting local or online organizations with a similar mission. Ask them if you can volunteer your time or donate your money to contribute to the cause. Alternatively, you can also promote your cause on social media, share news articles, and circulate online petitions to raise awareness. Be sure to stay well-informed by keeping current with any news related to your cause! For tips on finding organizations that support your cause, read on!

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 888,355 times.

"I was doing a schoolwork about teen activism, and all of these thoughts and ideas helped me with what I could write about! I loved how you explained it, and it's a really well-written article. Congrats, you should be proud!" ..." more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An activist is anyone who sees the need for change and devotes their time to doing something about it. And, as successful teen activists prove, structural, social, or economic barriers don't have to stop you from pursuing your passion and...

# data[].attributes.body
Four Domains: Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Skip to main content

A Framework for Anti-Bias Education

The Social Justice Standards are a road map for anti-bias education at every stage of K-12 instruction. Comprised of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes, the standards provide a common language and organizational structure educators can use to guide curriculum development and make schools more just and equitable.

Divided into four domains-identity, diversity, justice and action (IDJA)-the standards recognize that, in today's diverse classrooms, students need knowledge and skills related to both prejudice-reduction and collective action. Together, these domains represent a continuum of engagement in anti-bias, multicultural and social justice education. The IDJA domains are based on Louise Derman-Sparks' four goals for anti-bias education in early childhood.

Each of the IDJA domains has learning outcomes and school-based scenarios organized by grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

Download the Standards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Social Justice Standards are a road map for anti-bias education at every stage of K-12 instruction, providing a common language and organizational structure educators can use to guide curriculum development and make schools more just and equitable.

# data[].attributes.body
Student Protests: Questions and Answers 💪

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Information for teachers, principals, and district leaders about walkouts, free speech, and civic activism

# data[].attributes.headline
Article: American Students Have Simple Demands

# data[].attributes.subject
Article: American Students Have Simple Demands

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On May 2, 1963, thousands of students walked out of their schools in Birmingham, Alabama, to protest the racially segregated society in which they were meant to live. By the end of the day, over 1,000 of them were in jail. More of them walked out the next day. Some of them were blown down the concrete sidewalk with fire hoses, blown like trash into the gutters of the city. One of them was a nine-year-old named Audrey Faye Hendricks. In Cynthia Levinson's excellent account of those days, there is a conversation that Audrey Faye Hendricks had with her mother:

But, before she could be free, there was something important she had to do. "I want to go to jail," Audrey had told her mother. Since Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks thought that was a good idea, they helped her get ready.

On December 16 and 17, 1965, a student at Warren Harding Junior High in Des Moines named Mary Beth Tinker wore a black armband to class in order to protest the Vietnam War. She was suspended by the local school board. She fought her case all the way up to the United States Supreme Court which, on February 4, 1969, ruled in her favor, 7-2. Writing for the majority, Justice Abe Fortas declared:

In our system, state-operated schools may not be enclaves of totalitarianism. School officials do not possess absolute authority over their students. Students in school, as well as out of school, are "persons" under our Constitution. They are possessed of fundamental rights which the State must respect, just as they themselves must respect their obligations to the State. In our system, students may not be regarded as closed-circuit recipients of only that which the State chooses to communicate. They may not be confined to the expression of those sentiments that are officially approved. In the absence of a specific showing of constitutionally valid reasons to regulate their speech, students are entitled to freedom of expression of their view...[Students do not] shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.

Contacted by The74million.com prior to Tuesday's national walkout in support of sensible gun control and against any more schoolhouse massacres, Mary Beth Tinker explained the connective tissue between all three of this signifying events.

Five decades after Tinker wore a black armband to school in Des Moines, Iowa, to protest the Vietnam War, the retired nurse now travels to schools across the country and encourages students to speak up. "I was telling some kids, 'When the kids marched in Birmingham in 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. called it a turning point in the civil rights movement, and I think this is another turning point now," she said..."But the fact is, most adults didn't know very much, at all, about Vietnam either," she said. "When young people are criticized just for the fact of their age, that just shows that people have a pretty weak critique of what's going on."

Truth be told, the ensuing decades have seen a radical trimming back of Fortas's conception of what rights are and are not shed at the schoolhouse door. Mandatory drug-testing under the Supreme Court's 1995 Vernonia decision pretty much shed the Fourth and Fifth Amendments on behalf of students. And subsequent decisions have whittled away Tinker through the loophole in the original decision by which school authorities could suppress expression if it involves a "substantial disruption" to the learning process. (Hello, there, Bong Hits 4 Jesus.) And truancy laws still apply, and can be used harshly or benignly, depending on local school officials.

So, when tens of thousands of schoolchildren walked out of class all over America on Wednesday, they weren't merely acting in a brave and proud tradition. (Emma Gonzalez, the firebrand from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, even cited Tinker in her remarkable address in the wake of the massacre in Parkland, Florida.) Depending on how rigid their principals and school boards are, they also were taking a considerable chance.

That they walked anyway should be a warning to petty dictators all over a country that has too damn many of them running school boards, city councils, high schools, manufacturing plants, and corporate offices. And there's one running the executive branch of the United States government, now that I think of it.

They walked out of Columbine High School in Colorado, where 15 were gunned down in 1999 in an event that horrified the nation and that should have been enough. From The Denver Post:

"Even though Columbine happened 19 years ago, nothing has changed to prevent this from happening again," a Columbine student speaking into a microphone told classmates. Other students tied orange ribbons - a symbol of gun violence protest - to a fence. "We are Columbine. Once a Rebel, always a Rebel. We are a community. And enough is enough," said 15-year-old Columbine student Leah Zundle.

They walked out of Newtown High School in Newtown, Connecticut, where 27 were gunned down in an elementary school in 2012 in an event that horrified the nation and that should have been enough. From The Hartford Courant:

In Connecticut, students have said they have felt compelled to speak up and spark change as members of Generation Z, the age group following the millennials that has only known a world after large-scale tragedies such as the massacre at Columbine High School, 9/11 and the one closest to home - the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Some of those who felt the tragedy directly stood with others together outside Newtown High School. One student, standing a head above the rest, held a bold sign that read: "END THE MURDER."

Compared to ending an unjust war in Southeast Asia, or demanding the rights that should have accrued to you as an American at birth, what these kids are demanding doesn't seem to be that big a deal. They would prefer not to take live fire in their classrooms and watch their friends, and prom dates, and football heroes, and beloved teachers shot down in front of them. That really doesn't seem like that heavy a lift for an evolved democracy. And, in case they need any more encouragement, here's a little Mavis to make their feet a little lighter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On May 2, 1963, thousands of students walked out of their schools in Birmingham, Alabama, to protest the racially segregated society in which they were meant to live. By the end of the day, over 1,000 of them were in jail. More of them walked out the next day.

# data[].attributes.body
Blog Post by Cynthia Levinson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It might seem that the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who have taken the lead in organizing nationwide school walkouts in support of gun control, have materialized from nowhere. How could teens galvanize at least three nationwide movements, including the upcoming March for Our Lives on March 24? After all, this was the generation that was said to be coddled by over-protective parents. Children who would fear independence and risk-taking. Students who would grow into apathetic citizens because they were ignorant of American history and civics. In fact, however, their fervor and activism, goaded by the brutal murders of seventeen of their classmates, teachers, and staff, are part of a long tradition of school-aged youths taking charge to change the world.

Some journalists have recognized the link between the students in Florida and those who protested segregation and racial violence across the South fifty-five years ago. Several have cited my book We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March (Peachtree Publishers). One, in Esquire, referred to Audrey Faye Hendricks, a nine-year-old dissident whom I wrote about in the book: "But, before she could be free, there was something important she had to do. 'I want to go to jail,' Audrey had told her mother." Audrey was the littlest marcher in Birmingham-and was the focus of another book I wrote called The Youngest Marcher (Simon & Schuster). But she was not the first child to volunteer to enforce integration peacefully.

