Myhanh Wong is a senior at Franklin High School and committed to supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. She believes that “in a week of protests, the people have accomplished so much, even bringing defunding the police to the table. This idea was unheard of two weeks ago. Real change is happening”.
Her advice for young activists is that “they should educate themselves. We can protest the system all we want, but change comes from first understanding the sytem. Make sure to fact check what you see on the news and social media”. She also advises taking breaks. “Individual burnout is what ends movements”, she says, “know your boundaries and don’t feel guilty for staying home”.
Myhanh ultimately encourages young activists to do what they can to “fight injustice at every level”, and not to be “afraid to have difficult conversations with your peers and parents”.
Angelina Riley, a Rainier Beach High School student and incoming president of the Seattle- King County NAACP Youth Coalition, helped write a petition asking the school district to end its relationship with the police department, a longstanding demand of the Coalition.
A second petition is also circulating with similar demands. To prevent youth violence and truancy, Riley said, schools need more counselors – not police.
Seattle youth Jamie Margolin’s book Youth to Power was released on June 2. It is a step by step advocacy how-to guide from her experiences as a young activist:
“Young people, Margolin writes, have fresh energy and possess a profound power to create change. She explains how they have played a major role in sparking political change throughout American history, from the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s to the Standing Rock protests that started in 2016. Last year was momentous for young climate activists — and as another crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, wreaks havoc on the planet, the youth are still finding ways to keep the momentum going through virtual platforms.”
https://grist.org/justice/6-tips-for-becoming-a-youth-activist-jamie-margolin/
Kitsap County youth organized 3 protests in response to the murder of George Floyd. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/news/local/2020/06/05/kitsap-protest-death-george-floyd-police-brutality-youth-activism/3146317001/