10 Young Activists of Color to Follow on Instagram
There are so many young people creating change all over the globe, but as part of #AmplifyMelanatedVoices, today we are excited to share with you ten BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) youth making a difference in a wide variety of causes. No matter what country you are from or your skin color, it is so important to listen and learn from people different than yourself, especially those in marginalized groups who historically have not had their voices heard. If you’re looking for young leaders and changemakers to inspire your own changemaking or leadership journey, here are 10 young activists of color to follow on Instagram!
Marley Dias
Marley Dias was only 10 years old when she decided to find and collect 1,000 books with black female leads to send to a school in Jamaica with a book drive, #1000BlackGirlBooks. Marley noticed that girls who looked like her were rarely the main character of books she was reading, and she wanted other black girls to see that they could be the heroes of their own stories. It’s now 5 years later, and Marley is not only an inspiring young black activist, but she is an accomplished speaker, has collected over 12,000 books, and has even written her own book: Marley Dias Gets It Done (And So Can You)!
Autumn Peltier
15-year-old young indigenous activist Autumn Peltier has been a “water warrior” since the age of 8, advocating for water conservation and access to clean water, especially for indigenous groups in Canada. She is an internationally recognized clean water activist and has spoken for the Prime Minister of Canada, at the World Economic Forum, and even the UN… twice. Autumn was named the Chief Water Commissioner of the Anishinabek Nation, an advocacy group for over 40 First Nations in Canada at the age of 14.
Kevin J. Patel
Kevin J. Patel is a climate justice activist who started One Up Action, an intersectional youth-led organization that supports marginalized youth and other young activists of color working to fight the climate crisis by providing them with resources to take action in their communities. Kevin experienced health issues growing up in a neighborhood of Los Angeles with poor air quality, and also focuses on spreading awareness of the health risks associated with pollution and climate change, which disproportionately affect neighborhoods of color.
Winter Breeanne
Winter Breeanne is an advocate for youth civic engagement, encouraging youth to vote and use their voices to speak up against sexism, gun violence, racial injustice, and more. She started the Instagram account @blacklit, aimed at increasing positive black representation, and was the organizer of the 2018 national student walk-out protests against gun violence in America, in which 2.3 million students participated.
Zero Hour (and its founders)
Described as an “intersectional movement of young activists”, Zero Hour believes that youth are the leaders of the climate change movement! They also work closely with other youth-led social justice organizations, including racial justice and feminism, believing that environmental and climate justice is not possible without collaboration across sectors. The founders Jamie Margolin (@jamie_s_margolin), Zanagee Artis (@nageeartis), Nadia Nazar (@nadianazar02), and Madelaine Tew (@lainetew) are also all individually accomplished young activists of color that are worth a follow too!
Amika George
When Amika George found out that girls in her home country of the UK were missing school because they were not able to afford menstrual products, she organized a large-scale protest and the #FreePeriods campaign, getting over 200,000 signatures on her petition to eliminate period poverty. She wants schools to provide free menstrual products to anyone in need, eliminating that economic barrier to participation in school and other activities. You can also follow her personal account, @amikageorge.
Mari Copeny
Self-described “future president” Mari Copeny, also known as Little Miss Flint, is a young black activist and fundraiser from Flint, Michigan raising awareness for the water crisis in her city. At only 8 years old she reached out to then-President Barack Obama about the water problem her city was facing with a handwritten note, and he ended up coming to visit her and see the problem first hand. Four years later, at almost 13, she is still fighting for clean water for her city and others like it, and especially for underprivileged children.
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