Beginning in the 1950s, the civil rights movement inspired youngsters to put their bodies on the line. And they, in turn, inspired others to follow their lead.

In 1954, after the Supreme Court handed down Brown v. Board of Education, the first in a series of cases that outlawed school segregation, Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, an activist black minister in Birmingham, drove his children to the local public school expecting that they would be admitted. A mob made sure they didn't even get out of the car without injury, let alone into the building. Then in 1956, knowing their father's commitment to integration, the children refused to move to the back of an interstate bus when the driver ordered them to do so. They were kicked off and left by the highway in the dark.

That same year, twelve black students became the first to desegregate a state-supported school in the South by entering the formerly all-white Clinton High School in Clinton, Tennessee. To protect themselves from attacks by white people who were bent on keeping the school segregated, the teens met up every morning and walked together.

Brave and brazen as these children were, their actions remained largely isolated. In 1960, however, youths dramatically propelled the civil rights movement forward. On February 1, four black students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College sat down at a segregated lunch counter at a Woolworth's in Greensboro and ordered coffee and doughnuts. Though ignored at first and then doused with coffee and ketchup, they refused to leave. Within days, hundreds of their fellow students joined their efforts at other sites around the South. By the end of March, sit-ins had spread to fifty-five cities in thirteen states.

But college students are practically grown-ups, which is different from school kids, like those from Parkland. The Woolworth's sit-ins might have sputtered and failed when the A&T students went back home for summer vacation, but at that point, local high schoolers stepped up and took their seats at the counter. They endured the same painful indignities as had their elders. Thanks to them, Woolworth's finally opened the counter to both blacks and whites in July of that year.

Surely, among the most effective events of the era were the weeks-long series of sit-ins, pickets, and marches in Birmingham, Alabama. More than 3000 elementary and high school students sang and strutted their way to jail, fulfilling Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s strategy to fill the cells so completely that no one else could be arrested for disobeying the unjust segregation laws. Nine-year-old Audrey was incarcerated for a week. Many youngsters were even washed down the street by powerful water hoses and attacked by German shepherds. One of them, Gwendolyn Sanders, said, "I didn't know if I was going to survive it or not."

As a result of their determination, not only did Birmingham rescind its ordinances two months later but also nearly fifteen thousand demonstrators, most of them teenagers, participated in more than 750 protests in 186 cities. Adults helped with logistics but children were at the front.

Though not leaders, young people also participated in marches from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, as described by Lynda Blackmon Lowery in her memoir, Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March (co-written by Elspeth Leacock and Susan Buckley, Dial Books) as well as in Marching For Freedom: Walk Together Children and Don't You Grow Weary by Elizabeth Partridge (Penguin Random House). Though the particular protest is not named, little children are also seen marching in the book A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson (Simon & Schuster).

The Vietnam War, too, galvanized young people. In 1965, the four Tinker children, ages eight to fifteen, decided to wear black armbands to school to show their opposition. Ordered by their principals to remove them, the kids refused, and the older children were suspended. They carried their case to the Supreme Court, which ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District in 1968 that this form of protest is symbolic speech allowed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

Over the next several years, young people in both high schools and colleges continued vociferously to oppose the war by marching, refusing to be drafted into the military, fleeing the country, and demanding that President Lyndon B. Johnson, who had escalated the fighting, leave the White House. He did so at the end of his elected term in office. Elizabeth Partridge has written about these events in Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam (Penguin Random House).

More recently, teens have organized and carried out a variety of strategies on multiple fronts.

In 2012, undocumented people who came to America as children either illegally or with papers that later expired, held sit-ins in legislators' offices to urge President Obama to stop deportation of these DREAMers. Doing so, they risked arrest and the very consequence that they feared-removal to a "home" country they barely knew. Their efforts helped pressure the administration to grant them a reprieve.

Following the murder of eighteen-year-old Michael Brown, who was unarmed, by a policeman in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, anguished students led protests that helped jump-start the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Two years later, several Lakota Sioux teens founded the One Mind Youth Movement to counter the Dakota XL Pipeline in Standing Rock, North Dakota.

This brief history of youth activism in America from the mid-twentieth to the early twenty-first centuries by no means diminishes the accomplishments of those who are confronting gun laws today. On March 14, they rallied thousands of their peers across the country to carry banners, walk out of elementary, middle, and high schools, and kneel and pray, and visit their legislators, even though many faced suspension and detention. Several activists started a movement called Parents Promise to Kids (#PPTK), in which grown-ups pledge to "vote for legislative leaders who support your
children's safety over guns!" One student put the issue succinctly: "Your right to carry a gun is not greater than my right to live." Worried parents and teachers debated the minimum age at which
children should get involved. Perhaps Audrey could show them that even third-graders can do their part.
The March for Our Lives on March 24 might spur even more to participate, as might the National School Walkout planned for April 20. Furthermore, it won't be long before these teens are old enough to vote.

As in the past, their actions are peaceful yet confrontational. Many of us wish that people who are not yet old enough to vote didn't have to devote themselves to changing society in these ways. But, when the grown-ups won't do it, youths will. We applaud and support and are grateful to them. (If you have questions or concerns about school-aged children participating in upcoming demonstrations, information is available at Youth In Front.)

Cynthia Levinson holds degrees from Wellesley College and Harvard University and also attended the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. A former teacher and educational policy consultant and researcher, she is an award-winning and critically-acclaimed author. She has also published articles in Appleseeds, Calliope, Cobblestone, Dig, Faces, and Odyssey. Visit her website at cynthialevinson.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
When Children March: Guest Post from Cynthia Levinson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It might seem that the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, who have taken the lead in organizing nationwide school walkouts in support of gun control, have materialized from nowhere. How could teens galvanize at least three nationwide movements, including the upcoming March for Our Lives on March 24?

# data[].attributes.headline
Meet Emma Gonzalez: Activist for ALL of Us

# data[].attributes.subject
Meet Emma Gonzalez: Activist for ALL of Us

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
marjory stoneman douglas high school shooting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
marjory stoneman douglas school shooting

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Everything to Know About Emma Gonzalez, the Florida School Shooting Survivor Fighting to End Gun Violence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In less than two weeks, Emma Gonzalez has gone from a high school student to a worldwide-known activist

# data[].attributes.headline
Beautiful March for Our Lives  Hamilton and Dear Evan Mash Up

# data[].attributes.subject
Beautiful March for Our Lives  Hamilton and Dear Evan Mash Up

# data[].attributes.body
Lin-Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt "Found Tonight"

"When our children tell our story, they'll tell the story of tonight..."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lin-Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt - Found/Tonight (Official Video)

# data[].attributes.headline
Books That Inspire Talk About Protesting

# data[].attributes.subject
Books That Inspire Talk About Protesting

# data[].attributes.body
Share these books to help kids understand the POWER of Protest

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
TALKING TO KIDS ABOUT PROTESTING: 5 Things I Want My Kids to Know

As the protests continue in Charlotte, NC we are seeing the familiar and racially biased messages about protesting surface again. Many have critiqued our media reporting and our national conversation on protesting, pointing out the disparities in language and escalation tactics that are used depending upon the race of the protestors. As a parent, I'm particularly mindful of the potency of the words and images that are widely shared at a time like this. They are impossible to escape.

Instead of shielding my children from or ignoring these images and conversations I seek to both:
Point out that the way these protestors are treated and talked about is different because of the color of their skin AND expand our conversation and narrative about the act of protesting.
Here are the things that I want my kids to know:

1. Protesting is a protected right. The Bill of Rights, written in 1789, grants Americans many important rights, which have come to define our nation and anchor some of our shared national values. Protesting is a reflection of two of those important rights: the right to "peaceably assemble" and the right to "petition the government for a redress of grievances."

