Teen Vogue is known for being the champion of a generation whether it be in fashion, politics, literature, and more. Recently, the literary giant held their annual summit where a list of who’s who gathered to address hundreds of teens on their corporate campus in Playa Vista, CA.
In addition to Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters, and Ava DuVernay, Generation Z activists Yara Shahidi, Amandla Stenberg, and Storm Reid were on hand to discuss everything from the current political situation to what challenges lie ahead for younger generations to come.
During Clinton and Shahidi’s keynote address, Marley Dias, founder of #BlackGirlBooks, fielded questions for the pair stating that, “the biggest request if for both of you to just say everything’s going to be OK,” which of course was a true heartbreaker.
Clinton responded reassuringly, “It’s up to us, but if we act, everything is going to be OK.” Both Shahidi and Clinton encouraged the young attendees to take action and get out and vote, letting their voices be the catalyst for change.
Echoing the sentiments of Clinton and Shahidi, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and actress Amandla Stenberg took the stage discussing the realities of our current political situation in lieu of everything from North Korea, to Donald Trump himself, and the allegations of Facebook and Twitter meddling in the 2016 Presidential campaign.
However, it wasn’t all serious talk. Waters did find a moment to talk fashion and her love for vinatge clothing. “When I was growing up, we learned how to shop and find bargains. Because of that I grew up learning the value of vintage clothing. And I loved going to the Goodwill and looking at the labels. I still love vintage clothing because of my experience in St. Louis, Missouri with my mom shopping for bargains at the Goodwill.”
Lastly, A Wrinkle in Time director Ava DuVernay was joined on stage by actresses Rowan Blanchard and Storm Reid, to discuss an equally as important topic-equal representation in Hollywood.
Reid also took a moment during the conversation to stress the importance of young women speaking up and out against sexual assault. “I’m glad that I’m here at 14 saying that it’s not right to inspire other young girls to say ‘it’s not right’ too. If it’s happening to you, speak up, don’t be afraid. There’s nothing they can do, even if they say they’re going to do something, there’s nothing they can do. You need to speak up, you need to speak out, not only for yourself, but for other young women that feel threatened, not only in this industry, but in other industries.”
The two-day event brought together over 500 young people from across the country for workshops and inspirational talks that encompassed civics, entertainment, technology and business, and more.
Additional speakers and attendees included the Women’s March organizer Paola Mendoza, poet and artist Cleo Wade, Black Lives Matters activist DeRay McKesson, and Compton Mayor Aja Brown.
For more information about the summit, visit Teen Vogue here.
