Not yet out of their teen years, it seems that these young women are doing more for the world around them than most of our leaders. Meet the faces of our future
The next generation of women set to run the world is already making their marks, often long before they’ve even left high school. By taking matters of equality, visibility, and women’s rights into their own hands, they are leading the way for not just for the future but for literally this very moment. This month, School of Doodle launched online. An online platform run by teen girls, for teen girls (or anyone identifying as such) that was successfully Crowdfunded after it received the support of women like Courtney Love, Yoko Ono, Kim Gordon and Kathleen Hanna – with the idea being that imagination is one of the most important tools needed to rule the world.
And while the approval of Courtney and co. is pretty wonderful, behind the platform there are 80 trailblazing teens giving everything the thumbs up (or down) – which means that nothing gets onto the site if it's not approved by them. Considering most of these young women have already started their own organisations or initiatives, we think the future feels like it's in pretty capable hands. As School of Doodle partners with Dazed and prepares to take on London with an epic day of workshops, panels and performances (30 April) hosted at Protein Studios in Shoreditch, we get acquainted with just five of the Doodle girls set to change the world (if they're not already doing so).
JULES SPECTOR
Founder and sole author of teenfeminist.com (a website that provides "Feminism from a teenage perspective”), a teen advisors for Girl Up, a UN Foundation organisation, an intern at the Harnisch Foundation, an NFP dedicated to investing in the future of women everywhere, and a poet, performer, and published writer. It’s incredibly inspiring to know that Jules Spector is just 16-years-old... which really makes your (my) 20-something-year-old-self reconsider hitting that snooze button so often.
CAMERON LAWRENCE
At just 16-years-old, and still a high school junior, New York-based Cameron Lawrence is an extremely active voice that’s pushing for diversity and racial equality. Mostly recently she’s translated one of her study projects into an IRL book project. Titled F For Feminist, the book is an illustrated guide to all things feminism and is set to be published next year.
AMANDA GORMAN
In spring last year, a now-18-year-old Amanda Gorman wowed the literary world when she was named the first Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate for her performance of “Neighborhood Anthem”, a poem celebrating her neighbourhood and the work of her mother within it. But she was already making waves with her activist work for One Pen, One Page, an organisation that she founded to help fight illiteracy and inequality through the medium of creative writing. Enrolling at Harvard next year, we imagine this is just the precursor for her world domination.
NADYA OKAMOTO
At 18-years-old, Nadya Okamoto, a Portland, Oregon-based activist, has already experienced the realities of being a homeless young woman – with, inevitably, one of those experiences being getting your period. Camions of Care was started with the mission of providing feminine hygiene products to homeless women and girls and now operates in eight states (including Afghanistan). When she’s not working for Camions, she’s leading Catlin Gabel's Mock Trial, Equality Enforcers, a club fighting for gender equality and education for girls in developing countries, as well as Asian Pride Club… that, or she's dancing.
JADEN BÁEZ
15-year-old Jaden Baez is an LA-based, Mexican-Persian activist making noise about diversity and representation by breaking down stereotypes for WoC and calling out mainstream media via her Twitter and Instagram for its continual white-washing.
School of Doodle will launch in London on Saturday 30 April at London's Protein Studios, keep an eye on their Facebook and Dazed for upcoming event details