It can be traced back to the beginning of our country's history and is responsible for our very formation. A notable early protest example is The Boston Tea Party in 1773. 2. Protesting is an American tradition. Protesting has been a primary and critical way that Americans have stood up against injustice and unfair treatment since our country's inception.

3. There are examples of protest all over in history AND in the present day. Depending on where you live your children may have the opportunity to witness protests with great frequency and on behalf of a wide variety of issues. Can you imagine how many protests kids living in Washington D.C. observe?! In other locations protestors might be more easily coupled with a particular incident or issue.

In the latter case, children's books and media provide a great opportunity to expand the narrative on protests and the gains that have been achieved as a result of this important tradition. We have included some book suggestions below.

You may choose to incorporate other recent examples of protests into your conversations with your children, including:

* Colin Kaepernick (and those following him) who is protesting by declining to stand during that national anthem.

* The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (and the others that joined) protesting the oil pipeline that would cross tribal land. You can use the #noDAPL tag to find images and conversations about this.

4. Debates about the lawfulness and effectiveness of protesting have always existed. It is also important to acknowledge that opinions on the lawfulness and effectiveness of civil disobedience aren't new. People have long-opposed protest efforts that have brought our country to where we are today, and expanded rights for many Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. was not popular during his time. The same narrative about whether protesting is the "right thing to do" exists now as it did when people organized for voting rights, improved working conditions, civil rights, etc. That is important to acknowledge because it can otherwise be easy to give kids the false impression that protests of the past were justified but those of today are uniquely complicated and fraught.

5. We have benefited from the act of protest. It is also worthwhile to think about how your particular family and ancestors have participated in or benefited from protest movements in the past or in the present.

Our children are watching and listening. Please consider using this as an opportunity for expanding this important conversation.
Recommended Reading: Separate is Never Equal Lillian's Right to Vote The Youngest Marcher (coming soon)
Elizabeth Leads the Way * Please note, and share with children, that this book does not make mention that her efforts were on behalf of white women, and that women of color did not receive the right to vote until up to 45 years later.

** I am always looking for books that depict other US protests that are not biased and do not reinforce a problematic and incomplete narrative. If you have other suggestions, please let me know. **

** If you live in St. Lous, MO, these books and more can be found at The Novel Neighbor, St. Louis County Library branches, and The Kirkwood Public Library **

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Talking to Kids About Protesting: 5 Things I Want My Kids to Know

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As the protests continue in Charlotte, NC we are seeing the familiar and racially biased messages about protesting surface again. Many have critiqued our media reporting and our national conversation on protesting, pointing out the disparities in language and escalation tactics that are used

# data[].attributes.body
Developing a Profile of Courage

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cascade High School students (from left) Jonathan Lopez, Esther Martinez and Aumnia Alissa discuss Malala Yousafzai's book "I Am Malala" during class on Feb. 27 in Everett. (Ian Terry / The Herald)

Classes with teacher's connection to the latest school shooting find even more relevance in story.

You must sign in or register to continue reading content.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cascade High students study Malala's profile in courage | HeraldNet.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Cascade High School students (from left) Jonathan Lopez, Esther Martinez and Aumnia Alissa discuss Malala Yousafzai's book "I Am Malala" during class on Feb. 27 in Everett. (Ian Terry / The Herald) Classes with teacher's connection to the latest school shooting find even more relevance in story.

# data[].attributes.body
The Youngest Ever Nobel Laureate

# data[].attributes.body
A Mighty Girl's Top Picks About Women and Girls Who Fought For Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A Mighty Girl's top picks of books for children and teens about real-life girls and women who fought for a more just, equal, and peaceful world.

When people think about what it means to love their country, some assume patriotism requires unwavering support, and that questioning or disagreeing with their government's choices is unpatriotic, disruptive, and even dangerous. But the truth is that dissent makes countries stronger: when citizens demand the best from their leaders and their countries - justice, accountability in government, and equal rights for all - everyone benefits. In fact, throughout history, progress for every country has come from people's willingness to stand up for what they believe in and insist on being heard, even if their beliefs counter those of the people in power. In other words, dissent isn't distracting or divisive: it's patriotic!

To explore this topic with children and teens, we've showcased 40 of our favorite books about girls and women who resisted - who dared to stand up against the laws and social norms of their day to fight for societies that were more just, tolerant, and equal. These people, from all walks of life, fought hard for causes they believed in, including women's suffrage, labor rights, civil rights, environmental protection, and more. They argued, they disagreed, and they protested - and today, we hail them as heroes whose courage and determination led to positive change and helped create a better future for everyone.

Books About Girls and Women Who Fought For Change

Additional Recommended Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dissent Is Patriotic: 40 Books About Girls & Women Who Fought for Change

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A Mighty Girl's top picks of books for children and teens about real-life girls and women who fought for a more just, equal, and peaceful world. When people think about what it means to love their country, some assume patriotism requires unwavering support, and that questioning or disagreeing with their government's choices is unpatriotic, disruptive, and even dangerous.

# data[].attributes.headline
Lyrics for Mash Up: Hamilton and Dear Evan: Lin-Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt

# data[].attributes.subject
Lyrics for Mash Up: Hamilton and Dear Evan: Lin-Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt

# data[].attributes.body
"Found/Tonight"

[Ben Platt:]
We may not yet have reached our glory
But I will gladly join the fight
And when our children tell their story
They'll tell the story of tonight
They'll tell the story of tonight
Tonight

[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
Have you ever felt like nobody was there?
Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?
Have you ever felt like you could disappear?
Like you could fall, and no one would hear?

[Ben Platt:]
Well, let that lonely feeling wash away
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
All we see is light
[Ben Platt:]
'Cause maybe there's a reason to believe you'll be okay
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
For forever
[Ben Platt:]
'Cause when you don't feel strong enough to stand
You can reach, reach out your hand

And oh
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
Raise a glass to freedom
Something they can never take away
[Ben Platt:]
Oh
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
No matter what they tell you
[Ben Platt:]
Someone will coming running
They'll take you home
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
Raise a glass to all of us
[Both:]
Tomorrow there'll be more of us
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
Telling the story of tonight
[Ben Platt:]
Out of the shadows
[Ben Platt (Lin-Manuel Miranda):]
The morning is breaking (they'll tell the story of)
And all is new (tonight)
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
All is new
[Ben Platt:]
All is new
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
It's only a matter of
[Both:]
Time

Even when the dark comes crashing through
When you need a friend to carry you
When you're broken on the ground
You will be found
So let the sun come streaming in
'Cause you'll reach up and you'll rise again
If you only look around
You will be found

[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
And when our children tell their story
[Ben Platt:]
You will be found
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
They'll tell the story of tonight
[Ben Platt:]
Oh
[Lin-Manuel Miranda:]
No matter what they tell you
[Ben Platt:]
Tomorrow there'll be more of us
[Both:]
Telling the story of tonight
The story of tonight

# data[].attributes.body
Featuring The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is "Learning from My Hero, Cynthia Levinson" by TheLivBits on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

# data[].attributes.body
Kids Can Change the World

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These quotes, both popular and unknown, may prove to be inspiring, thought- provoking insights that can inspire and motivate young people to take Action. Or, they may simply be words of wisdom or advice. Anyway you read them, remember the working motto of The Freechild Project:

Only through action do words take meaning. - The Freechild Project motto

Quotes on Social Change

"One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. If you have come to because your liberation is bound up in mine, we can work together." - Lilla Watson

"I don't believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is vertical, so it's humiliating. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other and learns from the other. I have a lot to learn from other people." - Eduardo Galeano

"Washing ones hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral." - Paulo Freire

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

"If you ever think you're too small to be effective, you've never been in bed with a mosquito!" - Wendy Lesko

"Yo, activism, attackin' the system, the blacks and latins in prison Numbers of prison they victim lackin' in the vision... Sh- - and all they got is rappin to listen to..." - Talib Kweli

"Its much more than being a farmer... you're out to help people and make this little part of the world farm- able and productive, make your little street or block a better place, make the world healthier." - A youth participant in GRuB

Quotes on Democracy

"The freedom and human capacities of individuals must be developed to their maximum but individual powers must be linked to democracy in the sense that social betterment must be the necessary consequence of individual flourishing." - Henry Giroux

"Darkness cannot drive out hate; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long- range risks and costs of comfortable inaction. - John F. Kennedy

Students should not only be trained to live in a democracy when they grow up; they should have the chance to live in one today. - Alfie Kohn

Any situation in which some individuals prevent others from engaging in the process of inquiry is one of violence. The means used are not important; to alienate human beings from their own decision-making is to change them into objects. - Paulo Freire

Quotes on Education

"It is because modern education is so seldom inspired by a great hope that it so seldom achieves great results. The wish to preserve the past rather than the hope of creating the future dominates the minds of those who control the teaching of the young. " - Bertrand Russell

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Marianne Williamson, as written for Nelson Mandela.

