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A Toolkit for Addressing Anti-Asian Bias, Discrimination, and Hate

During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City saw a sharp increase in harassment and violence against Asian people and communities, especially Asian elders. Discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, national origin, age, and disability (including having or being perceived to be exposed to COVID-19) is illegal under the New York City Human Rights Law. Since the start of COVID-19, we have seen a sharp increase in instances of hostility and harassment directed at Chinese and other Asian communities related to COVID-19 stigma and misinformation. The NYC Commission on Human Rights, the Mayor's Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes, the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit (CAU), and the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs are coordinating closely to educate the public about their rights and protections in light of COVID-19-related stigma and hate crimes.

There has been a significant, troubling increase in anti-Asian hate crimes and bias incidents since the start of the pandemic. Beginning in February of 2020, the Commission received a sevenfold increase in reports of anti-Asian harassment, discrimination, and violence. It is crucial to note that hate crimes and bias incidents have been found to be vastly under-reported so these numbers only reflect reported incidents.

If you have faced harassment or discrimination in housing, at work, or in any public place, contact the NYC Commission on Human Rights by filling out our online form or by calling 212-416-0197. If you are a victim of or witness a hate crime, call 911. There is language support if you need interpretation services.
See tweet from Mayor's Community Affairs Unit.
In this toolkit you can find the following

Campaigns

Additional Resources

Remarks from Mayor Eric Adams

Campaigns

I Still Believe in Our City

"I Still Believe in Our City" is a public awareness campaign by multidisciplinary artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. The public awareness campaign was developed with the NYC Commission on Human Rights to combat anti-Asian discrimination, harassment, and bias as a result of COVID-19, and launched with the support of the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. The art featured here is from an upcoming Art Display Case exhibition presented in partnership with the NYC Department of Transportation's Temporary Art Program.

The "I Still Believe in Our City" campaign has graphics available to address anti-Asian racism and harassment.

Suggested posting text

As #COVID19 hit NYC, Asian and Pacific Islanders faced an added threat: racism and hate.
You have a right to live free of discrimination. If you have seen anti-Asian harassment, speak up and report it to us by calling 212-416-0197.

Since the beginning of the #COVID-19 pandemic, NYC has seen a startling increase in harassment and discrimination against Asian communities.
Know this: Our city is unified in its fight against stigma and hate. Learn more at http://nyc.gov/stopcovidhate

Asian New Yorkers: You have the right to be free from harassment and discrimination under the New York City Human Rights Law. If you have been discriminated against or harassed, report it here: http://nyc.gov/reportdiscrimination

Foreign language graphics and posting text available in Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

Download printable posters
13" x 19" (with bleed) 13" x 19" (no bleed) 8-1/2" x 11" (with bleed) 8-1/2" x 11" (no bleed) Download posters in Korean, Traditional Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Japanese
We Are More

"We Are More" is an art series that celebrates the resilience and range of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The series seeks to break down tired worn out cliches and stereotypes of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and forge in its stead a brilliant, multidimensional identity that encompasses the resilience and range of the communities.

Featuring dynamic visuals, bold typography, and human stories, "We Are More" is on view in Times Square in partnership with Times Square Arts, with subsequent installations appearing in Boston and other cities around the United States.

Learn more and download all the images at morethan.art.

We Are One New York
Download the graphics
Suggested posting text

Coronavirus-related discrimination and harassment is not acceptable. You deserve to be treated with dignity and respect no matter what. If you have been discriminated against or harassed, report it here: http://nyc.gov/reportdiscrimination

There is a lot of anxiety and fear around COVID-19, but one thing is clear: people and places shouldn't be stigmatized for the spread of viruses. If you have been discriminated against or harassed because of COVID-19 fears, report it here: http://nyc.gov/reportdiscrimination

Fight Fear with Facts

Download the graphics
View translated posting text available

Suggested posting text

Discrimination for having a serious illness like #COVID19, or facing harassment because of the belief that you have been exposed to it, is illegal under the NYC Human Rights Law. Report discrimination and harassment to @NYCCHR at 212-416-0197 or online at http://nyc.gov/reportdiscrimination.

No matter who you are, your city will fight for you. Report bias, discrimination, or harassment to @NYCCHR at 212-416-0197 or report it online at http://nyc.gov/reportdiscrimination.

If you or someone you know has faced discrimination or harassment because of your race, religion, immigration status, or disability, contact the @NYCCHR at 212-416-0197 or report is online at http://nyc.gov/reportdiscrimination.

Graphic Available in 21 Languages

Are you or someone you know the victim of harassment? Call 311. If you are the victim of a crime or witness a crime, call 911. NYPD officers are not allowed to ask about your immigration status. Learn more at nyc.gov/stopcovidhate.

Arabic: Square
‫يجهل تقع أنت أو أي شخص تعرفه ضحية للمضايقة؟ اتصل بالرقم 311 .إذا كنت ضحية جريمة أو شاهدت وقوع جريمة، فاتصل بالرقم 911 .ال يسمح لضباط إدارة شرطة مدينة نيويورك بالسؤال عن حالة الهجرة الخاصة بك. تع رف على المزيد من خالل الموقع اإللكتروني nyc.gov/stopcovidhate

Farsi: Square
آیا شما قربانی آزار و اذیت هستید، یا از آشنایان کسی را می شناسید که باشد؟ با 311 تماس بگیرید. اگر قربانی جرم یا شاهد وقوع جرم هستید، با 911 تماس بگیرید. مأموران اداره پلیس نیویورک اجازه ندارند در مورد وضعیت مهاجرتی شما سؤال کنند .
nyc.gov/stopcovidhate

האם אתם או מישהו שאתם מכירים קרבנות של הטרדה? התקשרו אל 311 .אם אתם קרבנות פשע או צופים בפשע , התקשרו אל 911 .קציני משטרת ניו יורק אינם מורשים לשאול אתכם אודות סטטוס ההגירה שלכם. מידע נוסף בכתובת Hebrew: Square

nyc.gov/stopcovidhate

Japanese: Square
あなた、またはあなたの知っている人がハラスメントの被害に遭ってはいません か。311 にご連絡ください。犯罪の被害者、または目撃者の場合は、911 にご連 絡ください。ニューヨーク市警察の職員があなたの滞在資格を尋ねることはあり ません。詳細は nyc.gov/stopcovidhate

Korean: Square
본인이나 아는 사람이 괴롭힘을 받고 있습니까? 311 에 전화하세요. 범죄의 피해자이거나 목격자인 경우, 911 로 전화하세요. NYPD 경찰은 이민 신분에 대해 질문할 수 없습니다. nyc.gov/stopcovidhate 에서 자세히 알아보세요.

Portuguese: Square
Você ou alguém que você conhece é vítima de assédio? Ligue para 311. Se você for vítima de um crime ou testemunhar um crime, ligue para 911. A Polícia de Nova York não pode fazer perguntas sobre seu status de imigração. Saiba mais em nyc.gov/stopcovidhate

Russian: Square
Вы или ваши знакомые стали жертвой притеснения? Позвоните по номеру 311. Если вы стали жертвой или свидетелем преступления, позвоните по телефону 911. Сотрудники Департамента полиции Нью-Йорка (NYPD) не имеют права задавать вопросы о вашем иммиграционном статусе.

‫‫کیا آپ یا آپ کے جاننے والوں میں سے کوئی ہراساں کیے جانے کا شکار ہے؟ 311 پر کال کریں۔ اگر آپسے کوئی فرق کسی جرم کا شکار ہوئے ہیں یا کسی جرم کے گواہ ہیں، تو 911 پر کال کریں ۔ NYPD افسران کو آپ کیتر ک وطن کی حیثیت کے متعلق سوال پوچھنے کی اجازت نہیں ہے ۔ Urdu: Square

nyc.gov/stopcovidhate

Resources for Victims of Hate Crimes

Download the resource graphics series, available in multiple sizes.

Additional Resources

Bystander Intervention Trainings

Bystander intervention is built on the idea that we all play a role in creating safe public spaces for each other when we see our neighbors and community members facing bias, discrimination, or harassment. The NYC Commission on Human Rights and community partners regularly co-host bystander intervention trainings to provide New Yorkers with the tools and strategies to safely respond when they witness bias incidents and discrimination.

Hate and Bias Incidents Related to COVID-19 Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet on Hate and Bias Incidents Related to COVID 19 | Español (Spanish) | عربى (Arabic) | اردو (Urdu) | Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole) | 한국어 (Korean) | বাংলা (Bengali) | русский (Russian) | Français (French) | Polskie (Polish) | יידיש (Yiddish) | Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) | 日本語 (Japanese) | 简体中文 (Chinese -Simplified) | 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)

What is a Hate Crime Fact Sheet

What is a Hate Crime Fact Sheet | Español (Spanish) | عربى (Arabic) | اردو (Urdu) | Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole) | 한국어 (Korean) | বাংলা (Bengali) | русский (Russian) | Français (French) | Polskie (Polish) | 简体中文 (Chinese -Simplified) | 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)

Guide for Victims of Hate Crimes

Download the guide to share about resources & services available to victims of hate crimes

Educational Resources

The New York City Department of Education and OPHC have developed for educators across the City a resource guide to materials to prevent anti-Asian and anti-COVID related discrimination that can be incorporated into lesson plans.
COVID-19-Related Anti-Bias Education Resource Guide
Community Resources

Asian American Federation (AAF)

"Stay Safe from Hate: How to Protect Yourself in Threatening Situations" booklet is available in five Asian languages (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Tagalog, and Vietnamese) and includes verbal de-escalation strategies, bystander techniques, non-violent communication strategies, and physical defense techniques.
Download for free and check it out
Stop AAPI Hate

Do you have a hate incident to report? Help document the recent rise in hate crimes against Asian American elders by going to https://stopaapihate.org/.

Stop AAPI Hate is the nation's leading coalition documenting and addressing anti-Asian hate and discrimination amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other

If you would like to connect with other community-based organizations in your area, please visit the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice's Victim Services Finder, which is currently available in English, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu.

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During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City saw a sharp increase in harassment and violence against Asian people and communities, especially Asian elders. Discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, national origin, age, and disability (including having or being perceived to be exposed to COVID-19) is illegal under the New York City Human Rights Law.

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A hate crime is a "criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity." i

What Are the Effects of Hate Crimes?

People victimized by violent hate crimes are more likely to experience more psychological distress than victims of other violent crimes. ii Specifically, victims of crimes that are bias-motivated are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress, safety concerns, depression, anxiety and anger than victims of crimes that are not motivated by bias. iii,iv,v

Hate crimes send messages to members of the victim's group that they are unwelcome and unsafe in the community, victimizing the entire group and decreasing feelings of safety and security. vi,vii Furthermore, witnessing discrimination against one's own group can lead to psychological distress and lower self-esteem. viii

What Leads to Hate Crimes?

Hate crimes are an extreme form of prejudice, made more likely in the context of social and political change. Public and political discourse may devalue members of unfamiliar groups, ix and offenders may feel that their livelihood or way of life is threatened by demographic changes. x Offenders may not be motivated by hate, but rather by fear, ignorance or anger. These can lead to dehumanization of unfamiliar groups and to targeted aggression. xi,xii

How Prevalent Are Hate Crimes?

The FBI reported 7,145 hate crimes in 2017; xiii however, the majority of hate crimes are never reported, so these data underestimate the true pervasiveness. xiv

Reported hate crimes in 2017 were motivated by hostility based on race/ethnicity (58.1 percent), religion (22.0 percent), sexual orientation (15.9 percent), gender identity (.6 percent) and disability (1.6 percent). Hate crimes targeted Jewish, African-American and LGBT communities at high rates.

Psychological research has shown that prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination can have adverse effects on both the targets and the perpetrators.

-Antonio E. Puente, PhD, 2017 APA President

The American Psychological Association Condemns All Hate Crimes

APA supports the efforts of researchers, law enforcement, clinicians, teachers and policy-makers to reduce the prevalence of hate crimes and to alleviate their effects upon victims. xix We can address hate crimes through the following prevention and intervention policies and programs:

Support implementation of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and full funding for the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, Office for Victims of Crime and Community Relations Service.

Enact hate crime laws in states lacking legislation and strengthen laws in others, incorporating race, religion, ethnicity/national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.xx

Follow law-enforcement and community guidelines outlined by campaigns such as 'Building Stronger, Safer Communities' and 'Not in Our Town.'

Recent APA Actions and Resources

Related

The content I just read:

Is Helpful Is Not Helpful

Interpersonal Violence Prevention

APA takes a public health approach to violence prevention advocacy, using psychological research to inform policies and programs.

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A hate crime is a "criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity." i People victimized by violent hate crimes are more likely to experience more psychological distress than victims of other violent crimes.

