The old adage that says that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow is true; however, some of these amazing young people aren’t waiting to lead in the future, they are doing it now. Take a look below at these five young black female changemakers that you should know. They are truly making the future look brighter than ever, proving once again that, #blackgirlsrock.
1. Yolanda Renee King
The granddaughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is unquestionably carrying on her grandfather’s legacy. At only 13-years-old, the teen activist stepped into the national spotlight, advocating for better gun-control laws at the student-led March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C.
At nine-years-old, King stated that she herself, “had a dream for a gun-free world.” She took up the mantle and put her words into action. In addition to her passion for wanting to bring about a gun-free world, King has also joined the fight for voting rights. Additionally, she has been vocal, offering her opinion on critical race theory.
During the March for Our Lives, King said to the audience that, “We are going to be a great generation.” We have not doubt that her generation will with young people like her leading the charge for change.
2. Mo’ne Davis
At 12-years-old, Mo’ne Davis made history. The talented athlete, in 2014, solidified her mark in the world by not only becoming the the first Black girl to play in the Little League World Series, but also the first girl to earn a win and pitch a shutout. Additionally, Mo’ne became the first Little League baseball player to appear on the cover of the coveted sports magazine, Sports Illustrated.
Fast-forward in time, and in addition to landing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Davis also landed a Time cover, appropriately titled, “Women Who Are Changing The World”. She is truly changing the gender norms on the baseball field and beyond.
3. Little Miss Flint, Mari Copney
Little Miss Flint, Mari Copney has grown up in the national spotlight trying to change the world. For Copney, her mission started at eight-years-old with a letter to former President Barack Obama regarding the water crisis in Flint, MI. Present-day Mari Copney is now 14-year-old and is still advocating for social and environmental justice. Copney has raised over $250,000 and gave away over a million bottles of water. However, the young environmentalist takes pride in pivoting away from single-use bottled water. She produces her very own water filter.
Copney has unquestionably made it known that one day, she will run for president in 2044. She already has our vote for the win!
4. Marley Dias
At 11-years-old, Marley Dias decided to change the fact that she couldn’t see herself in the books that she was reading. In 2015, Dias launched #1000BlackGirlBooks with the goal of collecting 1,000 books that featured Black female protagonists. Instead of 1,000 books, she ended up collecting 13,000 instead.
In 2018, Dias landing her own book deal, publishing Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You. However, she didn’t stop there. In 2020, Dias launched the Netflix series Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices. She served as not only host, but executive producer as well for the series.
Dias has taken her #1000BlackGirlBooks initiative global, not only investing in girls/women in the U.S., but around the world as well.
5. Amanda Gorman
“Words lead to actions that can change the world” sums up the heart of Amanda Gorman.
Gorman made history as the youngest inaugural poet in United States history when she was appointed the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate by Urban Word in 2017 at the age of 19. She spoke at the Biden/Harris Inauguration and from there, the world was hooked on her every syllable. Her words gave everyone power to see the possibilities of change.
Now 23-years-old, Gorman has written for several prestigious outlets, including the New York Times and, in 2021, she published three books with Penguin Random House. Two of the three became bestsellers.
These five young black female changemakers are only the tip of the iceberg. Do you have additional young people that are on your own personal list? Sound-off and comment below. We want you to join in the conversation!
For a complete list of additional young black changemakers, click here.