"Education should not be the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - William Butler Yeats

"Without the voice of students, schools serve no purpose. They are nothing but institutions where adults run and tell you what you need to know in order to continue this tradition of, this cycle of "we have master's degrees and we know what's best for you so just shut up and deal with it." - High school student, as quoted by Rubin and Silva

"We believe that to confront the challenges our communities face, people- - not just their advocates- - need to define issues and develop strategies for action. [We] foster leadership, literacy and language development among its participants and provides them an enriching job experience that prepares them for college and for careers in community organizing, advocacy and services delivery." - Youth Action Research Group

"Students do not shed their constitutional rights... at the schoolhouse gate." Tinker v. Des Moines

"Your life, time, and brain should belong to you, not to an institution." - Grace Lwellyn

"Students should not only be trained to live in a democracy when they grow up; they should have the chance to live in one today." - Alfie Kohn

Quotes on Young People

"If we are to reach real peace in this world... we shall have to begin with children." - Mahatma Gandhi

"this is a time for bold measures. This is the country, and you are the generation." - Bono

"Great changes in the destiny of mankind can be effected only in the minds of little children." - Sir Herbert Read

"This world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the love of ease." - Robert Kennedy.

"The secret message communicated to most young people today by the society around them is that they are not needed, that the society will run itself quite nicely until they - at some distant point in the future - will take over the reigns. Yet the fact is that the society is not running itself nicely... because the rest of us need all the energy, brains, imagination and talent that young people can bring to bear down on our difficulties. For society to attempt to solve its desperate problems without the full participation of even very young people is imbecile." - Alvin Toffler

Children, after all, are not just adults-in-the-making. They are people whose current needs and rights and experiences must be taken seriously. - Alfie Kohn

"We are all creative, but by the time we are three of four years old, someone has knocked the creativity out of us. Some people shut up the kids who start to tell stories. Kids dance in their cribs, but someone will insist they sit still. By the time the creative people are ten or twelve, they want to be like everyone else." - Maya Angelou

"Perhaps we cannot prevent this world from being a world in which children are tortured. But we can reduce the number of tortured children." - Albert Camus

"...the anxiety children feel at constantly being tested, their fear of failure, punishment, and disgrace, severely reduces their ability both to perceive and to remember, and drives them away from the material being studied into strategies for fooling teachers into thinking they know what they really don't know." - John Holt

"A century that began with children having virtually no rights is ending with children having the most powerful legal instrument that not only recognizes but protects their rights." - Carol Bellamy on the CRC

"The more we increase the active participation and partnership with young people, the better we serve them. ... And the more comprehensively we work with them as service partners, the more we increase our public value to the entire community." - Carmen Martinez

"This is not class warfare, this is generational warfare. This administration and old wealthy people have declared war on young people. That is the real war that is going on here. And that is the war we've got to talk about." - James Carville

"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home-so close and so small they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person... Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerned citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." -Eleanor Roosevelt

"The young, free to act on their initiative, can lead their elders in the direction of the unknown... The children, the young, must ask the questions that we would never think to ask, but enough trust must be re-established so that the elders will be permitted to work with them on the answers." - Margaret Mead

Quotes on Youth Involvement

"Our youth are not failing the system; the system is failing our youth. Ironically, the very youth who are being treated the worst are the young people who are going to lead us out of this nightmare." - Rachel Jackson

"If you had a problem in the Black community, and you brought in a group of White people to discuss how to solve it, almost nobody would take that panel seriously. In fact, there'd probably be a public outcry. It would be the same the for women's issues or gay issues. But every day, in local arenas all the way to the White House, adults sit around and decide what problems youth have and what youth need, without ever consulting us." - Jason, 17 years old, Youth Force Member, Bronx, NY

"If it is clear youth will be encouraged and listened to, and preparations are well thought out, you are set up for success... Having youth on boards and commissions has been a rewarding experience for everyone involved. Youth feel their voice is valued and that they have an impact on city decisions. Adult members benefit from the fresh perspective, optimism, and enthusiasm youth bring to the table." - Matt McCarte

"Youth involvement has moved forward. It is no longer seen as a rebellious act, the way it was a few decades ago." - Maureen A. Sedonaen

"Rather than standing or speaking for children, we need to stand with children speaking for themselves. We don't need a political movement for children... [we need to] build environments and policies for our collective future." - Sandra Meucci

"...Youth voice is crucial to the overall effectiveness of service- learning programs. Youth voice has a tremendous impact on program participation and program outcomes, both short term and long term." - Education Commission of the States

"We all benefit by having young people exposed to the 'way things are done' in a democratic society. Isn't it time... to 'tap the power of youth?'" - Hans Bernard
"What kind of twisted message do we send when we tell youth they are judged mature, responsible adults when they commit murder, but silly, brainless kids when they want to vote?... Lowering the voting age is the just, fair way to set things straight." - National Youth Rights Association

"There's a radical - and wonderful - new idea here... that all children could and should be inventors of their own theories, critics of other people's ideas, analyzers of evidence, and makers of their own personal marks on the world. Its an idea with revolutionary implications. If we take it seriously." - Deborah Meier

Quotes on Adults

"It used to be believed that the parent had unlimited claims on the child and rights over him. In a truer view of the matter, we are coming to see that the rights are on the side of the child and the duties on the side of the parent." - William G. Sumner

"Today's ephebiphobia is the latest installment of a history of bogus moral panics targeting unpopular subgroups to obscure an unsettling reality: Our worst social crisis is middle- Americans own misdirected fear." - Mike Males

Quotes on Youth

"I have seen the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked..." - Allen Ginsberg

"[Did they] use your years to psyche you out - you're too old to care, you're too young to count?" Indigo Girls

"Don't criticize what you can't understand, your sons and your daughters are beyond your command." - Bob Dylan

"Kids, I wish every mom and dad would make a speech to their teenagers and say, 'Kids, be free, be whatever you are, do whatever you want to do, just as long as you don't hurt anybody. And remember kids, I am you friend.'" - from the musical Hair.

"...we condemned them, our children, for seeking a different future. We hated them for their flowers, for their love, and for their unmistakeable rejection of every hideous, mistaken compromise that we had made throughout our hollow, money- bitten, frightened, adult lives. - June Jordan

Protest Slogans

Youth can be the leaders of tomorrow - if we procrastinate.

Ain't no power like the power of youth cos the power of youth don't stop!

If you must dream of the world you want to live in, dream out loud!

Youth are the solution - not the problem! Nothing about us without us is for us.

Related Articles

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
These quotes, both popular and unknown, may prove to be inspiring, thought- provoking insights that can inspire and motivate young people to take Action. Or, they may simply be words of wisdom or advice. Anyway you read them, remember the working motto of The Freechild Project: Only through action do words take meaning.