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LGBT is an acronym connected with human sexuality.

It is a word which has been used since the 1990s, and was a change from the previous acronym LGB or the group of words gay community, because many people in the LGBT community did not think that the group of words accurately described everyone it was referring to.

It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant, LGBTQ, adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual or gender identity.

Those who add intersex people to LGBT groups may use the extended initialism LGBTI. These two initialisms are sometimes combined to form the terms LGBTIQ  or LGBT+ to encompass spectrums of sexuality and gender. Other common variants also exist, such as LGBTQIA+, with the A standing for " asexual".

The acronyms have become more normal to use now and have been taken up by most gender identity-related community centres in America, the English-speaking countries and in other countries where the acronym means something in their languages, such as France and Argentina.

Related pages

Images for kids

LGBT publications, pride parades, and related events, such as this stage at Bologna Pride 2008 in Italy, increasingly drop the LGBT initialism instead of regularly adding new letters, and dealing with issues of placement of those letters within the new title.

People gathering at the Senate Square, Helsinki, right before the 2011 Helsinki Pride parade started

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LGBT is an acronym connected with human sexuality. It is a word which has been used since the 1990s, and was a change from the previous acronym LGB or the group of words gay community, because many people in the LGBT community did not think that the group of words accurately described everyone it was referring to.

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Newsela | Justices rule LGBT people protected from job discrimination

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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protects LGBT workers from workplace discrimination

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Newsela | Biden picks first transgender person for Senate-confirmed post

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Men Don't volunteer as much as women - Why?

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Men Don't volunteer as much as women - Why?

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Though Olivia Bryant, the CEO of YCore, had observed the gender gap at other nonprofits, she was still surprised at the discrepancy. She knew women often dominated volunteer spaces, but 95%? The YCore team set to work to recruit men, and they have since increased the proportion of applications from men to about 25%.

So are women just the more altruistic sex? Or is this a reflection of other social realities, like fewer women choosing to be in the labour force, or working part-time? Our data analysis reveals that no matter how you cut it, women do seem to have a higher proclivity for volunteering. We explore why this might be.

25.3% of Americans choose to volunteer at least once a year, and nearly half of the individuals that volunteer do so an average of more than one hour per week. These numbers come from a September 2014 of Americans ages 15 and older conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Volunteering is defined as any unpaid work performed for an organization. It can include anything tutoring English at the local library, coaching your child's basketball team, or helping your church with a fundraiser.

Not all Americans are equally likely to volunteer. The probability that a given person will volunteer is impacted by their age, income, education level and, not least of all, by gender. In 2014, 28.4% of women volunteered at least once, while only 22.2% of men did so.

The following chart displays the percentage of Americans that volunteer at any given age. We can see from this chart that the likelihood of volunteering changes a great deal over our lives, but that women are always more inclined than men.

The likelihood of volunteering rises again in the late 30s and reaches its zenith in the early 40s. Over 30% of Americans between the ages of 40 and 45 volunteer. This is related to the increased likelihood of volunteering when having children. While having a baby actually makes you less likely to volunteer - only 17% of people whose first child is 2-years-old or less volunteer - when their child reaches school age, people become dramatically more likely to volunteer. Over 35% of parents with children between 6-13 volunteer, often for a school activity.

Though women volunteer more than men at all ages, the effect of having children does seem to be greater for women. We can see in the chart above that the gender difference is largest between 35 and 45, when 10% more women volunteer than men.

Parents frequently volunteer for their kids' school.

Yet even when we only compare men and women who work full-time, we still find a large gender gap in terms of who volunteers. 30.1% of women who work full-time also find the time to volunteer in comparison to just 23.8% of men.

Given the importance of income on the likelihood to volunteer, we wondered whether the gender gap might disappear at different levels of family earnings. These next three charts display the percentage of adult men and women working full-time who volunteer by family income and age.

We wondered if looking at what women and men actually do when they volunteer might give us some insight into the gender imbalance. The table below shows the proportion of men and women, of those who volunteer, who volunteer for different types of groups. Only the primary volunteer organization of the individual is included, so each individual is only counted once. For example, the main volunteer organization for 35.1% of women is a religious one, while this is only true of 33.2% of men.

Overall, looking at the groups that women volunteer for does not give us much of a clue to the discrepancy, but it does point to the gendered nature of certain types of volunteering.

So what accounts for the volunteer gap between the sexes?

Jesse Eubanks of the non-profit Love Thy Neighborhood blames the "suspended adolescence" of young American men today. He sees a large number of young men unwilling to embrace responsibility. "Man-boys" who are not ready to take on the risks and relationships of being in a community. The guys in probably were not doing much volunteer work.

Energize Inc. , a consultancy for nonprofits, published an entire dedicated to helping volunteer organizations recruit men. They suggest that one problem is that much of the recruiting material from organizations is oriented towards women. Men may feel like the organization is a female space when they only see female faces in brochures and other materials. Another challenge is that many organizations already have a preponderance of women, and any new men will feel that they don't belong. Being the first guy can be be uncomfortable.

When asked it was important to have men volunteer, Bryant responded that it was the same reason she wanted people of different races and economic backgrounds participating in her organization. "We want our group of volunteers as diverse as possible," Bryant explained. "Men can bring a different perspective."

By any way you slice it, when it comes to demonstrating altruism through volunteering, women are simply dominating men. Regardless of whether they work or not, how old they are, or how rich they are, women just volunteer more.

For our next post, we tell the story of Esurance's old mascot, who was discontinued after being made into cartoon porn. To get notified when we post it →

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Why Don't Men Volunteer as Much as Women? - Priceonomics

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We analyze the female dominance of volunteerism in America.

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Want to be an activist? Start with your toys - McKenna Pope

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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

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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...

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/ CBS News

She's an author, public speaker and one of Forbes' "30 under 30" this year - and she's not even in high school yet. After becoming frustrated that she wasn't reading any books in school featuring black main characters, then 10-year-old Marley Dias set out to collect books with characters who looked like her with the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign. She ended up with more than 10 times that many. Now 13 years old, she has become an author herself with "Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!" a tale she hopes will inspire others to become activists.

Dias joined "CBS This Morning" to discuss her new book, why she launched a campaign about racial harmony and where she gets her confidence.

"In the book I talk about it where I'm kind of a perfect mix of everything, and so is everybody else. If you like reading, you are allowed to like to dance and to like to sing and to like to act. Even though I wear glasses, I'm not just a mousy person who stays in my room - even though I do sometimes stay in my room and read," Dias said.

She says she was bothered by the social structures that pushed away from the "intersectionality of being a black person and a woman and a girl."

"They're not including all of us, but they are thinking that because you're black and because you're a woman we are trying to create a system that supports you, but they're not thinking about that point of intersection between the two where I'm a mix of both and that we need to include me in both of those realities and not just one or the other," Dias said.

For the 13-year-old, who says she has a diverse group of friends, it's about making an effort to check one another.

"We try to just be open with each other about whether or not we feel like someone made a joke that was not appropriate or we feel like we were saying something that was not an educated response to a question," Dias said.

She acknowledged that while it makes her sound "really, like, PC or whatever," it's never cut into their ability to have fun.

"So at the same time we try to keep it, you know, loose because not every conversation is going to have perfect knowledge with things that we say, but we want to always stay educated on the things that are happening in our community and the communities that surround us."

In terms of advice for aspiring activists, Dias hopes to remind others that helping even one person with your full energy is just as impactful as what she's achieved.

"I think the biggest thing is that success is not measured by whether or not you're on 'CBS This Morning' or whether or not you make the local news station-" Dias said when "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King interrupted and joked, "Wait a second, Marley. Take that back, Marley!"

"I mean that it's not measured by the things, the places that you go.... But by the actual people that you touch and the places you're servicing," she said.

With a long list of accomplishments and a natural grace unmatched by many adults, King asked her where she got such confidence.

"I think the biggest thing, where my passionate-ness comes from, is that I love reading and it is something that I really care about. It's not like I'm talking about football or basketball or dancing - things that I enjoy but are not necessarily my favorite things. I try to say with kids you always, even if you're in the middle about things that you like, pick the stuff that you know you can go on and go on and keep going and keep going. Because it's so much more important to continue with that because you'll feel so much more joy in the things that you do."

Trending News

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How 13-year-old Marley Dias is inspiring activism in others

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CBS News She's an author, public speaker and one of Forbes' "30 under 30" this year - and she's not even in high school yet. After becoming frustrated that she wasn't reading any books in school featuring black main characters, then 10-year-old Marley Dias set out to collect books with characters who looked like her with the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign.

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Marley Dias                        #1000BlackGirl Books

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Marley Dias                        #1000BlackGirl Books

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Marley Dias on Inspiring Activism, Diversifying Children's Literature, and Her Latest Reads

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Literacy Daily-the blog of the International Literacy Association (ILA)-features education stories, teaching tips, book reviews, and more.

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By entering your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Newshub and its affiliates may use your email address to provide updates/news, ads, and offers. To withdraw your consent or learn more about your rights, see the Privacy Policy .

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Teenagers get a lot of bad rap for being lazy, self-centred and making poor decisions.

Sure there are some teens like that, but there are also a lot of adults who could be described the same way.

And there are some young people who have done remarkable things before the age of 20, which many of us would be proud to have achieved in a lifetime.

These young people are seeing the problems in the world and doing something to change them.

They are inventing, campaigning and challenging what's around them to make a brighter future.

Here are six incredible people under 20 who have already helped change the world.

Malala Yousafzai, 18

You should of heard of Malala Yousafzai by now, but her remarkable story is worth telling again.

Born in Pakistan, Malala inherited her father's love of education. Like him, she became a campaigner against the Taliban's efforts to stop girls going to school.

In 2009, she started writing for the BBC Urdu service about her concerns in the area.

She began to get death threats as she received international recognition for her efforts to promote education in the region.

Malala was shot in the head on her way home from school by members of the Taliban in 2013.

She survived the attack, which received worldwide condemnation and sparked protests across Pakistan. In the aftermath, millions signed a right to education petition which led to Pakistan's first Right To Free and Compulsory Education Bill.

She became the youngest recipient of Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and still campaigns for girls' right to education around the world with the Malala Fund.

MORE : Malala Yousafzai becomes the youngest person ever to accept a Nobel Peace Prize

Easton LaChapelle, 17

Easton LaChappelle made his first robotic hand at the age of 14, using LEGO and fishing wire.

Later, he was further inspired when he met a seven-year-old girl at a science fair. She had a prosthetic hand that only opened and closed, but still cost $80,000 (around £52,000).

He made it his mission to help people like that little girl and decided to create a functional prosthetic limb that cost under $1,000 (around £650).

Using 3D printing technology he's already developed an affordable and functional prototype.

So impressive is his work in the field, that NASA asked him to work on their Robonaut team.

That's right, he's 17 and has already worked for NASA.

He's also a really nice guy because, instead of keeping the tech under wraps and making a load of money, he's shared it with the world so everyone can share, use and build on the design to help make it better.

You can find out more in his Ted Talk.

Jazz Jennings, 15

Jazz Jennings was assigned male at birth, but for as long as she can remember has known she was a girl.

With a supportive family behind her, Jazz has been able to live as the girl she always knew she was.

Which would be a wonderful story in itself, but Jazz has also been an active LGBT campaigner, talking about her experience as a trans child.

And she now has her own reality show, I am Jazz, detailing her life as a trans teen, giving hope and inspiring trans teens all over the world.

She also thinks outside her own experience and has set up the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation, which helps give emotional and financial support to transgender youth, many of whom are homeless.

MORE : This Tumblr post perfectly sums up why it should be easy to accept transgender people

Mary Grace Henry, 18

When Mary Grace Henry was just 12-years-old she decided to change the life of an underprivileged girl by funding her education.

She asked for a sewing machine for her birthday and taught herself how to make reversible headbands to sell at school.

Soon, she made enough to put one girl through education. But she didn't stop there.

Since then she has made thousands of hair accessories and has sent 66 girls in Kenya, Uganda, Paraguay and Haiti to school with her programme, Reverse The Course.

When she won a World of Children award, she said: 'Educating a girl can reverse the course of her life, change the course of a community...and a country.'

Yash Gupta, 19

When Yash Gupta broke his glasses one day in a Taekwondo class, he realised how much he relied them on.

With his glasses repaired, he read online that more than 12 million children do not have the corrective eyewear they need.

Having struggled for a short while without them, he couldn't comprehend how some kids went through their whole childhood without seeing properly.

He decided to help bring that number down and, at the age of just 14, he set up Sight Learning.

The organisation collects used glasses and donates them to children who need them.

They've now given more than $1 million worth of glasses to children around the world in Mexico, Honduras, Haiti, and India.

