Teens Can Be Social Activists
Greta Thunberg. Malala Yousafzai. David Hogg. Emma Gonzalez. Yara Shahidi. Marley Diaz.
All young people, all activists, who have made huge impacts on their communities by organizing for social change. Greta Thunberg was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in March 2019 for spurring an international movement of students striking on behalf of climate change. Malala Yousafzai was the youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history in 2014. The outspoken defender of women’s education survived the attempt on her life by the Taliban and has kept fighting for the rights of women and refugees everywhere. David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez and Parkland Shooting survivors who sparked the #NeverAgain movement for gun control. The movement inspired thousands of students to walk out of school in a massive nationwide youth protest. Yara Shahidi has taken on issues like diversity in Hollywood and female empowerment in education, forming Yara’s Club, in partnership with The Women's Leadership School and worked with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn education initiative. Marley Diaz is the founder of the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign. She started the campaign when she was 11 to collect and donate 1,000 books to her peers that featured black girls as the main characters because she was sick of reading about white boys and dogs. The campaign was a massive success.
Every teen can learn how to be an activist and make a difference in their community. They can be just like Greta or Malala or Yara. They can be the leaders of huge social movements. You just have to start small, like getting involved at your local library. Greenburgh Public Library has several programs coming up that provide opportunities for teens to speak up and get involved in civic engagement. Teens decide what they are interested in, who and what they want to advocate for, and how they will accomplish their goals. Any teen can be an activist and Greenburgh Public Library can help!
Upcoming Programs for Teens
Teen GSA: Gender and Sexuality Alliance
Friday, May 14, 4 pm
Greenburgh Public Library and Scarsdale Public Library unite to bring teens across Westchester a virtual GSA every month. For the first meeting, we'll discuss David Levithan's Boy meets Boy. This club is a safe space for everyone.
Saturday, May 22, 2:30 pm
Teens have YOUR voice heard in YOUR library! Help plan events, pick out teen collections (books, magazines, video games & more), promote & encourage teen library use — all while earning One hour of volunteer hours.
For middle and high school age.
Courageous Conversations About Race
Thursday May 27, 6:30 pm
Join Greenburgh Public Library & Hendrick Hudson Free Library as we continue our monthly discussion series to learn about the history of our nation, and through dialogue and education, understand and address the wounds of racism. These conversations will be facilitated by Ridvan Foxhall, the executive director of New Era Creative Space in Peekskill, NY.
Registration is required -- a Zoom link will be emailed to participants.
This program is brought to you by a partnership between Greenburgh Public Library and Hendrick Hudson Free Library.
VolunTeens who participate in this event are eligible to earn community service hours. Email greenteen@greenborghlibrary.org for more details.
Teen Activist Book List
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A smart, contemporary, stylish, and practical handbook for aspiring teen girl activists who are mad as hell about the way the world is going and aren't gonna take it anymore. GIRLS RESIST is a cool, relevant, timely activism handbook that speaks to teen girl readers like the intelligent and passionate people they are. In this age of political Teen Vogue editorials and teen actors frankly discussing topics like feminism and white privilege, young women are more engaged, excited, and fired up than ever--but they also need guidance.
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Glimmer of Hope tells the story of how a group of teenagers raced to channel their rage and sorrow into action, and went on to create one of the largest youth-led movements in global history.
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Now, more than ever, young people are motivated to make a difference in a world they're bound to inherit. They're ready to stand up and be heard - but with much to shout about, where they do they begin? What can I do? How can I help? How I Resist is the response, and a way to start the conversation. To show readers that they are not helpless, and that anyone can be the change.
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A MEMOIR BY THE YOUNGEST RECIPIENT OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE As seen on Netflix with David Letterman "I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday." When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York.
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Marley Dias, the powerhouse girl-wonder who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign, speaks to kids about her passion for making our world a better place, and how to make their dreams come true!Marley Dias, the powerhouse girl-wonder who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign, speaks to kids about her passion for making our world a better place, and how to make their dreams come true!In this accessible guide with an introduction by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Marley Dias explores activism, social justice, volunteerism, equity and inclusion, and using social media for good. Drawing from her experience, Marley shows kids how they can galvanize their strengths to make positive changes in their communities, while getting support from parents, teachers, and friends to turn dreams into reality. Focusing on the importance of literacy and diversity, Marley offers suggestions on book selection, and delivers hands-on strategies for becoming a lifelong reader.
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What does it mean to resist? Throughout our nation's history, discrimination and unjust treatment of all kinds have prompted people to make their objections and outrage known. Some protests involve large groups of people, marching or holding signs with powerful slogans. Others start with quotes or hashtags on social media that go viral and spur changes in behavior. People can make their voices heard in hundreds of different ways. Join author Marke Bieschke on this visual voyage of resistance through American history. Discover the artwork, music, fashion, and creativity of the activists. Meet the leaders of the movements, and learn about the protests that helped to shape the United States from all sides of the political spectrum.