# data[].attributes.body
Check out this #LivsList for some GREAT books on kids and activism!

# data[].attributes.body
Student Activist, Emma Gonzalez Calls For Change in Gun Control Laws

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Newsela | Famous Speeches: "We call BS," Emma Gonzalez's speech to gun advocates

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Florida school shooting survivor urges lawmakers to tighten gun laws

# data[].attributes.headline
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks

# data[].attributes.subject
The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks

# data[].attributes.body
by Cynthia Levinson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist

An NAACP Image Award Nominee! And, a Goodreads Choice Award Finalist!

In May 1963, 3,000 to 4,000 elementary and high school students marched to protest segregation and get arrested and jailed in Birmingham, Alabama. Nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks was the youngest.

"...a book bound to be remembered in the pantheon of historical child heroes"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist An NAACP Image Award Nominee! And, a Goodreads Choice Award Finalist! In May 1963, 3,000 to 4,000 elementary and high school students marched to protest segregation and get arrested and jailed in Birmingham, Alabama. Nine-year-old Audrey Faye Hendricks was the youngest.

# data[].attributes.body
How the children of Birmingham made a difference in the Civil Rights Movement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Fifty years ago this month, Charles Avery left his high school in Jefferson County, Alabama, to lead about 800 of his fellow students on a 10-mile walk to Birmingham City. They were stopped by the sheriff's department, arrested, and jailed. "I was put in the paddy wagon with Dick Gregory and his writer," says Avery, who was 18 at the time and president of his senior class. "I would never forget that day."

In 1963 Birmingham was known as one of the most racist cities in the South. Martin Luther King Jr. had described it as a "symbol of hard-core resistance to integration." Activists had nicknamed it Bombingham, because of the frequency of violent attacks against those fighting the system of segregation.

It was the Rev. James Bevel, a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and adviser to King, who came up with the idea of a protest group made up of children. In May 1963 they launched the Children's Crusade and began a march on Birmingham. By the time Avery made it to the city May 7, more than 3,000 black young people were marching on the city.

It was King's words that inspired 16-year-old Raymond Goolsby to participate in the march.

"Rev. Martin Luther King stood right beside me," remembers Goolsby, 66. "He said, 'I think it's a mighty fine thing for children, what you're doing because when you march, you're really standing up; because a man can't ride your back unless it is bent.' And, boy, I mean he talked so eloquent and fast, after he finished his motivational speech, I was ready."

On May 2, 1963, Goolsby joined thousands of students who left their classrooms and gathered at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. It was there where they spilled out in groups of 50 to march downtown. "My group was the first of 50 to march," says Goolsby. "Our job was to decoy the police. We got arrested about a block and a half from 16th Street."

The next day, the police, led by infamous commissioner of public safety Bull Connor, brought out fire hoses and attack dogs and turned them on the children. It was a scene that caused headlines across the nation and around the world.

"Pictures of the bravery and determination of the Birmingham children as they faced the brutal fire hoses and vicious police dogs were splashed on the front pages of newspapers all across America and helped turn the tide of public opinion in support of the civil-rights movement's fight for justice," says Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund.

Jessie Shepherd, then 16, was soaked when she was loaded up in a paddy wagon. "I was told not to participate," says Shepherd, now a retired clinical diet technician. "But I was tired of the injustice."

"I couldn't understand why there had to be a colored fountain and a white fountain," says Shepherd. "Why couldn't I drink out the fountain that other little kids drank out of? As I got older, I understood that's just the way it was, because my skin was black, and we were treated differently because of that."

So she marched.

Soon the city's jails were so overcrowded that students were sent to the local fair ground. They slept on cots and sang freedom songs while waiting for movement leaders to raise money for their bail.

"I didn't anticipate the outcome being so drastic," says Shepherd.

Gwen Gamble had just been released from jail and didn't want to go back. Shortly before the crusade, the teenager had been arrested for participating in a lunch-counter sit-in and jailed for five days. "We were put in with people who had actually broken the law. It was scary. They weren't nice," says Gamble, who was 15.

She and her two sisters were trained by the movement to be recruiters for the Children's Crusade. On the first day of the march, they went to several schools and gave students the cue to leave. They then made their way to 16th Street Baptist.

"We left the church with our picket signs and our walking shoes," says Gamble. "Some of us even had on our rain coats because we knew that we were going to be hosed down by the water hoses."

Under intense public pressure, Birmingham negotiated a truce with King, and on May 10, Connor was removed from his position. The Children's Crusade had worked.

"The Birmingham campaign was a crucial campaign," says Clayborne Carson, director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. "He had never led a massive campaign of civil disobedience before, and there were not enough adults prepared to be arrested. So the Children's Crusade turned the tide of the movement."

Carson also notes that had King failed in Birmingham, his legacy wouldn't be what it is. "If he hadn't won, there probably wouldn't have been an 'I Have a Dream' speech or a Man of the Year award or a Nobel Peace Prize in 1964," says Carson.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the march, there will be a reenactment of the Children's Crusade and the opening of an exhibit on the children's march at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Today Birmingham has an African-American mayor, a majority-black City Council, and a black superintendent of schools.

"Had it not been for those children going out in the streets of Birmingham making a difference, going to jail, protesting, I really don't believe what we have to day would be possible," says Gamble. "I definitely say there would not be a Barack Obama."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How the Children of Birmingham Changed the Civil-Rights Movement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fifty years ago this month, Charles Avery left his high school in Jefferson County, Alabama, to lead about 800 of his fellow students on a 10-mile walk to Birmingham City. They were stopped by the sheriff's department, arrested, and jailed.

# data[].attributes.body
Kids have been standing up for their convictions FOREVER! And it makes a difference! #youthinfront

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
History of Protest with Cynthia Levinson

# data[].attributes.body
One of the BEST websites for youth activism information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Advice on Leading Change from Experienced Youth Activists and Allies

# data[].attributes.body
Click to listen to the powerful music of the Civil Rights Movement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In 1964, Dr. Martin Luther Jr. delivered the opening address to the Berlin Jazz Festival.

"Jazz speaks for life," King said. "The blues tell the story of life's difficulties - and, if you think for a moment, you realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. This is triumphant music."

King was born in 1929. Thirty-six years later, in 1965, he led a march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., a march that was instrumental in the passing of the Voting Rights Act five months later. This year, on Jan. 20 - one day after the national observance of King's 80th birthday - we witness the inauguration of the first African-American president of the United States.

What follows are jazz and jazz/blues versions of some of the songs that sustained the civil-rights movement in the 1960s (and beyond) through the setbacks, the hardships, the failures and the many hard-won successes that have moved America ever closer to racial equality. If you feel inspired to sing along, you certainly won't be alone.
This story originally ran Jan. 19, 2009. For more entries in the Take Five series, click here. And don't forget to subscribe to the Jazz Notes newsletter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Martin Luther King Jr. opened the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival with these words: "Jazz speaks for life." The 1960s civil-rights movement inspired blues and jazz songs about the setbacks, hardships and hard-won victories that moved (and that continue to move) America closer to racial equality.