Anoyara Khatun, 18

Anoyara Khatun was forced to do domestic work when her father died, when she was just five-years-old.

At the age of 12 she was sold to a tout and trafficked to do domestic labour for other families.

But Anoyara's spirit was not broken and, after returning back to her home in West Bengal at 13-years-old, she campaigned against child labour and trafficking with a local organisation.

Her efforts have helped hundreds of trafficked children from the region return to their families.

She has also helped stop 35 cases of early marriage by negotiation and pressure on the local government.

Her remarkable work has now been internationally recognised and she has gone on to talk to the UN about the horrific circumstances children like her face every day.

MORE : 'World's most random good samaritan' leaves kind gift for fellow driver

MORE : These women bled onto their white trousers to campaign against tampon tax

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Six people under 20 who've already helped change the world

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There are some young people who have done remarkable things before the age of 20, which many of us would be proud to have achieved in a lifetime, here are six of them.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Last summer, while checking Twitter, Capres Willow, then 18, noticed a particularly jarring video on her feed. The video was of Philando Castile, a black man shot and killed by Minnesota police during a traffic stop while driving with his girlfriend and her four-year-old daughter. Capres, who lives in a suburb of London and is now 19, was outraged by the images she saw of Castile sitting there, bleeding to death in the driver's seat.

"I lost my mom when I was younger and I just remember thinking, 'there's a little girl in the backseat watching [her mother's boyfriend] being killed,'" Capres tells Teen Vogue. Not only was it jarring because she was watching a death happen over Twitter, but "then I'm watching [the] family witness the murder as well, and then nothing is going to happen about [it], like it's OK that this is happening," she adds. "That's what really got me riled up and frustrated me because it was just, like, why? What's going on with the world? I thought we had hope. I thought things were getting better."

At the time, the issue of police brutality was dominating the news cycle in America with not only the death of Philando Castile, but also of Alton Sterling, a black man who was fatally shot by Baton Rouge, Louisiana police. Shaken to the core after watching the video of Castile in particular, a fire lit within Capres, springing her to action. "I was like you know what, I'm tired of everybody just ranting. We need to show the world - and grab media attention - that we are in solidarity with the U.S. and what's going on over there," she says.

Capres took to Facebook to organize a Black Lives Matter protest in Central London that would commence at the Oxford Circus tube station on July 10, 2016. She posted a screenshot of the event page on Twitter, and people immediately began sharing it onto their own accounts. Eventually, it caught the attention of the BBC - they tweeted it out - as well as singer-songwriter, Kehlani, who posted it on her Instagram page.

When July 10th arrived, Capres was nervous having never planned a protest before at that point. On the day, she had simply set out on the London tube wishing for the best. "I [didn't] even have a megaphone," Capres admits. She had only expected a handful of people to show up - 30 at most, she recalls. To her surprise, far more showed up. "I walked out of Oxford Circus station and there's already like 60 people there and I'm like, oh my gosh, what do I do?" A novice protester, let alone organizer, Capres walked up to the police officers on the premise for guidance, to which they instructed her to address the crowd about the day's agenda. Standing on her tippy toes, she shouted into the crowd, "Hello everybody, thank you so much for coming. It's going to be an amazing day!" At that it was. As the day rolled on, a plethora of people joined in on the organized march, cheering and chanting slogans to spread the poignant message of Black Lives Matter. In the end, approximately 3,000 people attended, a feat that still stuns Capres.

In the days after the protest, Capres received a range of responses from the public, including messages from people who had put on events in their own communities after being inspired by her. While the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, she did receive some negativity from someone expressing their skepticism about her being an inexperienced teenager involved in a critical global movement, Capres recalls. Thankfully, she hasn't let those negative comments deter her, knowing all too well the importance of being civically engaged no matter your age.

Now a university student at Goldsmiths, University of London, studying sociology and anthropology, Capres is committed to expanding her knowledge and understanding of race relations and pressing humanitarian issues. Having organized a widely-attended protest as a teenager, Capres is a prime example of the immense power young people have in bringing to light the civil rights issues of our time.
Related:

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Meet the Teen Who Organized a Black Lives Matter Protest Attended By THOUSANDS of People

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Rising activist Capres Willow Turner talked to Teen Vogue about the surreal experience of organizing a #BlackLivesMatter protest in London when she was just 18-years-old.

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Sometimes students must teach their teachers.

Sameer Jha, a 16-year-old LGBT activist, has made it his mission to end anti-LGBT bullying in schools. He recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds to publish a teacher's guide to creating safer schools for LGBT students.

"Every teacher whose heart and mind we touch can in turn impact the lives of hundreds of students," Jha says, adding that most books about LGBT students are written from an adult perspective. "Slowly but surely, we can make a positive change to our school culture so that the most vulnerable youth are supported and protected."

A Congressional Award recipient, Jha has served as a youth ambassador and board member for LGBT organizations like the GSA Network and the Tyler Clementi Foundation. He was also the 2017 Youth Grand Marshal for the Oakland Pride Parade.

Jha has spent the past two years participating in conferences, workshops, and rallies across the country. "I speak on topics as diverse as trans rights, starting GSAs, overcoming hidden biases, exploring gender, and understanding intersectionality," he says. "Born to immigrant parents, I am especially passionate about removing the stigma around being queer within the South Asian community."

Jha also founded the Empathy Alliance, a non-profit that works with educators and student leaders to make schools safer for LGBT students.

"I was bullied throughout middle school because I was a gender nonconforming boy who loved princess toys, singing, and theatre," Jha explains. "After I came out during my freshman year in high school, my life turned around. I found love and acceptance, as well as a new purpose: to make sure others would not experience the same harassment I did."

Jha notes that, according to the GLSEN National School Climate Survey, 85.2% of LGBT students have experienced verbal harassment at school based on their sexual orientation or gender expression.

Jha's goal is to publish the book online, making it cost-effective for schools to download and print. Those who donate to his GoFundMe campaign can have a complimentary copy sent to a teacher of their choice.

@brandonvoss

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16-Year-Old LGBT Activist Publishing Anti-Bullying Teacher's Guide

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Sometimes students must teach their teachers. Sameer Jha, a 16-year-old LGBT activist, has made it his mission to end anti-LGBT bullying in schools. He recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds to publish a teacher's guide to creating safer schools for LGBT students.

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Robin Utrecht / Xinhua / Zuma Press

This Friday, the Nobel committee announces the 2013 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. As far as global opinion is concerned, the award is a 16-year-old Pakistani girl's to lose.

Long before she became a global symbol of children's education, Malala Yousufzai was one girl squirming under the thumb of the Pakistani Taliban, whose draconian interpretation of Islamic law saw girls' schools closed in her hometown of Mingora in early 2009. In a frank and witty blog published on the BBC Urdu website under a pseudonym, Malala, then 11-years-old, chafed at the new regulations that limited her freedom, stopped her from learning and kept her from seeing her friends. The pseudonym, of course, was meant to protect her identity, but it was not long before her private persona-the outspoken daughter of a prominent school administrator-meshed with her public one, and she took her demand that a girls' right to education be recognized across Pakistan to a national audience, appearing several times on TV talk shows and eventually in an international documentary. "I wanted to speak up for my rights," she told the BBC on Monday, when reminiscing about her early activism. "And also I didn't want my future to be just sitting in a room and be imprisoned in my four walls and just cooking and giving birth to children. I didn't want to see my life in that way."

Malala's adolescent campaign to educate her country's girls might have stuttered along with little more than a condescending pat on the head for years-after all, Pakistan, riven by insurgencies, beset by economic crisis and threatened by the advance of a fundamentalist uprising in the tribal areas along the Afghan border, was simply struggling to maintain status quo-but for the fact that the Taliban tried to keep her quiet. On Oct. 9, 2012, long after Malala's quest had faded from national headlines, a gunman bounded into her school bus one afternoon and shot her point blank in the face. That Malala survived, with her mind, her voice and her luminous smile still intact, is nothing short of miraculous. Whether that miracle is attributable to God, as Malala says, or to the doctors in Pakistan who performed the initial surgery to relieve swelling on the brain and the surgeons in Birmingham, England who followed up with reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation therapy, is immaterial compared to what she did next. She kept fighting.

Less than four months after the shooting, Malala appeared in a video announcing that she was taking her campaign for girl's education global through a new charity: "I want every girl, every child to be educated. And for that reason, we have organized Malala Fund." On March 19, 2013, she returned to school, this time in Birmingham. On July 12, her 16th birthday, she appeared before the United Nations at a specially-convened assembly of 1000 youth leaders to exhort nations to make education a priority. "Let us pick up our books and our pens. They are our most powerful weapons," she said in a voice ringing with strength and conviction. "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first."

( MORE: Malala's global celebrity not matched at home.)

By winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala would join a long list of recipients that have sought to achieve peace through human development, from Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank in 2006 to Médecins Sans Frontières in 1999. To Malala, peace and education are inextricable; without one, you can't have the other. "I hope that a day will come [when] the people of Pakistan will be free, they will have their rights, there will be peace and every girl and every boy will be going to school," she told the BBC. Peace, she suggested, starts with a conversation. "The best way to solve problems and to fight against war is through dialogue," she told the BBC, an exhortation that she hopes her Taliban attackers will follow as well. "They must do what they want through dialogue," she said. "Killing people, torturing people and flogging people ... it's totally against Islam. They are misusing the name of Islam."

A Pakistani Taliban spokesman quickly rejoined with a threat, telling AFP "We will target her again and attack whenever we have the chance." It's a threat that Malala easily shrugs off. "I don't know why, but hearing I was being targeted did not worry me," she wrote about earlier Taliban threats against her and her family in her recently-released autobiography, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. "It seemed to me that everyone knows they will die one day. So I should do whatever I want to do." In an appearance Tuesday on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, after he offered to adopt her, Malala recounted an early conversation she had with herself when she first heard of Taliban threats to her life, when she was 12. First, she said, she thought she would hit any Taliban attacker with her shoe-a comment that drew hearty chuckles. She added: "I said to myself, if you hit a Talib with your shoe, there will be no difference between you and the Talib. You must not treat others with that much cruelty and harshness. You must fight others, but through peace and through dialogue and through education." Then, she said to herself, "I will tell him how important education is and that I even want education for [his] children as well." Even Stewart choked up.

Little seems to have changed in the wake of the shooting. "I was spared for a reason - to use my life for helping people," she writes in her book. In the BBC interview, she reiterated her desire to return to Pakistan one day to become a politician. One that will make education compulsory for both boys and girls. If anything, she says, the Taliban attack only amplified her voice. "When I was shot they thought the people would be silenced, they thought that no one would talk," she told the BBC. "I think they might be repenting why they shot Malala."

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Malala Marches Toward the Nobel Peace Prize | TIME.com

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This Friday, the Nobel committee announces the 2013 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. As far as global opinion is concerned, the award is a 16-year-old Pakistani girl's to lose.

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One of Mary Grace Henry's favorite quotes is from Mother Teresa:

Not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love.

- Mother Teresa

Doing small things with great love epitomizes the work of Mary Grace, recipient of our 2014 Youth Award. That combined with an ability to achieve anything she puts her mind to.

"My advice is just to begin," Mary Grace told us. "When you see a need, act. Dream big, but start small, taking little steps."

When she was 12, Mary Grace became determined to change the life of an underprivileged girl by funding her education. She taught herself how to make reversible headbands with a plan to use 100% of the profits to send girls living in extreme poverty to school.

"I realized that the very best tool that would give someone a real chance was one she could use to pursue her own dreams: an education," Mary Grace said.

Undaunted by the fact that she knew nothing about sewing or running a business, Mary Grace got to work. She asked her parents for an early birthday present - a sewing machine, practiced sewing headbands for months, and eventually made enough to sell at her school's bookstore.

Pretty soon, Mary Grace had raised enough money to reach her goal. But she couldn't stop there: so many other girls still did not have access to education.

"The greatest obstacle to education faced by both girls and boys is poverty," Mary Grace said. "Girls, though, face a second hurdle that is far more difficult to address: their culture. In many countries throughout the world, girls are viewed as having not just lesser value than boys, but often devastatingly little or no value."

Today, Mary Grace is the Founder of Reverse The Course, a social business that has sold more than 11,000 hair accessories, through her website and through retail partners in seven states, to fund the education of girls in Kenya, Uganda, Paraguay and Haiti.

Read more below about why Mary Grace started Reverse The Course, and why she doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon:

1. What do you think is the number one obstacle preventing girls from getting an education?
The greatest obstacle to education faced by both girls and boys is poverty. Girls, though, face a second hurdle that is far more difficult to address: their culture. In many countries throughout the world, girls are viewed as having not just lesser value than boys, but often devastatingly little or no value.

