8 Young Black Changemakers Working to Claim Our Democracy

When it comes to making history, we’re in total awe of the young Black activists leading the charge in everything from racial justice to climate justice. Since the 2023 Black History Month theme is all about #BlackResistance, we’re highlighting some stellar examples of changemakers who are resisting the status quo, shaping our cultural landscape to be more equitable, and transforming our democracy for the better.

Black History is American History, and these young people are making waves 365 days a year. So, prepare to be inspired by these 8 changemakers who deserve a spot in future history books:

1. Yolanda Renee King, 14

As Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King’s granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King has some big shoes to fill. While she’s undoubtedly following in her grandparents' footsteps with her civil rights advocacy, Yolanda has a voice all her own. She advocates for voting rights and wrote this piece for Teen Vogue urging Congress to act on making voting access more equitable, and she’s already a seasoned public speaker. In fact, she gave a speech in 2020 on racial justice in the very same place where her grandfather gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. Talk about continuing a family legacy!

Yolanda inspires us because she’s living proof that young people can take the mic and have their voices heard. Her thoughtful delivery on difficult topics is aspirational, and we love to see someone her age stepping up!

Where to follow: @yolandareneeking on IG

2. Jerome Foster II, 20

The youngest-ever White House advisor in United States history, Jerome Foster II serves on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council within the Biden administration, which develops strategies to address current and historic environmental injustice. You already know that he’s making waves. As an outspoken climate justice advocate, Jerome doesn’t hold back in challenging the status quo when taking action on climate change, calling for an intersectional approach, and addressing the disproportional impact of climate change on low-income communities and communities of color.

Jerome is also the founder of the nonprofit organization OneMillionOfUs, which seeks to amplify the voices of young people on the international political stage. Voting rights + climate justice = a better future for humanity and the planet!

Where to follow: @jeromefosterii on IG, @JeromeFosterII on Twitter, or his YouTube channel

3. Zyahna Bryant, 21

We stan a bold and outspoken queen! Zyahna Bryant is a student activist and community organizer at the University of Virginia who made headlines when she was 15 for calling for the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue at its namesake park in Charlottesville. Her courageous advocacy sparked a nationwide conversation about confederate monuments and eventually led the city council to remove the statue and renaming the park. Since then, she’s continued her activism and even published a book of her poetry and essays called “Reclaim."

One of Zyahna’s most poignant pieces was an article she penned for Teen Vogue in the wake of 2020’s racial justice reckoning, which offers readers insight into how to take anti-racist action. In it, she provides some killer educational resources and gets real about what she hopes to see in activist spaces in the future. We’re following your lead, girl!

Where to follow: @zysasaidso on IG, @ZyahnaB on Twitter, or her website

4. Zaynab Mohamed, 25

Making history as the youngest woman elected to Minnesota Senate in November 2022, Zaynab Mohamed is a strong advocate for representation in politics and beyond. Before her political victory, no Black woman had served in the state Senate in 164 years of statehood, making her win even more monumental.

Prior to her election for Minnesota Senate, she lobbied the state legislature after the murder of George Floyd to increase public safety through police accountability. When she decided to run, she said, “I’ve walked the halls of the Senate for the past year-and-a-half lobbying for bills, and I never saw myself in there. There’s not a single Black woman.” She continues to use her platform as a Somali-American and a Black Muslim woman to advocate for representation and creating systems that make the lives of working-class people easier, not harder.

Where to follow: @zaynabmmohamed on IG, or her website

5. Taylor Cassidy, 20

Knowledge is power, and Taylor Cassidy knows it. She’s most famous for her “Fast Black History” series on Tiktok, where she lifts up stories of Black changemakers like Marie Maynard Daly and Jerry Lawson in fun, educational videos. She was inspired to start the series after seeing that her history books were seriously lacking in Black stories, limiting them to just a few pages on slavery eye roll. Taylor’s main goal is to represent Black History in a way that reminds people of how prominent figures are “just like us.”

Her advocacy for representation doesn’t end there. She also has a sweet YouTube channel and a series called Black Girl Magic Minute, where she invites guests onto the show to unpack topics like the beauty of Black hair, dark-skinned makeup, and stolen Black TikTok dances, to name a few. Taylor exemplifies how influencing extends to education and interesting social commentary, which we’re excited to see on social media and beyond.

Where to follow: @taylorcassidyj on TikTok, @taylorcassidyj on IG, or her YouTube channel

6. Isaiah Martin, 24

This Houston native is a political organizer who hopes to change the face of the Houston City Council by running to become its first Gen-Z member. His platform is all about improving the lives of Houstonians with a solutions-based approach that involves plans to “clean up littered empty cups from sidewalks, invest in seeds to sprout new affordable homes, and train our workers for Houston's next job boom.” He’s also championing the important role that young people play in politics, stating, “Young people have great ideas just like everyone else. If a young person is the person that has the right idea or the best proposal to move our community forward, we shouldn’t shy away from that.” Cheers to that!

When he’s not laser-focused on his campaign, Isaiah uses TikTok to educate viewers on political issues with the goal of building a movement to redefine Texas values.

Where to follow: @isaiahrmartin on Twitter, @isaiahrmartin on TikTok, and his YouTube channel

7. Dakota Hall

Dakota Hall is the first Black and Indigenous executive director of Alliance for Youth Action, which is an organization that works to empower young people to “strengthen our democracy, fix our economy, and correct injustices through on-the-ground organizing.” He’s also the founder of the advocacy organization Leaders Igniting Transformation (LIT), which is dedicated to enhancing the political power of young people.

His activism journey first began in 2012 as a student organizer at the University of Wisconsin where he mobilized students to fight against budget cuts that undermined the student experience. His work has expanded to include fighting the school-to-prison and deportation pipeline and ending the use of metal detectors on campuses and suspensions for children in elementary school. Dakota’s exemplary leadership goes to show how our advocacy can grow to extraordinary heights!

Where to follow: @dakotarayhall on Twitter

8. Aalayah Eastmond, 21

It’s not everyday that you see activists merging gun reform and Black Lives Matter advocacy, but Aalayah Eastmond does it seamlessly. As a survivor of the 2018 Parkland shooting, her activism is informed by her personal experience and desire to create a better future.

From co-founding the organization Team Enough to speaking in front of thousands at March for Lives, Aalayah stays busy in the gun safety sphere. However, Aalayah often feels the conversation is one-sided and leaves out realities of police violence in Black communities. She says, "I wanted to make sure folks realize that police violence is also gun violence," Eastmond explained. "As we solve [gun violence], it's very important that we connect these two issues together because they are one."

Where to follow: @aalayah.eastmond on IG, or @aalayaheastmond on Twitter

The best part of sharing the work of these changemakers is that they are laying the foundation for a new wave of young Black activists to break into the scene. We know how important representation is, so it’s exciting to see diversity in everything from politics to grassroots organizing and even social media influencing. Our current reality demands strong voices of opposition to oppressive structures, and the future looks brighter when strong leaders like these have a platform for their advocacy.