# data[].attributes.headline
We've Got a Job: Resources to Learn More about The Children's March on Birmingham 

# data[].attributes.subject
We've Got a Job: Resources to Learn More about The Children's March on Birmingham 

# data[].attributes.body
by Cynthia Levinson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Audrey, James, Arnetta, and Wash told their stories in video interviews

Primary Source Documents on the Children's March

"We've Got a Job": The Song

Composed by Carlton Reece. Sung by the Birmingham Movement Choir. (Used with permission, not to be duplicated or transferred)

https://www.cynthialevinson.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Weve-Got-a-Job-Birmingham-Movement-Choir.mp3

Other Sources of Information

How and Why I Researched and Wrote We've Got a Job

Note to students: You are welcome to contact me with further questions-AFTER you have read We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March and searched all of the above sites. I am happy to respond to questions to which the answers are not available here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
We've Got a Job: Resources for Students - Cynthia Levinson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Many resources are available for students to research the Children's March. Audrey, James, Arnetta, and Wash told their stories in video interviews Growing Up Black in Segregated Birmingham How Black Youngsters Became Aware of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham How Black Youngsters Decided to Protest Segregation Confronting the Birmingham Police Birmingham, Alabama, May 2,...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Newsela | Understanding key terms in the gun control debate

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Gun regulations can vary from state to state

# data[].attributes.body
Pro-Gun Students Share Their Perspective

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Newsela | After Florida shooting, students who support gun rights feel marginalized

# data[].attributes.body
Learn How Kids are LEADING the Push for Gun Reform

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

# data[].attributes.body
Blog Post by Cynthia Levinson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Like many people, we are awed by the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, for taking the lead in America's ongoing debates over the balance between the right to own guns and the need to control access to them. The students' grief and outrage over the murders of seventeen of their classmates, teachers, and staff have led to policy changes by corporations that sell weapons, pleas for gun-control legislation at the state and national levels, and plans for #MarchForOurLives demonstrations.

Their activism follows a long tradition of young people taking charge to change the world.

Cynthia's first book, We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March, focuses on four of about four thousand elementary and high school students who protested segregation there. Because they, unlike most adults in the community, were willing to get arrested and go to jail for up to a week, Birmingham ultimately rescinded its segregation regulations. Some kids were even attacked by snarling dogs and hosed by firefighters. (Cynthia's picture book, The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, deals with the same events for younger readers.)

Her next book, Watch Out for Flying Kids: How Two Circuses, Two Countries, and Nine Kids Confront Conflict and Build Community, shows how kids can alter their worlds in other ways besides protesting. Israeli and American, Arab Muslim and Jewish, black and white, upper- and lower-class, English-, Arabic-, and Hebrew-speaking youngsters live the change they want to see by juggling, tumbling, and trampolining together.

Fault Lines in the Constitution highlights several young activists.

Leezia Dhalla came to America legally with her family when she was six years old but unknowingly overstayed her visa. Now, as a Dreamer-an undocumented resident who hopes to become a citizen through the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) bill-she works on behalf of others in her predicament.

College-student Jennifer Gratz of Michigan spearheaded a petition campaign that resulted in a revision to her state's constitution regarding affirmative action.

Another college student, Gregory Watson, worked for a decade and managed to get the Twenty-seventh Amendment added to the US Constitution.

Recognizing the powerful role young people can play in political reform, the final chapter of Fault Lines, which explains ways to repair the Constitution, urges students to "Speak Up!"

That's exactly what the young people in Parkland are doing in regard to gun control. The debate about this issue often focuses on the Second Amendment. Fault Lines addresses the body of the Constitution, rather than the Bill of Rights or other amendments. That's because the book concerns the problems with the structure of the US government rather than citizens' rights. Yet, the purpose of our blog is to show the ways that current events relate to the Constitution. And the Second Amendment is certainly a very current and ongoing topic.

Mary Ann Cappiello developed terrific Teaching Ideas for Fault Lines, including a Critical Literacy component that connects the book with the Second Amendment. The link is here. With her permission, we are reposting this section.

Rights and Responsibilities: The Right to Bear Arms. Perhaps no amendment may be as familiar to your students than the Second Amendment, given the national debate about gun rights and responsibilities and the epidemic of gun violence. In the week in which this blog entry was written, seventeen students and teachers were murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. After finishing Fault Lines, have students read the text of the Second Amendment as well the interpretation, and the "Matters of Debate" section on the Constitution Center's interactive site. In small groups, have students create a timeline of the debate. Next, have students explore gun violence statistics in the United States as presented by a range of sources: The National Rifle Association (NRA), The Brady Center, The National Center for Gun Rights, and Everytown for Gun Safety. Next, have students explore the pros/cons on gun rights and responsibilities as presented by ProCon.org. Finally, have students look at the statistics compiled hourly by the Gun Violence Archive, a non-partisan, non-profit organization. Finally, have them read and watch what some of the students from Douglas High School are saying this week. To what extent is our epidemic of gun violence connected to other challenges faced by our country, such as a lack of access to mental health services and the opioid crisis? What do your students think should happen next? What, if any, laws should be created?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Like many people, we are awed by the students of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, for taking the lead in America's ongoing debates over the balance between the right to own guns and the need to control access to them.

# data[].attributes.headline
No More: The Children of Birmingham 1963

# data[].attributes.subject
No More: The Children of Birmingham 1963

# data[].attributes.body
Video Highlighting the Power of Kid Voices in the Civil Rights Movement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
No More: The Children of Birmingham 1963 and the Turning Point of the Civil Rights Movement

# data[].attributes.body
Learn How Kids Helped Define the Civil Rights Movement

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Having written a list on the ten most evil children in the world, I am very pleased to have received this submission of 7 children who are far from evil; they are children who have changed the world by their actions or examples.

Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank was a German-born Jewish girl from the city of Frankfurt. She gained international fame posthumously following the publication of her diary which documents her experiences hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II.

Anne and her family moved to Amsterdam in 1933 after the Nazis gained power in Germany, and were trapped by the occupation of the Netherlands, which began in 1940. As persecutions against the Jewish population increased, the family went into hiding in July 1942 in hidden rooms in her father Otto Frank's office building. After two years, the group was betrayed and transported to concentration camps. Seven months after her arrest, Anne Frank died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, within days of the death of her sister, Margot Frank. Her father Otto, the only survivor of the group, returned to Amsterdam after the war to find that her diary had been saved, and his efforts led to its publication in 1947. It was translated from its original Dutch and first published in English in 1952 as The Diary of a Young Girl. Anne Frank has been acknowledged for the quality of her writing, and has become one of the most renowned and discussed of Holocaust victims.

Image: 1985 USSR Stamp with "Samantha Smith" in Cyrillic.

Samantha Reed Smith was an American schoolgirl from Manchester, Maine who became famous in the Cold War-era United States and Soviet Union. In November 1982, when Smith was 10 years old, she wrote to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov, seeking to understand why the relations between the Soviet Union and the United States were so tense. Her letter was published in the Soviet newspaper Pravda. Samantha was happy to discover that her letter had been published, however, she had not received a reply. She then sent a letter to the Soviet Union's Ambassador to the United States asking if Mr. Andropov intended to respond. On April 26, 1983, she received a response from Andropov.

Smith attracted extensive media attention in both countries as a "Goodwill Ambassador", and became known as "America's Youngest Ambassador" participating in peacemaking activities in Japan. She wrote a book and co-starred in a television series, before her death at the age of 13 in the Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808 plane crash.

Image: Sam Nzima's famous June 16, 1976 photograph of Mbuyisa Makhubo carrying Hector Pieterson, accompanied by Hector's sister, Antoinette.

Hector Pieterson (1964 - 16 June 1976) became the iconic image of the 1976 Soweto uprising in apartheid South Africa when a news photograph by Sam Nzima of the dying Hector being carried by a fellow student, was published around the world. He was killed at the age of 12 when the police opened fire on protesting students. For years, June 16 stood as a symbol of resistance to the brutality of the apartheid government. Today, it is known as National Youth Day - a day on which South Africans honour young people and bring attention to their needs.
Since June 1976, Hector's surname has been spelled Peterson and Pietersen by the press but the family insists that the correct spelling is Pieterson. The Pieterson family was originally the Pitso family but decided to adopt the Pieterson name to try to pass as "Coloured" (the apartheid-era name for people of mixed race), because Coloured people enjoyed somewhat better privileges under apartheid than blacks did.