This manifests itself in different ways depending on geography and, in many countries, religion. Girls are aborted because families do not want to pay a dowry; desperately poor families sell their daughters, dooming them to lives chained to a sewing machines 15 hours a day; in many regions, women and girls are used as "free labor;" in places where a woman's value is in the number of children she bears, girls as young as 11 and 12 are married. Families often believe it is better to invest in sons who will remain with them than in daughters who will join their husbands' families.

Though the patriarchal society dominant in so many countries perpetuates the discrimination against girls, the passage of laws mandating primary school education for girls has finally helped put a crack in these barriers.

2. What does it mean to you to win a World of Children?
It means that I am part of something bigger than my dream, part of an entire community that cares deeply about the fate of the most vulnerable: children.

World of Children's network will be a resource in ways I have yet to comprehend. This Award is a seal of approval that will allow us to become more financially stable, ensuring the Foundation's ability to expand and continue our mission to educate girls.

The World of Children Youth Award validates my work as being effective, empowering and life-changing in "reversing the course" of marginalized girls' lives. I am humbled and forever grateful that I've been chosen for this extraordinary honor.

3. Do you have any advice for any other young people who want to start programs for vulnerable children?
One of my favorite quotes is from Mother Teresa: "Not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love."

My advice is to just begin. When you see a need, act. Dream big, but start small, taking little steps. Set an initial goal and don't scare yourself thinking about the "what ifs." Each step taken will present both new opportunities and new challenges. Face each one as it comes and then keep going. All those little steps, done with love, will lead you to places impossible to imagine.

4. With all that you have accomplished, could you share one moment that has stuck with you?
Growing up, I was always talking about what I wanted to be. I spent a year wanting to be an artist, another a teacher, several years envisioning myself as an astronaut.

When I asked Barbara Lee Shaw, the Founder of the Maasai Girls Education Fund, to find out what our students wanted to be, I expected to hear similar answers.

A month later, Barbara called me to say that when the girls were asked to write me a little note answering my question, they sat looking at the discussion leader, Lucy, silently. When she repeated the request, one girl raised her hand and asked what did "to be" mean. As Lucy explained, one girl looked shocked and said she never thought she could be anything except what the village elders told her to be. Another girl began to cry as she thought about all the possibilities before her. That was when I fully comprehended my work was really accomplishing what I hoped: giving girls the chance to define their own dreams.
On November 6, Mary Grace will be honored in New York City with the 2014 World of Children Youth Award at our annual Awards Ceremony along with 5 other extraordinary changemakers for children. Learn more >>

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Interview with Mary Grace Henry, founder of Reverse The Course, World of Children

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One of Mary Grace Henry's favorite quotes is from Mother Teresa: Not all of us can do great things, but we can all do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa Doing small things with great love epitomizes the work of Mary Grace, recipient of our 2014 Youth Award.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Ruhy Patel, 17, lives in Doylestown, Pa. When she was 15 she was planning to run for student council office. "All the other people running were boys," she says, "and people were like, 'Well, you're not going to win.' You feel intimidated because you're the only girl in the room. It makes you question if you'd be OK in the field of politics."

Did she drop out? No.

Did she win? "I did!"

"I feel like it kind of makes you want to try harder when people say no," says Patel.

That could be the motto for the activists of Girl Up. There are nearly 5,000 teenage girls in 66 countries who volunteer for the U.N. Foundation group. They speak out and raise money so every girl can go to school - there are an estimated 62 million who don't - and can receive official government identification papers, can get proper health care and gain the skills to pursue her dreams.

This week, we met with 13 "teen advisers" from Girl Up. They were a few of the 225 members in Washington, D.C., for the annual leadership summit.

Unlike the 62 million out-of-school girls, these Girl Up girls are all in school. They're thinking about college; they lead comfortable lives. Sometimes their friends can't understand their activism. "They don't think we're able to make a difference," says Janet Ho, 18, who lives in Los Angeles. But that's not true, she says.

Kennede Reese, 18, from Denver, mentions a SchoolCycle fundraiser. The proceeds were used to send bikes to girls in Malawi: "Because even though they have the school supplies, there's no way to get to school to get the education they need. We think of the small things."

The girls we spoke with all live in the U.S., but some have roots in the countries they're trying to help. So they know firsthand what life can be like outside the American bubble.

"My family is from the most rural part of China," says Amy Gong Liu, 18, of Alameda, Calif. "My dad was chosen to go to school instead of my aunt. My aunt was very brilliant, very outspoken about women's issues." But she never learned to read and write.

"When [my dad] told her he was going to have a daughter - me - she said, 'Make sure you educate her, keep her in the loop at the dinner table, make sure she has a voice.' "

Liu pauses: "It's hard not to think, 'What if I was born in China and my aunt was born in America, and she had the opportunity [for] success and I didn't?' "

Does the unfairness of it all make the teen leaders feel guilty?

The unanimous reply: Yes, yes, yes!

Yet they've learned that even though girls in low-income countries face many obstacles, they have a sense of hope and gratitude.

Ishana Nigam, 17, from Charlotte, N.C., visits India every year or so. That's where her parents are from. The girls she meets have "a lack of education, poor health care," she says. "But they're not jealous of me. They always tell me, 'I'm thankful for what I have, thankful just to be breathing.' And that takes a toll on me because I have so many more things than they have."

Meanwhile, all the girls bond over pop culture.

"I tutor refugees in Chicago," says Celia Buckman, 16. "They're 10 to 12, from all over, Malaysia, Kenya, India, Iraq. And they like to listen to ' Shake It Off' by Taylor Swift. They come from all over the world, they practice different religions, speak different languages, but they can all sit down and watch Taylor Swift videos, and that's great!"

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Haters Gonna Hate. Teen Girl Activists Shake It Off And Try Again

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These Girl Up leaders know that it's hard being a girl anywhere in the world - whether you're fighting to go to school or convincing boys that yes, girls can run for student council, too!

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January 21st, 2017 was the day it all began. Over 400,000 citizens of all races, backgrounds, sexualities, and genders came together to march their rights. The streets of Washington D.C. were packed with vivacious citizens for the first ever "Women's March."

This event turned out to be the largest single-day protest in United States history. Since then, cities all over the country have joined in the march. Millions of daughters, mothers, sisters, and friends have been brought together to fight for their rights. The first rally was aimed towards President Trump and his standings but as of today, women and company all over the country have begun to fight for so much more.

One year later, the Women's Marches around the country have not lost their spark. They have gained popularity and spirit. Citizens gathered around their city to march and project what they are fighting for. And they were not just women. Men came out in support of injustices, as did children who wish for a better world.

This year, some were marching for immigration laws and DACA as well as policies regarding human rights. People made a stand for truth, equality, kindness, and justice. Chants were created and slogans were read all standing for freedom of religion, healthcare reform, and LGBTQ rights. People had colorful posters and clever T-shirts supporting survivors of sexual abuse; this being a larger problem today than it was a year ago.

Women were reported saying that the reason they marched was so their granddaughters could have the same rights as their grandsons. Every head in the seas of the marches was marching for themselves and their fellow United States citizens because enough is enough. What will you march for?

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January 21st, 2017 was the day it all began. Over 400,000 citizens of all races, backgrounds, sexualities, and genders came together to march their rights. The streets of Washington D.C. were packed with vivacious citizens for the first ever "Women's March." This event turned out to be the largest single-day protest in United States history.

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The mist starts to fade as President Grover Cleveland takes the stage on Liberty Island, New York. It's October 28, 1886, and he's dedicating the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France representing freedom and democracy. But suddenly, women's rights leader Lillie Devereux Blake and 200 other women sail by on a boat. They're holding a sign that reads, "American women have no liberty."

At that time, women in the United States didn't have many rights, and it had been that way ever since the first settlers arrived. Women weren't encouraged to go to college (few colleges for women existed anyway) and instead were expected to marry and care for their children, husbands, and households. Once they did marry, they were entirely dependent on their husbands. Women couldn't own property, and they had to give any money they made over to their husbands. They also weren't allowed to vote.

By the mid-1800s, women started to fight back, demanding suffrage, or the right to vote. These women were called suffragists.

The movement begins

In 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the first convention regarding women's rights in the United States. Called the Seneca Falls Convention, the event in Seneca Falls, New York, drew over 300 people, mostly women. They wanted to be treated as individuals, not dependents of men. They wanted more employment and education opportunities. They wanted the option to run for office, speak in front of Congress, and vote.

On the second day, the attendees signed the Declaration of Sentiments and Grievances. Stanton modeled the document after the Declaration of Independence, which mentions only men. She wrote that men and women should be created equal and have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A hundred people signed the declaration, which included 12 resolutions that supported women's rights. These resolutions, including the right to vote, would be the guiding principles for the women's suffrage movement.

The Seneca Falls Convention was attended mostly by white women, even though northern states like New York had outlawed enslavement. But in 1851, Black women, such as Sojourner Truth, a former enslaved person who became a women's and civil rights advocate, attended the Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

When white men tried to take over the meeting, Truth got angry. She stood up and made up a speech on the spot. Called "Ain't I A Woman," her speech argued that because she did the same things as men when she was enslaved, she should also have the same rights as men. It was one of the first speeches to address both gender and racial discrimination and is remembered as one of the greatest speeches of the women's rights era.

Small steps

Many suffragists were also abolitionists, people who wanted to end slavery. President Abraham Lincoln freed enslaved people with the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862, and in 1869 the 15th Amendment gave Black men the right to vote. Although happy that slavery had been abolished and that African American men could vote, some suffragists were angry that women were not included in the amendment.

In response, Stanton and fellow suffragist Susan B. Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association. The next year, the group of about 90 women sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives urging that women be included in the amendment and that they be able to speak in front of Congress to argue their points. Congress refused.

Lucy Stone and her husband, Henry Brown Blackwell, had a different idea about how to gain suffrage for women. They founded the American Woman Suffrage Association to support the 15th Amendment for Black men's vote, figuring that the amendment wouldn't pass if women were included. Instead of going to the federal government like Anthony and Stanton did, the group traveled the country asking each state government to change its constitution. The hope was that if enough states allowed women to vote in local elections, the federal government would have to make changes as well.

Even though the suffrage movement was starting to gain support all over the country, Black women faced other challenges. Many white people during this time did not believe the two races should be treated equally, and many men did not think women should be treated equally to them. Therefore, Black women were fighting for both racial and gender equality, and often didn't have a voice.

But that didn't stop Black suffragists. For instance, Charlotte "Lottie" Rollin, the daughter of mixed-race parents, led the South Carolina chapter of the American Woman Suffrage Association. In 1869, she spoke in front of the South Carolina House of Representatives about voting rights for everyone, and in 1871, she wrote an article for the suffrage group's newspaper that read:

"We ask suffrage not as a favor, not as a privilege, but as a right based on the grounds that we are human beings and as such entitled to all human rights."

Stronger together

In 1890 the two suffrage groups merged to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association. They would work together to win over the states.

But Black women weren't always included. The national organization didn't exclude them, but local groups could choose to segregate, or separate by race, their groups. Often, Black women were left out of conventions and had to march separately in parades.

So they started their own groups. In 1892, Helen Appo Cook founded the National League of Colored Women. In 1893, Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin established the Women's Era Club to address issues affecting the Black community; in 1895, she and her daughter, Florida Ridley, organized the first National Conference of Colored Women. At that gathering, leaders established the National Federation of Afro-American Women.

In 1896, all three organizations for Black women merged into the National Association for Colored Women with the motto "Lifting As We Climb." Under the leadership of Mary Church Terrell, the group had similar goals as the mostly white suffrage organization. But they also supported voting rights for Black men, who, despite the 15th Amendment, still faced challenges.

Not-so-peaceful protests

The movement for women's suffrage wasn't always peaceful. In the early 1900s, women started using methods that they thought would bring more attention to the cause, and they were often punished for expressing their opinions.

For instance, throughout 1917, 218 women from 26 different states were arrested for picketing outside the White House in Washington, D.C. One of them was suffragist Alice Paul, who led a thousand women in the silent protest starting in January that year. She and her fellow protesters were yelled at and struck by people who were against suffrage. Police arrested Paul and others for "obstructing traffic on the sidewalks." In jail, they were served worm-infested food and slept on dirty beds, and Paul even went on a hunger strike until doctors forced her to eat.

Many other women were treated the same way for fighting for equal rights. But it was worth it to them to keep the movement on people's minds.

Votes for women

On April 6, 1917, the United States entered World War I. Many men went to Europe to fight, and many women volunteered there as nurses. Women also filled jobs in the states that had been held by the men now overseas. Realizing how important women were, President Woodrow Wilson changed his mind about the suffrage movement and started supporting women's right to vote.

