5 Things I Learned from Young Changemakers Who Came Before Us

To be young today is to live in contradictions. We’re more connected than ever, with the power to organize at a global scale and information at our fingertips. Yet the world often feels chaotic and divided like a storm of social unrest and endless struggles that can leave us feeling frustrated, even powerless. You may even wonder, What’s next? How can we create meaningful change in a divided world, regardless of who occupies the Oval Office?

History tells us: it starts with us. Young people have always led the charge in moments of uncertainty. In 1964, during Freedom Summer, young activists didn’t wait for permission to create change. They stepped forward—Black, white, northern, southern, Christian, Jewish, and beyond—united by faith in justice and a commitment to action. They risked everything to dismantle Jim Crow laws and register Black voters in Mississippi.

It was dangerous work. The tragic murders of James Chaney, a young Black man from Mississippi, and Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, two young white Jewish men from New York — revealed the cost of courage. But it also demonstrated the power of solidarity. They didn’t stand alone. Freedom Summer wasn’t about individual heroes; it was about a coalition rooted in faith, a belief in each other, and an unshakable determination to shape a better world.

The Freedom Summer veterans spoke with passion about their commitment to building community across differences. Larry Rubin, a Jewish veteran, shared his values with conviction, saying, “I was brought up to believe that a mensch, a full human being, one of the things a mensch did was fight for justice, and that comes from three generations back.” Don Denard, a Freedom Summer student from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, reflected on his upbringing: “Sunday school, prayer meetings, Baptist young people's unions—these were all part of the interior culture we had in the Black community.” Their stories, and the stories of many like them, reveal the unbreakable power of shared purpose and unwavering belief.

So, What’s Next?

The future is shaped by those who dare to act. Don’t wait for someone else to lead—find your cause, build your community, educate yourself, and take action. Visit DoSomething to discover actionable ways to get involved and learn about various issues affecting your community. Change doesn’t happen on its own; it happens when passionate, determined people come together.

Larry Rubin, Freedom Summer 1964 Veteran, told me something I’ll never forget: “If people get together and stay together, generally they lose. Until they win.” Those words capture the essence of faith in action. It’s not about immediate victories—it’s about believing that, together, we can bend the arc of justice, no matter how steep the climb. Let’s shake things up—the world is waiting for your spark.

After working in the Obama White House in 2016, Chelsea Miller Co-Founded Freedom March NYC, one of the largest youth-led civil rights organizations in the country. Organizing movements in person and online, Chelsea is globally recognized for her ability to use storytelling and digital media to reach multicultural and multigenerational audiences. In her role as the CEO of CPM Global, she's worked with companies, organizations, and universities across the world to help launch social impact campaigns and sustainable initiatives. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Rolling Stone, Vogue, CNN, Financial Times, and more.