On June 16, 2002 the Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum was opened near the place he was shot in Orlando West, Soweto to honour Hector and those who died around the country in the 1976 uprising.

Iqbal Masih was a Pakistani boy who was sold to a carpet industry as a child slave at the age of 4 for the equivalent of (12) USD. Iqbal was held by a string to a carpet loom in a small town called Muridke near Lahore. He was made to work twelve hours per day. Due to long hours of hard work and insufficient food and care, Iqbal was undersized. At twelve years of age, Iqbal was the size of a six-year old boy. At the age of 10, he escaped the brutal slavery and later joined a Bonded Labor Liberation Front of Pakistan to help stop child labour around the world, and Iqbal helped over 3,000 Pakistani children that were in bonded labour, escape to freedom. Iqbal gave talks about child labour all around the world.

He was murdered on Easter Sunday 1995. It is assumed by many that he was assassinated by members of the "Carpet Mafia" because of the publicity he brought towards the child labour industry. Some locals were accused of the crime, however.

In 1994, Iqbal was awarded the Reebok Human Rights Award. In 2000, when The World's Children's Prize for the Rights of the Child was formed, he was posthumously awarded this prize as one of the first laureates.

Nkosi, born Xolani Nkosi, was born to Nonthlanthla Daphne Nkosi in a township east of Johannesburg in 1989. He never knew his father. Nkosi was HIV-positive from birth, and was legally adopted by Gail Johnson, a Johannesburg Public Relations practitioner, when his own mother, debilitated by the disease, was no longer able to care for him. The young Nkosi Johnson first came to public attention in 1997, when a primary school in the Johannesburg suburb of Melville refused to accept him as a pupil because of his HIV-positive status. The incident caused a furor at the highest political level-South Africa's Constitution forbids discrimination on the grounds of medical status-and the school later reversed its decision.
Nkosi was the keynote speaker at the 13th International AIDS Conference, where he encouraged AIDS victims to be open about the disease and to seek equal treatment. Nkosi finished his speech with the words.

"Care for us and accept us - we are all human beings. We are normal. We have hands. We have feet. We can walk, we can talk, we have needs just like everyone else - don't be afraid of us - we are all the same!"

Nelson Mandela referred to Nkosi as an "icon of the struggle for life." He was ranked fifth amongst SABC3's Great South Africans. At the time of his death, he was the longest-surviving HIV-positive born child.

Together with his foster mother, Nkosi founded a refuge for HIV positive mothers and their children, Nkosi's Haven, in Johannesburg.[6] In November 2005, Gail represented Nkosi when he posthumously received the International Children's Peace Prize from the hands of Mikhail Gorbachev. Nkosi's Haven received the US $100,000 prize money from the KidsRights Foundation as well as a statuette which has been named the Nkosi in Nkosi Johnson's honour. Nkosi's life is the subject of the book We Are All the Same by Jim Wooten.

At the age of five, he was taken away from his parents and for three years he worked in the fields. After he was rescued by activists of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Om campaigned for free education in his native Rajasthan. He then helped to set up a network of what are known as "child friendly villages", places where children's rights are respected and child labour is not allowed. He also set up a network that aims to give all children a birth certificate as a way of helping to protect them from exploitation. He also worked to ensure children are given birth certificates. He says such registration is the first step towards enshrining children's rights, proving their age, and helping to protect them from slavery, trafficking, forced marriage or serving as a child soldiers.

He was awarded the International Children's Peace Prize by former South African President FW de Klerk, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

A 16-year-old Zambian girl, Thandiwe Chama of Lusaka's Chawama township has scooped the 2007 International Children's Peace Prize beating 28 other nominees from across the world. The prestigious prize was presented to Thandiwe in The Hague on Sunday by Nobel Peace Laureate, Betty Williams and Live8 initiator, Sir Bob Geldof. The Prize consists of a statuette - "the Nkosi" - and 100,000 euros, which are to be awarded to a direct aid project in the spirit of the young winner's efforts.

In 1999, when she was only eight-years-old, her school was closed because there were no teachers. Thandiwe refused to accept this and led 60 other children in walking to find another school. As a result, all the children were taken into the Jack Cecup School. Strengthened by this achievement, Thandiwe has been fighting ever since for the right to education for all children. Thandiwe continues to impress, for example by speaking in church about children and AIDS - an issue not always discussed easily in churches. With a friend, she wrote and illustrated a booklet called "The Chicken with AIDS", telling young children about the perils of AIDS.

"It's so important to know that also a child has rights. At school I learned about rights. And I knew then that this was something I wanted to fight for. Because if children are given an opportunity, they for sure can contribute in making this world a better place." - Thandiwe Chama

This article is licensed under the GFDL because it contains extracts from Wikipedia.

Contributor: Clouds

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Children Who Changed the World - Listverse

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
7 Children Who Changed the World^7 Children Who Changed the World^Having written a list on the ten most evil children in the world, I am very pleased to have received this submission of 7 children who are far from evil; they are children who have changed the world by their actions or examples.^Clouds

# data[].attributes.headline
Advice for Activist Kids from the Anti-Defamation League

# data[].attributes.subject
Advice for Activist Kids from the Anti-Defamation League

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our country has a long history of youth-led movements that brought about significant social change. Young people have advocated for child labor laws, voting rights, civil rights, school desegregation, immigration reform and LGBTQ rights. Through their actions, the world has changed. Because young people often have the desire, energy and idealism to do something about the injustice they see in the world, they are powerful agents for change.

Our work in education helps students examine implicit and overt forms of bias and discrimination and as a result, educators often feel a responsibility to provide students with the structure, opportunity and tools to do something about the injustice they see in the world. Transforming students' feelings of anger, sadness and hopelessness into concrete actions that can make the world more equitable is a vital teaching opportunity. Voting is one way to get your voice heard but there are a myriad of ways young people can make difference.

Below are ideas for bringing social activism into the classroom and outside of the school walls. These are lifelong skills and attitudes that teach students about citizenship and that there is something you can do when faced with injustice. The strategies can be acted upon individually, organized together as a group and young people can join with a larger effort that is taking place locally or nationally. The tactics also bring opportunities for students to read, write, research, think critically and talk with each other.

1. Educate others

As students learn about an issue they care about, their natural instinct is to share their new knowledge and insight with others. Encourage this by providing live and online opportunities for them to teach others, including their classmates, younger students and adults in their lives. This can include school assemblies, community forums, teach-ins, peer-to-peer programs and social media forums. Include opportunities to share the information in interesting ways (written, art, theatre, etc.) and they should also give other students the chance to explore their own thoughts and feelings about the topics. Youth who want to know more may be more likely to learn from another young person.

2. Advocate for legislation

Change comes about in a variety of ways and one of these is through legislative change. For example, the primary advocates for the DREAM Act have been young people known as the DREAMers, who have a personal investment in the issue. With your students, provide opportunities for them to learn about the history and impact of legislative change like the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Help them analyze proposed legislation in relation to their goals and assess the extent to which it will have an impact. They can study research that examines the extent to which legislation impacted injustice. Have students push for legislation by working with other groups with similar goals, building coalitions and writing letters to their legislators to advocate for specific local, state and federal laws.

3. Run for office

Student government provides a chance for students to have a positive impact in their school and learn about how government works on a small scale. It gives youth the experience to reflect on and consolidate their own positions on important school issues, learn how to communicate those positions, build relationships with others and become a good listener in understanding constituent (i.e. other students) needs. It is also good practice for the future in getting involved in politics. Elected positions are not the only way to get involved; students can also become involved in groups like the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), peer training or other task forces that are working to improve their school.

4. Protest

Marching in the streets enables students to express themselves and publicly convey what's happening while meeting and connecting with other people who feel passionate about the same issues. Demonstrations and protests can be uplifting and empowering and can help students feel like they are part of a larger movement. In preparing to attend a protest, have students consider what their goals are in attending the event and think through what message they want to convey. They can create posters, prepare songs or chants and practice symbolism that conveys their thoughts and feelings. They should consider whether they want to do individually or organize a group of students from their school to go together, make transportation arrangements and ensure that safety concerns are addressed.