The president proposed the 19th Amendment to Congress in 1918; it would require three-quarters of the states to ratify the amendment. (At the time, the United States had 48 states.) Thanks to years of work by the National American Woman Suffrage Association and the National Association for Colored Women, many states-such as New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan-had already adopted women's suffrage and were early to ratify the amendment. In 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final state to support the cause. The 19th Amendment was officially ratified, and women in the United States finally had the right to vote.

The movement continues

The work of suffragists in the 1800s and 1900s lives on.

In 1935, Mary McLeod Bethune, the daughter of former enslaved people, founded the National Council of Negro Women to advocate for more equal opportunities for Black women in housing, education, employment, and healthcare. The organization still exists today.

In 1972, thanks to the ongoing strong voices from women, Congress passed Title IX, a law that makes it illegal for schools to discriminate based on gender. In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor became the first female Supreme Court justice; in 2007, Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker of the House. Today, women around the world continue to be inspired by role models of the past as they push for equal pay and equal political representation.

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The mist starts to fade as President Grover Cleveland takes the stage on Liberty Island, New York. It's October 28, 1886, and he's dedicating the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France representing freedom and democracy. But suddenly, women's rights leader Lillie Devereux Blake and 200 other women sail by on a boat.

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What is the Black Lives Matter movement? 

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What is the Black Lives Matter movement? 

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Note: This article is kid-friendly, but like any article dealing with difficult subjects it should be read with a trusted adult who can answer any questions that may arise.

In the United States and many other countries around the world, people are protesting against the mistreatment of Black people, especially by (mostly white) police officers, whose job is to serve and protect them.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the US and around the world are going into the streets holding signs and marching to raise awareness of the problems faced by people in the Black community.

For many decades, Black people have been treated unfairly compared with people of European descent and others. Often they have not been given the same advantages-for instance, not hired for jobs or unfairly harassed.

Time and again, Black people have protested this unfair treatment. While there have been some improved changes and accountability in policing, there continue to be many challenges.

Then on May 25, a Black man named George Floyd was killed by police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They were arresting him for a relatively minor alleged offense. He did not deserve the treatment he got and he did not deserve to die.

Because it was caught on video, everyone around the world saw the brutally unfair treatment of Floyd at the hands of the police.

The four police officers who killed George Floyd were fired from their jobs and have been charged with murder (in one case) or aiding and abetting murder or manslaughter (in three cases).

After Floyd's death, as well as other recent racist incidents (in the US and other countries including Canada) many protests took place. Hundreds of thousands of people in many countries have marched to raise awareness about racism against Black people and the need to find a solution.

Many protesters use the slogan "Black Lives Matter." (A slogan is a phrase or, in this case, a hashtag when it is used on social media: #BlackLivesMatter.)

Many of the protests in the United States and around the world have been peaceful. Some of the protests, especially in the US, became violent.

Many peaceful protests have been held before. In 2017, American football player Colin Kaepernick and others began "taking a knee" during the American national anthem. That meant they knelt down before their football games. They did it to protest Black people being treated unfairly by police. It was a peaceful way to protest a very important issue.

However, Kaepernick and others who "took a knee" faced enormous opposition to this peaceful action, including from Donald Trump, the president of the United States, as well as many of the owners of the football teams. (Those owners this week admitted they had been wrong.)

Often, there are many sides to complex issues. However, there is never "another side" to racism. Racism-judging someone by the colour of their skin-is always wrong.

On the weekend, Minneapolis' city council (the politicians who run the city where George Floyd was killed) said their police force needs to be dismantled (taken apart). They want a new system of law enforcement and new laws to better protect Black people.

Some cities are having discussions about defunding (taking money from the budget of) police forces, and using that money to create a better system of policing that is more fair for everyone.

On Saturday, however, Minneapolis' mayor, Jacob Frey, said he is opposed to abolishing (ending) the police force completely. People around the world are following this situation carefully to see what will be done.

The protests are continuing and people are discussing what can be done to make things better for Black people. Many people of all races are listening to what Black people have to say, so they can better understand and support them.
Thank you to Nadine Chevolleau and Natasha Henry for their invaluable assistance in developing this article. Image by Patrick Behna from Pixabay. THINK AND DISCUSS
1) This has been a traumatic time for Black people. Non-Black people have become more concerned and are troubled by what they are learning about the experiences that Black people have with the police. In your opinion, what are some things that need to happen now? How should they happen (for instance, " who should do what?")?

2) Some racist people are posting bad comments on articles about the Black Lives Matter movement. How do you think social media platforms, like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, should handle racist comments?

3) What does "black lives matter" mean to you?
LINKS
"115 Ways to Donate in Support of Black Lives and Communities of Color": https://nymag.com/strategist/article/where-to-donate-for-black-lives-matter.html

Teen Vogue's list of excellent books by Black authors: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/books-by-black-authors-2020

"19 Organizations Supporting Black Canadians to Donate to (Help fight anti-Black racism in Canada)": https://www.ellecanada.com/culture/society/9-organizations-supporting-black-canadians-to-donate-to

Canada's National Observer (an investigative journalism organization) posted this excellent interview with activist Sandy Hudson, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto. (Her explanation of the defunding of police forces is at 10:36.) https://www.nationalobserver.com/2020/06/04/video/sandy-hudson-black-lives-matter-canada-and-defunding-police

Toronto Star column by Tiffany Gooch, "The time for slow and steady action to tackle anti-Black racism is over": https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/06/07/the-time-for-slow-and-steady-action-to-tackle-anti-black-racism-is-over.html

Take a look at We Rise Together, an action plan by the Peel District School Board to identify, understand, minimize and eliminate the maginalization experienced by Black students in Peel board schools: http://www.werisetogether.ca/

In 2017, Teaching Kids News wrote this article about Colin Kaepernick and the "take-a-knee" movement:

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Note: This article is kid-friendly, but like any article dealing with difficult subjects it should be read with a trusted adult who can answer any questions that may arise. In the United States and many other countries around the world, people are protesting against the mistreatment of Black people, especially by (mostly white) police officers, whose job is to serve and protect them.

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George Floyd - Why Are People Protesting? 

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George Floyd - Why Are People Protesting? 

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Protests continue across the US and elsewhere around the world over police treatment of black people.

The protests, some peaceful and some violent, began after a black man named George Floyd died after a police officer held him down in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US on Monday, May 25.

On Tuesday, June 1, people marched through Sydney and Perth and protests are planned for other Australian cities.

Kids News explains how the protests began and why so many people are protesting around the world.

If you find this article upsetting, talk about what is upsetting you with an adult you trust or visit or call KidsHelpline at kidshelpline.com.au or 1800 55 1800 at any time for any reason.

GEORGE FLOYD
George Floyd, an unarmed* 46-year-old black man, was arrested after shopping at a store in Minneapolis. The shopkeeper had called police because he suspected the $20 note Mr Floyd used to pay with was fake.

According to witness accounts, video and official statements, police arrested Mr Floyd and then there was a struggle. Mr Floyd died after a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee on Mr Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes. There were three other police officers nearby.

All four of the police officers involved were fired the next day but it wasn't until Friday, four days after the event, that Mr Chauvin was arrested for killing Mr Floyd.

THE PROTESTS
Many people saw video taken by several bystanders of the minutes after Mr Floyd's arrest after these were posted on the internet.

People in Minneapolis began protesting the day after Mr Floyd died about unfair and violent police treatment of people who aren't white. Soon protests began in other US cities.

Most protests started peacefully, with people marching, holding banners and chanting George Floyd's name or other things such as "No justice, no peace" and "Defund* the police".

At times the protests have been violent. Buildings and cars have been burned, windows smashed and historical monuments commemorating* white people have been vandalised. Some people have been looting - stealing - from shops during the protests.

Hundreds of people have been arrested while taking part in the protests in the US.

In many places, police have been using sprays called tear gas and pepper spray (both of which cause pain) and firing rubber bullets to try to control the crowds or end the protests. Sometimes police officers have been filmed using more force than necessary. Many protesters and police officers have been injured. News reporters have been injured by police and arrested.

Several states have called in the National Guard - reserve teams of US Army soldiers - to help control the crowds. Some cities have also set night curfews*, which ban people from going outside while the curfew is in place.

There have been several reports of police officers and National Guard members on duty at the protests kneeling down with protesters to show solidarity*, which means they agree with the protesters and also want change.

There are still many active cases of COVID-19 in the US and there are concerns that so many people crowding together will cause an increase in infection.

RACIAL INJUSTICE
The US, like many countries, has a history of treating people who aren't white unfairly.

Under US law, everyone has equal rights. In real life, people often have different experiences based on the colour of their skin.

Police are more likely to question or arrest a person of colour, especially black men. In recent times, there have been many other cases of police violence towards black people for little or no reason, sometimes leading to protests.

PROTESTS IN AUSTRALIA
Tuesday's protests in Sydney and Perth were peaceful marches. Protesters carried banners with messages such as "Black Lives Matter" and Aboriginal flags. They were showing solidarity with protesters in the US, but also protesting about similar treatment of Aboriginal people in Australia.

At the Perth protest, Aboriginal elders told the crowd they, too, knew of deaths under police watch. The names of indigenous people who have died in custody* were read out during the protest.
KidsHelpline is at kidshelpline.com.au or call 1800 55 1800 GLOSSARY

unarmed: not carrying any kind of weapon

defund: stop paying for

commemorating: remembering and celebrating achievement

curfews: bans on going out, usually at night

solidarity: standing together with someone to show you agree with them and support them

custody: imprisonment

EXTRA READING
Student's anthem protest
Olympians top honour for black power stance One girl starts global environment protest Footballers say no to racism QUICK QUIZ

1. Which US state is the city of Minneapolis in?

2. Why did the protests start?

3. Why are some police kneeling at protests?

4. Why are some people wearing face masks in the photos?

5. What flag did people carry at Australian protests? Why?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY
CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Your opinion
Write a paragraph or more expressing your opinion about what has happened and is happening. Give clear reasons for your opinions. Here are some questions that could help guide you:

What does the death of George Floyd under these circumstances make you think or feel?

Have you experienced or witnessed racism? How did it affect you or others?

Do you think that the protests are justified?

Do you think that burning cars and houses, vandalising property and looting are justified or helpful?

What ideas do you have to help solve the problem of unfair treatment of non-white people by the police and in general?

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Ethical Understanding

2. Extension
Peaceful protests are a useful way for the community to voice their opinions. Design a banner that you could carry if you were to attend a protest about this or another cause that is important to you. Your banner may contain words and/or an image but the message should be simple and clear.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; HASS (Civics and Citizenship)

VCOP ACTIVITY
Connective Collection
After reading the article, with a partner, highlight as many connectives as you can find in pink. Discuss if these are being used as conjunctions, or to join ideas and create flow.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Describe your thoughts and feelings about the protests.
No one-word answers. Use full sentences to explain your thinking. No comments will be published until approved by editors.

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Why are there big protests around the world?

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Protests continue across the US and elsewhere around the world over police treatment of black people. The protests, some peaceful and some violent, began after a black man named George Floyd died after a police officer held him down in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US on Monday, May 25.

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A high school wrestler was forced to cut his hair or forfeit a wrestling match in New Jersey.

A 6-year-old boy in Florida was turned away from a private Christian academy on his first day of school because his hair extended below his ears.

And a New Orleans-area girl was sent home at the start of the school year from a Catholic school for wearing braids.

All three of the children are black. All wore natural, chemical-free hairstyles. All three incidents were caught on video, drawing widespread attention and condemnation.

These are just a few instances of what civil rights advocates say is a growing problem of discrimination against African-Americans - adults at work as well as children at school - due to their hair.

Rules on hair at work and school are not new, but more black people are coming up against them now than in the past due to the popularity of leaving hair natural, said Ama Karikari-Yawson, a lawyer and diversity trainer on Long Island, New York.

"In the past, the regulations existed, but African-Americans often conformed through haircuts, wigs and relaxers," Karikari-Yawson said. "Now, more of us are choosing not to conform, and so the conflicts are coming to light."

Natural hair is intimately associated with racial identity for African-Americans, she said.

The natural hair movement, which encourages black people to wear their hair in its normal, coiled, coarse or curly state, started when more people began shunning chemical relaxers and embracing their Afro-textured hair for health and cosmetic reasons.

Recent studies have linked the ingredients in relaxers, which chemically straighten hair, to uterine fibroids, cancer, and other illnesses. Mintel, a market research firm, estimates that retail sales of at-home relaxers declined 22.7 percent from 2016 to 2018.

Natural hairstyles, such as braids and dreadlocks, are also appealing because they can require minimal upkeep, although dreadlocks are often started on short hair and must be regularly maintained.

Moreover, celebrities such as Viola Davis, Lupita Nyong'o, Ava DuVernay, and rising political star Stacey Abrams have sported natural hairstyles, inspiring other black people to wear cornrows or braids, dreadlocks and twists, Karikari-Yawson said.

