Contents
chapter 1: Challenging the System
chapter 2: Creating a Safer World
chapter 3: Stopping the Clock on Climate Change
Jamie Margolin and the Zero Hour Activists
chapter 4: Lifting Each Other Up
There’s so much about Gen Z that makes us unstoppable and unapologetic. What makes us unique is the frustration with problems that still exist. We’ve got the attitude that if other people aren’t going to take care of it, then we’ll just do it ourselves. Rather than just taking a seat at the table, we want to redefine what that table is.
—Nadya Okamoto, Founder of PERIOD
Generation Z doesn’t have time for stereotypes—they’re too busy saving the world. Young people ages 12 to 22 are taking over social media, marching in the streets, and speaking truth to power on an international stage when they’re not starting nonprofits, writing books, giving TED Talks, and inventing solutions to problems they didn’t create.
The climate crisis, gun control, inequality, mental illness, LGBTQ+ rights, corruption in government—nothing is off-limits to these incredible young activists. And they’re not waiting for anyone’s permission or approval. The stakes are too high. The planet is dying, people are dying, and one injustice feeds another in an ever more destructive cycle.
But these activists are starting a new cycle, feeding off each other’s strength and determination. The Parkland survivors’ fortitude in creating March for Our Lives inspired Greta Thunberg’s Climate Strike, which influenced young activists like Naomi Wadler and Jamie Margolin in the United States. Those activists are bringing to light the disproportionate effects of gun violence and climate change on minorities, which, in turn, inspires activists like Jerome Foster II and Yara Shahidi to advocate for youth voter registration.
Every person who joins the fight adds to its power with their unique experience and perspective. And together, the brave and brilliant members of Generation Z really are changing the world. But they need help. They need you. Whether you join a march or start a movement, it’s time to find your voice and use it to call attention to the issues you care about. If these activists have taught us anything, it’s that you can’t wait for someone else to fix what needs fixing—you just have to roll up your sleeves and get to work!