5. Create a public awareness campaign that includes social media

There are many ways to develop or participate in a public awareness campaign Educating people about an issue in order to inspire change can take place in school, in the community and online. Creating signs and posters using art and photography can be very effective as can videos and live speeches; these are all useful skills that young people can learn. In recent years, the use of social media to raise public awareness has been largely driven by young people and is a useful vehicle for raising issues and effecting change. The use of blogs, social media sites like Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, videos, memes and online petitions are just a few examples of how words travel fast online and can incite quick and effective action.

6. Do a survey about the issue and share the results

Understanding what people think and why is helpful in bringing about social change. Students can learn more about public opinions on issues by participating in surveys themselves and also reading about them. They can also create their own surveys. Using paper surveys or online surveys, students can gain insight into how other students in their school or the larger community feel about an issue. This is useful in organizing others and addressing their concerns and needs; at the same time it builds math, critical thinking and interpersonal skills.

7. Raise money

Raising money is a concrete way for students to contribute to community or national efforts to address injustice. From organizing a bake sale around a local issue to fundraising on a larger scale for a national concern like racial disparities in the criminal justice system, raising money helps students feel like they are part of something bigger and backs the cause. Fundraisers can include selling items, auctions, entertainment, sponsoring events and more.

8. Write a letter to a company

Students can reach out to companies or organizations that they feel have done something unfair or biased. This is something do-able that can make a difference. For example, if students want to change the ways toy companies use gender role stereotypes to package and sell their toys or games, have them write letters to toy or video game companies and explain why they think their practices are biased. In crafting a well-written letter with evidence and a clear statement of what needs to change, students learn useful skills in persuasion and at the same time, it has a made a difference.

9. Engage in community service

In addition to organizing and advocating on a large scale, students should be encouraged to engage in community service on issues they care about. For example, if they are concerned about the stereotypes and violence directed at homeless people, in addition to advocating for legislation or attending a demonstration, students can also donate their time to help out in a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Serving the people who are directly impacted gives young people firsthand knowledge of the situation, deepens their understanding and builds empathy.

10. Get the press involved

Help students understand that bringing publicity to their issue amplifies the message, gets more people concerned and potentially has a greater impact. They can write a press release, do an interview, write an op-ed in their local paper or invite a reporter to see what they are doing and write something about it. This sharpens their own message and serves to bring that message to a larger group of people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Our country has a long history of youth-led movements that brought about significant social change. Young people have advocated for child labor laws, voting rights, civil rights, school desegregation, immigration reform and LGBTQ rights. Through their actions, the world has changed.

# data[].attributes.headline
Great Historical Resource for Kid-Led Activism

# data[].attributes.subject
Great Historical Resource for Kid-Led Activism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
At critical moments in our nation's history, it is America's children who have changed the hearts and minds of the public through social activism. There are over 100 years of documented history of young people leading the charge toward progress.

Kids have fought and won battles for child labor laws, civil rights, equal access to education and an end to segregation. Today, the torch has been passed down to youth activists who are fighting with everything they have to pass immigration reform and to end deportations that are tearing their families and communities apart.
The following is a brief history of youth-led social activism in the United States:
1903: Four hundred juvenile textile workers marched from the coal mines of Pennsylvania to the home of President Theodore Roosevelt in New York with Mother Jones to demand child labor laws the respected the rights of working youth. (Image via The Newberry.)

1957: The Little Rock Nine enrolled in an all-white school in the segregated South, facing daily taunting and ridicule in order to pave the way for equal access to education for all Black students. (Image via Chikaoduahblog.com.)

1960: Six-year-old Ruby Bridges made headlines when she enrolled as the first and only black student in a segregated, all-white school in New Orleans, Louisiana. Pictured here, Ruby is escorted from the school by U.S. Marshals to face the crowds of angry protesters who shouted and threw things at the little girl. (Image via Wikimedia.)

1963: In Birmingham, Alabama, kids walked out of schools across the city to join the Children's Crusade in an effort to fight for civil rights and end segregation. Head of Birmingham police and notoriously racist segregrationist Bull Connor brought out fire hoses to ward off the children and set police dogs to attack them. Pictured here, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. walks through the streets of Birmingham with child activists. (Image via childrenscrusadenhd.weebly.com.)

2013: Last year, more than 100 children came to Capitol Hill to lobby on behalf of themselves and their families to push for immigration reform. They participated in rallies, marches and peaceful actions in Washington and in their home states. Several children last year brought national attention to the need for immigration reform, including the two teen girls who confronted Speaker John Boehner at Pete's Diner on why he was allowing members of the Republican Party to stall immigration reform.

This week, youth activists are back in D.C. fighting for immigration reform. Follow the Fair Immigration Reform Movement on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates on what these courageous kids will do next.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At critical moments in our nation's history, it is America's children who have changed the hearts and minds of the public through social activism. There are over 100 years of documented history of young people leading the charge toward progress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An approach that intentionally trains young people in community organizing and advocacy, youth-led activism also assists children and youth in putting these skills to action in order to alter power relations and create meaningful change throughout their communities. Through youth-led organizing, young people can employ activities such as political education and analysis, community research, campaign development, direct action, critical thinking and membership recruitment.

How Youth Youth + Social Change Happens Through Youth-Led Activism

Youth-Led Protests - When young people can't find adult allies, when the organizations and communities they are part of deny youth voice, and when society doesn't budge, protest might be the most viable option. Youth-led protests can be the most powerful option children and youth have to transform society. There are countless protest activities, including sit-ins, picketing, #hashtags, walkouts, sit-ins, and more.

Youth-Led Media - Instead of allowing media to paint pictures of youth and their communities however they want to, young people can take up the mantle of journalism and truth-telling to share their own stories. Youth-led media can give children and youth a clear, concise voice to reach beyond their friends into the hearts of communities, cities, nations and the world.

Mutual Mentoring - Sometimes, simply acknowledging an adult as an ally isn't enough. Mutual mentoring allows children and youth to be in empathetic, appropriately equitable relationships with adults. In these relationships, young people and adults are empowered to teach one another, support each other and build healthy, meaningful opportunities to grow together.

Tools for Youth + Social Change through Youth-Led Activism

Education - Simply becoming engaged in an issue is the first step towards youth-led activism. However, learning about the politics, economics and social effects of issues being protested are key, too. Youth activists can research, study and critique things central to their community organizing efforts.

Training - Learning about issues is not all youth activists need. Training can be essential for youth-led activists to be successful. They can learn the skills needed and tactics that are vital for successful for powerful short-term and long-term campaigns designed to change the world.

Inspiration - The reality of youth activism today is that there is a lot of inspiration. However, finding it can be challenging for children and youth, as few sources are brave enough to share powerful stories of youth changing the world. Youtube, select media, and many other sources may provide important stories youth can relate to. Also, in communities around the world its important to see what's happened before, and many communities have hidden histories of youth-led activism.

You Might Like...

Videos Elsewhere Online

Publications Elsewhere Online

SHARE!

Other tools are out there, too - share your thoughts in the comments below! For more information about how Freechild Institute can support youth/adult partnerships in your community or organization, contact us.

Freechild is committed to engaging every young person, everywhere, all the time in social change, systems transformation, and more. View all posts by Freechild Institute

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Youth + Social Change through Youth-Led Activism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An approach that intentionally trains young people in community organizing and advocacy, youth-led activism also assists children and youth in putting these skills to action in order to alter power relations and create meaningful change throughout their communities. Through youth-led organizing, young people can employ activities such as political education and analysis, community research, campaign development, direct action, critical thinking and...