The growing prevalence of natural hairstyles among blacks does not always mean growing acceptance.

The New York City Commission on Human Rights recognized a problem of discrimination based on hair or hairstyle with new guidance this week that classifies such restrictions in workplaces, schools and public places as racial discrimination. The guidelines point specifically to the rights of people to maintain their "natural hair, treated or untreated hairstyles such as locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, fades, Afros, and/or the right to keep hair in an uncut or untrimmed state."

Schools around the country, with their widely varying rules on appearance and dress, can sometimes be particularly rigid about hair.

"In recent years, there has been a troubling uptick of stories surrounding children being targeted for natural hair textures and styles prohibited in school dress codes," said Patricia Okonta, a legal fellow at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

That can cause students to lose out educationally, if they are suspended or forced to transfer to another school because of hair policies, she said.

"Students are having educational opportunities disrupted for simply being themselves," Okonta said. "For embracing their blackness."

Clinton Stanley Jr. wore his excitement on the first day of school.

Dressed in navy pants, a button-down shirt and tie - the uniform for his new school - his pride showed in a video of the occasion filmed by his dad in August 2018.

But the excitement turned to hurt when the school, A Book's Christian Academy in Apopka, Florida, north of Orlando, turned him away, saying his hairstyle - dreadlocks - was not allowed.

"My son just got told he cannot attend this school with his hair," his father, Clinton Stanley Sr., said in the video. "If that's not bias, I don't know what is."

Dreadlocks hang like individual braids and are sectioned, twisted and often in rope-like pieces.

The incident prompted the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the national American Civil Liberties Union and its Florida chapter to file an administrative complaint with the Florida Department of Education.

The complaint argues that because the tiny private school - which has 33 students - receives public funding in the form of state school-choice scholarships for students, its policy on hairstyles violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

"The contributions are voluntary from Florida residents," Okonta said of the state scholarship program. "However, the creation, designation, and management of the scholarship program is governed by Florida law, which is cited in the complaint."

The state Education Department responded by opening an inquiry into the incident that is ongoing.

Sue Book, the school's administrator, told NBC News in a recent phone interview that the academy's hairstyle rules have been in place since she founded the school in 1971 and that the regulations are similar to those at nearby private schools.

Boys are prohibited from wearing "dreads" and required to keep their hair in a "tapered cut, off the collar and ears," the school's handbook says.

Book says the policy has nothing to do with racial bias, pointing out that the student body is 95 percent black. She also maintains that because the state scholarships are funded through donations, she can set rules as she sees fit.

"If they're going to tell me that I have to have standards I don't want, then I will close tomorrow," Book said. "I like standards and rules. I don't intend to change the standards at all."

Stanley, the father of the boy who was not allowed to attend the school, said he was unaware of the policy on hair when he enrolled his son through Florida's Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

"It's not right for a school to take taxpayer dollars while singling out and shaming black natural hair," Stanley said.

A video of Andrew Johnson, a black varsity high school wrestler in New Jersey, having to get his dreadlocks cut right before an after-school match, has been viewed more than 15.3 million times.

The state's Civil Rights Division and its interscholastic athletic association started separate investigations into the incident that occurred in December 2018, when a white referee ruled that Andrew, a student at Buena Regional High School in Atlantic County, either had to cut his dreads or forfeit the match.

The Johnson family's lawyer, Dominic Speziali, told NBC News this week that some good has come from a painful situation.

"One thing that's so important here in this case is that there was a very visceral video here," Speziali said. "You could see Andrew. You could see what it did to him. You could see his teammates coming up to him."

That forced haircut brought attention to the indignities faced by some children for nothing more than a natural hairstyle, Speziali said. He believes the incident may also have contributed to the new guidelines in New York City against discrimination based on hair.

"I think people are aware now of the improprieties of the event that took place that night," Speziali said.

Faith Fennedy was 11 and in sixth grade when she was asked to leave class at a Catholic school outside of New Orleans in August 2018 because administrators said her braided hair extensions violated school rules. A video that went viral captured her crying as she packed up her belongings.

A day later, the school asked another student, Tyrielle Davis, to leave class for the same reason.

Faith's mother, Montrelle Fennidy, and Tyrielle's mother, Toyonita Parquet, sued the Christ the King Parish School in Terrytown, Louisiana, its principal and the Archdiocese of New Orleans, claiming that the ban on hair extensions unfairly and disproportionately affected black students.

A state judge in August 2018 blocked the school from enforcing its policy forbidding hair extensions, and in September 2018, the mothers dropped their lawsuit, according to court documents.

Some social justice advocates are hopeful that New York City's new guidelines will help to shift the tide and raise awareness of the unfairness of policies banning natural hairstyles.

"Hopefully this will serve as a guidance in Florida and other jurisdictions to protect the rights of those harmed by these practices and ensure that anti-black biases have no place in our society," Okonta said.

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As more blacks wear natural hairstyles, some children run up against rules

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A high school wrestler was forced to cut his hair or forfeit a wrestling match in New Jersey. A 6-year-old boy in Florida was turned away from a private Christian academy on his first day of school because his hair extended below his ears.

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Last summer, while checking Twitter, Capres Willow, then 18, noticed a particularly jarring video on her feed. The video was of Philando Castile, a black man shot and killed by Minnesota police during a traffic stop while driving with his girlfriend and her four-year-old daughter. Capres, who lives in a suburb of London and is now 19, was outraged by the images she saw of Castile sitting there, bleeding to death in the driver's seat.

"I lost my mom when I was younger and I just remember thinking, 'there's a little girl in the backseat watching [her mother's boyfriend] being killed,'" Capres tells Teen Vogue. Not only was it jarring because she was watching a death happen over Twitter, but "then I'm watching [the] family witness the murder as well, and then nothing is going to happen about [it], like it's OK that this is happening," she adds. "That's what really got me riled up and frustrated me because it was just, like, why? What's going on with the world? I thought we had hope. I thought things were getting better."

At the time, the issue of police brutality was dominating the news cycle in America with not only the death of Philando Castile, but also of Alton Sterling, a black man who was fatally shot by Baton Rouge, Louisiana police. Shaken to the core after watching the video of Castile in particular, a fire lit within Capres, springing her to action. "I was like you know what, I'm tired of everybody just ranting. We need to show the world - and grab media attention - that we are in solidarity with the U.S. and what's going on over there," she says.

Capres took to Facebook to organize a Black Lives Matter protest in Central London that would commence at the Oxford Circus tube station on July 10, 2016. She posted a screenshot of the event page on Twitter, and people immediately began sharing it onto their own accounts. Eventually, it caught the attention of the BBC - they tweeted it out - as well as singer-songwriter, Kehlani, who posted it on her Instagram page.

When July 10th arrived, Capres was nervous having never planned a protest before at that point. On the day, she had simply set out on the London tube wishing for the best. "I [didn't] even have a megaphone," Capres admits. She had only expected a handful of people to show up - 30 at most, she recalls. To her surprise, far more showed up. "I walked out of Oxford Circus station and there's already like 60 people there and I'm like, oh my gosh, what do I do?" A novice protester, let alone organizer, Capres walked up to the police officers on the premise for guidance, to which they instructed her to address the crowd about the day's agenda. Standing on her tippy toes, she shouted into the crowd, "Hello everybody, thank you so much for coming. It's going to be an amazing day!" At that it was. As the day rolled on, a plethora of people joined in on the organized march, cheering and chanting slogans to spread the poignant message of Black Lives Matter. In the end, approximately 3,000 people attended, a feat that still stuns Capres.

In the days after the protest, Capres received a range of responses from the public, including messages from people who had put on events in their own communities after being inspired by her. While the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, she did receive some negativity from someone expressing their skepticism about her being an inexperienced teenager involved in a critical global movement, Capres recalls. Thankfully, she hasn't let those negative comments deter her, knowing all too well the importance of being civically engaged no matter your age.

Now a university student at Goldsmiths, University of London, studying sociology and anthropology, Capres is committed to expanding her knowledge and understanding of race relations and pressing humanitarian issues. Having organized a widely-attended protest as a teenager, Capres is a prime example of the immense power young people have in bringing to light the civil rights issues of our time.
Related:

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Meet the Teen Who Organized a Black Lives Matter Protest Attended By THOUSANDS of People

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Rising activist Capres Willow Turner talked to Teen Vogue about the surreal experience of organizing a #BlackLivesMatter protest in London when she was just 18-years-old.

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There are more refugees in the world than ever before. About 26.4 million people have fled their countries because of conflict, violence, persecution, or human rights violations.

Many more people than that - 82.4 million - have been forcibly displaced from their homes, according to U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR). That number has doubled in the last decade. The previous spike in displacement occurred after World War II when 60 million people were left homeless.

Today's displaced include 4.1 million people who are seeking asylum - refugee status - and 48 million people who are displaced within their own countries because of violence, instability, or natural disasters. And despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, 11.2 million people were newly displaced in 2020.

Each year, the United Nations and people around the world recognize the plight of refugees on June 20, World Refugee Day.

Bring hope to refugee children.

FAQs: What you need to know about refugees

Explore frequently asked questions about refugee crises and learn how you can help.

Fast facts: Refugees

82.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes, more than ever before. That means one in 95 people, over 1% of the world's population, is displaced.

More than two-thirds of refugees and displaced Venezuelans, who are not all registered as refugees, fled from these five countries: Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar.

Developing countries host about 86% of the world's refugees.

At least 48 million people are displaced within their own country, while 4.1 million are asylum-seekers.

42% of all forcibly displaced people are children under 18.

Almost 1 million children were born as refugees between 2018 and 2020.

More than half of all refugee children aren't in school, and accessing learning becomes harder as they get older.

BACK TO QUESTIONS
What is the definition of a refugee?

Refugees are people who have been forced to flee their home country because of war, persecution, or violence. They must establish a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social or ethnic group. The 1951 Refugee Convention outlines refugees' rights, including the right to non-refoulement - not to be returned to a country where they may be persecuted. Refugees are civilians, but former soldiers may apply. People who have been convicted of war crimes or crimes against humanity are specifically excluded from refugee protection.
BACK TO QUESTIONS
How are refugees different from migrants, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced people?

Refugees flee their country because of credible threats of persecution and because they're not protected by their own country. In contrast, migrants may leave their country for any reason, such as employment, family reunification, or education. A migrant is under the protection of his or her own government, even when abroad, and may return to their country of origin. While refugees are protected by international laws, migrants are subject to the particular laws of the country they move to.

Asylum-seekers are people who've applied for protection - refugee status - on arrival in a country besides their own.

Internally displaced people (IDPs) are displaced by conflict, violence, or natural disasters within their own country.
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What are the biggest refugee crises in the world?

The Syrian civil war has led to the largest refugee crisis in modern times, with 6.7 million refugees at the end of 2020. The number of people fleeing violence in Central America has increased tenfold in the past five years. And the economic collapse of Venezuela has fueled massive displacement, including 5.4 million refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers.

Conflicts in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have caused millions of people to flee in the past few years. Refugee displacements from Afghanistan and Somalia date back decades, and the humanitarian needs continue.

Read more about the world's top refugee crises.
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What rights and obligations do refugees have under international law?

Refugees have the right to safe asylum and not to be returned to possible persecution in their country of origin . According to the 1951 Refugee Convention, t hey are entitled to the basic rights belonging to any other foreigne r in the host country, especially the right to practice their religion, pursue education, and to move about freely. They are required to follow and respect the laws of the country that accepts them.

Sometimes an influx of refugees is sudden and immense. Refugee camps are set up to provide temporary shelter and safety for them. These are places where aid groups can deliver food, water, and other services. As time goes on, they sometimes become thriving communities.
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How are children affected by refugee crises?

About 42% of displaced persons are children younger than 18. In comparison, children make up 30% of the world's population.

They're particularly vulnerable during refugee crises. Many have undergone devastating experiences and lost everything familiar to them, including family members and friends.

Child refugees from protracted crises, such as the Syrian civil war, may spend all their childhood years in exile from their home country, some for the rest of their lives, according to the U.N. And many more, nearly 1 million children between 2018 and 2020, were born as refugees.
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How can I help refugees?

Pray   for mothers, fathers, and children who struggle to survive as refugees .

Give   to World Vision's Refugee Children's Crisis Fund to help provide for their needs.
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How does World Vision work in refugee contexts?

In its humanitarian work, World Vision coordinates activities with national governments and other aid organizations to achieve the best outcomes for people affected by crises. Because we have a continuing presence in nearly 100 countries, we are well-positioned to meet the needs of displaced people, whether they're in their own country or living as refugees.

Our aid to Syrian refugees, for example, began in Lebanon, where we were already working with Palestinian refugees. Now, World Vision not only helps Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, we're restoring health services in Syria and helping children return to education thereby providing water and sanitation in schools.

In Uganda, which hosts 1.4 million refugees, World Vision provides not only basic necessities but also opportunities to earn and save money.

According to a 2018 World Bank study, an estimated four in five refugees are unemployed, and they earn wages 35% to 45% lower than the host population With our help, refugees from South Sudan and the DRC are able to restart their lives in Uganda and move from dependency to self-reliance. At the same time, World Vision programs in South Sudan and the DRC help families in poverty recover and avoid displacement.
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What is World Vision doing to help refugees?

In responding to refugee crises around the world, World Vision provides basic supplies refugees need for survival, such as food, clean water, shelter materials, blankets, and household goods. We set up and run Child-Friendly Spaces where children can play, learn, and enjoy normal childhood interactions. Our Infant and Young Child Feeding Centers give refugee moms a private place to breastfeed their babies where they can be screened and treated for malnutrition. Healthcare, livelihoods training, cash-for-work, and educational programs are other features of our work with refugees.

Here are some of the groups of refugees and displaced people that World Vision helps:
Syrian refugees and displaced people
After 10 years of conflict in Syria, there are 6.7 million Syrian refugees and tens of thousands more asylum-seekers applying for refugee status. World Vision has helped more than 6.5 million children in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq and is also working within Syria.
Rohingya refugees
World Vision assists refugees from Myanmar in Bangladesh - most of whom identify as members of the Rohingya ethnic group - as well as the host communities that accommodate them. World Vision operates in all 34 Rohingya camps, providing aid for nearly 500,000 refugees.
South Sudanese refugees and displaced people
Over 1.6 million people are internally displaced because of conflict and hunger in South Sudan, and another 2.2 million refugees have fled - mostly to Uganda. World Vision helps South Sudanese refugees in Uganda with emergency food, livelihood training, healthcare, access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene, and educational opportunities.
Venezuelans displaced abroad
About 5.4 million Venezuelans have left the country seeking food, work, and a better life. In Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, World Vision helps them to start over and to meet their basic needs. We are also providing aid to families in Venezuela through partner organizations.
DRC refugees and displaced people
About 5.2 million people are displaced within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, primarily because of conflict. Another 840,000 people from the DRC are refugees. World Vision carries out relief or development programs in 14 of the DRC's 26 provinces.
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Refugees: History and timeline

Displacement has long been a feature of human society since people began organizing national governments. Here are examples of refugee crises:

740 B.C. - 10 of 12 tribes of Israelites are expelled from their homeland by Assyrian conquerors. Read what the Bible says about refugees.

1685 - Protestant French Huguenots flee from state-sanctioned persecution in France.

1914 to 1918 - World War I and its aftermath precipitate massive displacements of populations including Belgians, Serbians, and Armenians.

1920s and 1930s - The League of Nations and International Labor Organization institute a system for identifying refugees and issuing travel documents for them.

1939 to 1945 - About 60 million people are displaced by World War II.

The modern history of refugee crises begins with the post-World War II period:

1950 - The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees is formed to help people displaced by World War II.

1951 - The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees defines refugees and their rights.

1967 - The Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees expands the scope of the refugee convention beyond European refugees.

1990s - Wars in Bosnia and the former Yugoslavia lead to the displacement of millions of Bosnians and Serbs.

2011 - Civil protests lead to a civil war in Syria, which displaces more than 13 million people, including 6.7 million refugees.

2013 - Civil war breaks out in the young nation of South Sudan, ultimately leading to 2.2 million people fleeing the country as refugees.

2016 - With the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, all 193 U.N. member states recognize the rights of refugees and migrants and pledge to support countries that host them.

2017 - Members of the Rohingya ethnic group flee violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state and relocate to Bangladesh.

2018 - The U.N. General Assembly adopts the Global Compact on Refugees to promote self-reliance for refugees and support the developing countries that host them.

2019 - Venezuelans leave their county en masse to seek food, work, and a better life in Colombia and other nations.

2020 - Forced displacement impacts more than 1% of humanity - one in every 95 people - and with fewer and fewer people who flee being able to return home.

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What is a refugee? Facts, FAQs, and how to help | World Vision

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There are more refugees in the world than ever before. About 26.4 million people have fled their countries because of conflict, violence, persecution, or human rights violations. Many more people than that - 82.4 million - have been forcibly displaced from their homes, according to U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

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Did you know that animals can be refugees too? 

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Did you know that animals can be refugees too? 

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Photo Credit: Elephant Without Borders

Mention the word refugees, and the image that comes to mind is that of humans that have been forced to leave their countries due to war, persecution or natural disaster. Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, is facing a different kind of refugee crisis - one caused by the hundreds of thousands of elephants that have fled their homelands to escape ruthless poachers.

This is not the first time the mammals have sought refuge at the Chobe National Park, an 11,700 sq. km (4,500 sq. miles) animal sanctuary located in northern Botswana. But Michel Chase, founder of Elephants Without Borders (EWB), who has been tracking the African elephants for the last twenty years, says this migration is different. In the past, the pachyderms used the sanctuary as a temporary home and always headed back to their respective countries after a few years.

Image Credit: Elephant Without Borders

However, since 2011, as poaching in Namibia, Zambia, and Angola, has escalated to new heights, the homeward migration has stopped. As of November 2016, over 130,000 elephants, roughly a third of the estimated 350,000 African elephant population, have made Botswana their permanent home. Chase says, "Elephants clearly have a cognitive ability to understand where they are threatened and where they are safe and in this case they are seeking refuge and sanctuary in Botswana where they are well protected."

Though EWB is thrilled at being able to provide a safe haven for the mighty animals, the country is struggling to keep up with the voracious eaters, who can plow through up to 600 pounds of vegetation a day. Botswana's most severe drought in 30 years has made things worse. As food sources dwindle, some desperate pachyderms have resorted to eating indigestible tree bark, leading to their untimely deaths. Also, as the watering holes dry out, the parched elephants are being forced to leave the safety of the sanctuary and head to the nearby rivers making them susceptible to unscrupulous poachers.

Image Credit: Elephant Without Borders

Though the situation is not ideal, the smart elephant refugees who can detect the boundary between safe and dangerous areas without physical markers, appear to be making the best of it. George Ittmeyer, who has been studying the African elephants for many years, says their highly evolved spatial memory enables the mammals to select the most efficient path to the river, minimizing the risk of encountering hunters. The elephants also adjust their circadian rhythm so that they rest during the day and search for water at night when there are fewer poachers. Also, since elephants can sense sound frequencies through their feet, they can "hear" warnings sent by other elephants and avoid dangerous areas.

Meanwhile, the Botswana government's plea to neighboring countries to impose measures to stop the carnage has met with some success. Uganda, Namibia, and Gabon have seen elephant populations stabilize or improve as officials realize the income obtained from ecotourism is far greater than from ivory. In July 2016, African Parks, in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), moved 250 elephants and 1,500 other animals of various species to the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in northern Malawi. If all goes according to plan, another 250 will be moved in July 2017, completing one of the most significant translocation initiatives in conservation history.

Photo Credit: Elephant Without Borders

While these efforts will certainly help, what conservationists are most thrilled about is the news that China, which accounts for 70% of the ivory trade, is banning all ivory sales by the end of 2017. With their biggest market gone, poachers will have little incentive to kill the majestic animals. This will hopefully help revive the African elephant population, which has plummeted drastically in the last ten years, and reduce the number of "refugees."

Resources: natgeo.com,usatoday.com,bbc,co.uk

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Mention the word refugees, and the image that comes to mind is that of humans that have been forced to leave their countries due to war, persecution or natural disaster. Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, is facing a different kind of refugee crisis - one caused by the hundreds of thousands of elephants that have fled their homelands to escape ruthless poachers.

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Simple overview and history of human rights

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Simple overview and history of human rights

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Early Times

People in many early societies had no rights. They had only duties that they owed to their ruler.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were probably the first people to think much about rights. A Roman group called the Stoics believed in something that they called natural law. They said that natural law gave some rights to everyone, even people who were not citizens of Rome.

The Enlightenment and Afterward

The 1600s and 1700s were a time in European history that is called the Enlightenment. John Locke of England was an Enlightenment thinker who wrote that individual rights are older than governments. In France, Jean-Jacques Rousseau argued that the purpose of governments is to protect those rights. Other thinkers called such rights "the rights of man."

The American Revolution (1775-83) and the French Revolution of 1789 grew out of these ideas. The U.S. Declaration of Independence lists "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" as rights that "all men" get from God. French people wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.

But even in the United States, many people did not enjoy full human rights. Slaves had almost no rights, and women had limited rights. Most slaves did not gain the basic human right of freedom until the 1800s. Women in most countries did not gain the same rights as men until the 1900s.

Human Rights Since World War II

After World War II (1939-45), the world learned that Nazi Germany had killed millions of Jews and other civilians (people not fighting the war). This crime is called the Holocaust. An international court at Nuremberg, Germany, put Nazi leaders on trial for "crimes against humanity." The Holocaust convinced many countries that it was necessary to protect the basic rights of people everywhere.

A number of these countries formed an organization called the United Nations (UN) in 1945. In 1948 the UN issued a document called the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration calls for "human rights" instead of "the rights of man" because it includes women's rights. The declaration has 30 articles, or sections. They mention many different rights. The United Nations also established Human Rights Day, to be celebrated on December 10 each year.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights investigates abuses of human rights throughout the world. The office works with several other UN groups to protect the rights of men, women, and children everywhere.

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A right that all people are born with is called a human right. Many people now agree that there are many human rights. Some of the most basic rights are the right to live and...

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Kid version of Declaration of Human Rights

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Kid version of Declaration of Human Rights

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Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal. You are worth the same, and have the same rights as anyone else. You are born with the ability to think and to know right from wrong, and should act toward others in a spirit of friendliness.

No one has the right to butt-in to your privacy, home, or mail, or attack your honesty and self-respect for no good reason. Everyone has the right to have the law protect him or her against all such meddling or attacks.

Article 13

1) Within any country you have the right to go and live where you want.

2) You have the right to leave any country, including your own, and return to it when you want.

Article 14

1) Everyone has the right to seek shelter from harassment in another country.

2) This right does not apply in cases where the person has done something against the law that has nothing to do with politics, or when she or he has done something that is against what the United Nations is all about.

Article 15

1) You have a right to a country where youÌre from.

2) No one should be able to take you away from, or stop you from changing your country for no good reason.

Article 16

1) Grown men and women have the right to marry and start a family, without anyone trying to stop them or make it hard because of their race, country, or religion. Both partners have equal rights in getting married, during the marriage, and if and when they decide to end it.

2) A marriage shall take place only with the agreement of the couple.

3) The family is the basic part of society, and should be protected by it.

Article 17

1) Everyone has the right to have belongings that they can keep alone, or share with other people.

2) No one has the right to take your things away from you for no good reason.

Article 18

You have the right to believe the things you want to believe, to have ideas about right and wrong, and to believe in any religion you want. This includes the right to change your religion if you want, and to practice it without anybody interfering.

Article 19

You have the right to tell people how you feel about things without being told that you have to keep quiet. You have the right to read the newspaper or listen to the radio without someone trying to stop you, no matter where you live. Finally, you have the right to print your opinions in a newspaper or magazine, and send them anywhere without having someone try to stop you.

Article 20

1) You have the right to gather peacefully with people, and to be with anyone you want.

2) No one can force you to join or belong to any group.

Article 21

1) You have the right to be part of your government by being in it, or choosing the people who are in fair elections.

2) Everyone has the right to serve her or his country in some way.

3) The first job of any government is to do what its people want it to do. This means you have the right to have elections every so often, where each personÌs vote counts the same, and where everyoneÌs vote is his or her own business.

Article 22

Everyone, as a person on this planet, has the right to have her or his basic needs met, and should have whatever it takes to live with pride, and become the person he or she wants to be. Every country or group of countries should do everything they possibly can to make this happen.

Article 23

1) You have the right to work and to choose your job, to have fair and safe working conditions, and to be protected against not having work.

2) You have the right to the same pay as anyone else who does the same work, without anyone playing favorites.

3) You have the right to decent pay so that you and your family can get by with pride. That means that if you donÌt get paid enough to do that, you should get other kinds of help.

4) You have the right to form or be part of a union that will serve and protect your interests.

Article 24

Everyone has the right to rest and relaxation, which includes limiting the number of hours he or she has to work, and allowing for holidays with pay once in a while.

Article 25

You have the right to have what you need to live a decent life, including food, clothes, a home, and medical care for you and your family. You have the right to get help from society if youÌre sick or unable to work, if youÌre older or a widow, or if youÌre in any other kind of situation that keeps you from working through no fault of your own.

Article 26

1) Everyone has the right to an education. It should be free of charge, and should be required for all, at least in the early years. Later education for jobs and college has to be there for anyone who wants it and is able to do it.

2) The idea of education is to help people become the best they can be. It should teach them to respect and understand each other, and to be kind to everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from. Education should help to promote the activities of the United Nations in an effort to create a peaceful world.

Article 27

1) You have the right to join in and be part of the world of art, music, and books. You have the right to enjoy the arts, and to share in the advantages that come from new discoveries in the sciences.

2) You have the right to get the credit and any profit that comes from something that you have written, made, or discovered.

Article 28

Everyone has the right to the kind of world where their rights and freedoms, such as the ones in this statement, are respected and made to happen.

Article 29

1) You have a responsibility to the place you live and the people around youÛwe all do. Only by watching out for each other can we each become our individual best.

2) In order to be free, there have to be laws and limits that respect everyoneÌs rights, meet our sense of right and wrong, and keep the peace in a world where we all play an active part.

3) Nobody should use her or his freedom to go against what the United Nations is all about.

Article 30

There is nothing in this statement that says that anybody has the right to do anything that would weaken or take away these rights.

Article 2

Everyone should have all the rights and freedoms in this statement, no matter what race, sex, or color he or she may be. It shouldnÌt matter where you were born, what language you speak, what religion you are, what political opinions you have, or whether youÌre rich or poor. Everyone should have all of the rights in this statement.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to live, to be free, and to feel safe.

Article 4

No one should be held in slavery for any reason. The buying and selling of human beings should be prevented at all times.

Article 5

No one shall be put through torture, or any other treatment or punishment that is cruel, or makes him or her feel less than human.

Article 6

Everyone has the right to be accepted everywhere as a person, according to law.

Article 7

You have the right to be treated equally by the law, and to have the same protection under the law as anyone else. Everyone should have protection from being treated in ways that go against this document, and from having anyone cause others to go against the rights in this document.

Article 8

If your rights under the law are violated, you should have the right to fair and skillful judges who will see that justice is done.

Article 9

No one shall be arrested, held in jail, or thrown and kept out of her or his own country for no good reason.

Article 10

You have the same right as anyone else to a fair and public hearing by courts that will be open-minded and free to make their own decisions if you are ever accused of breaking the law, or if you have to go to court for some other reason.

Article 11

1) If you are blamed for a crime, you have the right to be thought of as innocent until you are proven guilty, according to the law, in a fair and public trial where you have the basic things you need to defend yourself.

2) No one shall be punished for anything that was not illegal when it happened. Nor can anyone be given a greater punishment than the one that applied when the crime was committed.

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All human beings are born free and equal. You are worth the same, and have the same rights as anyone else. You are born with the ability to think and to know right from wrong, and should act toward others in a spirit of friendliness.

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December 10 is Human Rights Day.

It commemorates the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations in 1948.

Thirty declarations were written to protect the rights of all people, everywhere.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By clicking through and making a purchase, we receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. All proceeds help support our free global education website. Thank you!

Resources for Teaching Kids About Human Rights

What Are Human Rights? Human Rights Defined

Watch this documentary introducing the story of human rights. Preview first to determine suitability for your audience.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

This version of the Declaration was simplified for kids from Amnesty International.

It also includes an illustration for a Right Up Your Street activity in which students analyze a typical neighborhood scene to find examples of human rights being enjoyed, denied, and demanded.

This is a great group activity. Find out "What To Do" here.

We Are All Born Free

In this book, published in association with Amnesty International, the 30 articles of the Declaration are simplified for elementary school students.

Each one is beautifully illustrated by an internationally-renowned artist (featured in the back of the book). Fifteen of the illustrated pages of the book can be found in The Guardian.

Before reading, ask students to share what they already know about human rights. What rights does every human being have? Record responses on chart paper. Ask students to describe what their responsibilities are when it comes to respecting the rights of others. Explain that after World War II, world leaders formed the United Nations to help build peace. One of the first things it did was write a list of rights that would belong to everyone in the world. They came up with 30, including our right to say what we believe and our right to be protected by the law. Explain that this book is an example of those rights.

During reading, discuss the human right shown and their meaning. Take time to share the details of each illustration. Decide how the picture links to the human right: does it show that everyone's rights are respected or does it show people not being protected by their rights. *Note: The illustration for Article 5, "Nobody has any right to hurt us or to torture us" is of a red-stained doll. You could simply skip this article, or discuss it in terms you feel are appropriate.

After reading, revisit the student list of human rights from before reading. Put a star next to any that are similar to one of the 30 rights. Ask students if they think that human rights are important to help us all live together. Students can create and share ways to bring awareness to others (posters, skits, illustrated books donated to the school library, etc.).

Human Rights Here and Now Celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

This is a great resource that includes basic background information, activities, tips for taking action, and support materials.

Human Rights Book Collection

13 books that explore the issues of human rights around the world and in the United States, and the great leaders who have fought to protect those rights (Lee & Low Books). Each title includes a Teacher's Guide and/or Interviews.

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Human Rights Day Information & Resources for Kids

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It commemorates the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Thirty declarations were written to protect the rights of all people, everywhere. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By clicking through and making a purchase, we receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

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MLK's I Have A Dream speech

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During his short but effective life as preacher and civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. gave many speeches. However the one that seemed to resonate with the entire country, race notwithstanding, was the one he delivered fifty years ago on August 28th, 1963, whilst standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

It was a hot summer day. Over 250,000 people, rich & poor, black & white, had amalgamated at the country's capital to stage a peaceful protest against the discrimination, joblessness and the economic inequality being endured by African Americans a century after the Emancipation Proclamation, the first step toward ending slavery, had been declared. The protestors listened attentively as the speakers talked about the various issues. Millions more from all across the country sat glued to their televisions.

Martin Luther King Jr. was the last to speak. As usual, he delivered an eloquent and passionate speech for about 15 minutes. Then, just as the crowd thought he was winding down, he uttered the inspiring words that ring true in everyone's ears till today:

'I have a dream, I have a dream, that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood . . .

I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

As the live spectators and the ones on television watched mesmerized, the civil rights leader outlined everything he wished America would be. When he finished his address with this poignant sentence:

"Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty. We are free at last!",

many in the audience wept openly, whilst others just sat quietly as if, waiting for more. Then suddenly, the silence was shattered by an outburst of applause and cheers!

What is interesting is that according to people that were close to the civil rights leader, the night prior to the march, his closest aide Wyatt Tee Walker had advised him not to do what he called ' the dream thing'. Calling it and a ', he believed that Dr. King had used it too many times, prior to this. Taking heed of his advice, the civil rights leader took it out from his official written speech.

No one is sure why he decided to add it back in. Some think that he was prompted by Mahalia Jackson his favorite gospel singer who was standing close to him and kept urging him to tell people about his dream, others believe it was his own impromptu decision. But whatever it was, it worked! Every American regardless of color could relate to the words because they were essentially everyone's 'American Dream(s)'. Not only that, over the years it has also inspired people all over the country and world to believe that dreams no matter how impossible they may seem, do come true!

Whether it was the electrifying speech that did it or the sight of so many people on the streets of the nation's capital, the 1963 March on Washington as it is now called, is often considered a pivotal event in the country's civil rights movement history. That's because shortly after in 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, following it up a year later, with the Voting Rights Act.

If Dr. King had been alive today, he would have been amazed at how far the country has progressed since that fateful day in Washington D.C., a mere 50 years ago and how people are still fulfilling his 'dream' by continuing to aspire for a better nation. The anniversary of this pivotal event is being celebrated in the nation's capital all week, with marches and speeches to talk about what else we could 'dream' about to make America a better country. The grand finale will be a speech delivered from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial by the country's first African American leader, President Barack Obama, and will be followed by a bell-ringing ceremony at 3.00pm, to honor the exact time when Dr. King gave us the inspiration and courage to dream about a better future!

Resources: Scholastic.com, democracynow.org, huffingtonpost.com

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'I Have A Dream' - Four Simple Words That Galvanized A Nation

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During his short but effective life as preacher and civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. gave many speeches. However the one that seemed to resonate with the entire country, race notwithstanding, was the one he delivered fifty years ago on August 28th, 1963, whilst standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

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2014 will be remembered for many things - the re-emergence of Ebola, cyber attacks on corporations like Target, Home Depot and Sony, and most importantly, numerous extraordinary protests. Though the reasons for the public rallies that occurred in cities all across the globe differed, they had one thing in common - their success can be largely attributed to the use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, which helped raise worldwide awareness and brought like-minded people together to organize effective campaigns that lasted for months, some even continuing into 2015.

#Euromaidan (Ukraine)

The unrest in Ukraine began in November 2013, after President Viktor Yanukovych decided to suspend trade talks with the European Union. A small group converged at the "Maidan Nezalezhnosti" or Independence Square in the capital city of Kiev to voice their displeasure. Without the reach of social media, the small gathering would have probably succumbed to the demands of the local authorities and petered out within a few days.

But thanks to twitter feed #Euromaidan ( the "Euro" indicating the protestors admiration for Europe's genuine democracy and "maidan" paying homage to the venue of the start of this and the 2004 Orange Revolution that began at the same square), the small uprising transformed into a full-fledged revolt that resulted in the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014.

Unfortunately that was not enough to solve the country's problems. On March 18th, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid claim to Crimea, which has been part of Ukraine since 1954. This has led to well-founded fears that Putin's ultimate goal is to make Ukraine a "protectorate" of Russia. Since then, pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces have been engaged in a serious conflict, one that shows no signs of abating.

#SOSVenezuela (Venezuela)

Tired of soaring inflation, goods shortages and escalating crime rates, Venezuelan students took to the streets in February 2014, to protest against the policies of the newly-elected President Nicolas Maduro. However, it was not until February 12th, when opposition leader Leopoldo López called for a peaceful nationwide protest that the world began to pay attention. The people's plight was captured in the endearing #SOS Venezuela campaign. The campaign, which was started by Caracas-based activist group Un Mundo Sin Mordaza (A World Without Censorship), helped raise global awareness of the country's problems.

As more people joined in the movement, the clashes between the security forces and the protestors increased. On February 18th, the officials arrested Lopez on what the protestors assert are false charges. Despite several attempts to free him, Lopez remains in jail. With no leader at the helm and a violent crackdown by the ruling government, the movement has lost some steam. However, given the increasing discontent with the current regime, the possibility of additional unrest remains strong.

#BringBackOurGirls (Nigeria)

On April 14th, 2014, Islamic militant group Boko Haram kidnapped 270 girls from Chibok boarding school in northeastern Nigeria. While 57 girls managed to escape from the captors the first night, the rest have not been seen since. In an attempt to garner world attention, a group of locals started the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. Not surprisingly, the plea went viral, catching the attention of even US First Lady Michelle Obama.

But despite worldwide appeals there has been no progress in locating the kidnapped girls. What is even more unfortunate is that the world has moved on to deal with other more pressing issues. However, the girls' families and friends still rally in Nigeria's capital city of Abuja each week, pleading for the same thing: Bring Back Our Girls!

#HandsUp, #HandsUpDontShoot & #BlackLivesMatter (USA)

On August 9th, 2014, African American teenager Michael Brown was fatally wounded by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, sparking weeks of protests in the area. The situation was exacerbated when a grand jury absolved the officer of all charges on November 24th. After an eyewitness described the unarmed Brown raising his hands in the air just prior to being shot, the gesture of surrender and the slogans "Hands Up" and "Hands Up, Don't Shoot", became the symbol for the nation's outrage at the injustice.

A few days later, a different grand jury announced their decision not to indict another white police officer in a similar incident that occurred in Staten Island, New York, on July 17th, 2014. In this case, 34-year-old Eric Garner, who also happened to be African American, died after being held in a choke-hold by the policeman.

Garner's final words "I can't breathe," along with "Black Lives Matter" in support of both deaths, has also been adopted as a slogan by protestors. Thanks to the viral spread of the two incidents through social networking sites, there have been numerous rallies staged all across the US to protest against what is perceived by many as unjustified police brutality toward African American citizens. Whether this solidarity will lead to any radical policy changes for the US police force remains to be seen.

Though social media may not be able to solve these and other injustices that occur in the world on a daily basis, it has been very effective in raising global awareness. Without its existence most of the dissents would have been nipped in the bud. The influence of these communication tools that are often considered trivial, time sinks and diversions can only increase, as the world becomes more connected.

Resources: huffingtonpost.com,philly.com,newyorker.com

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How Social Media Aided The Fight Against Injustices In 2014

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2014 will be remembered for many things - the re-emergence of Ebola, cyber attacks on corporations like Target, Home Depot and Sony, and most importantly, numerous extraordinary protests.