On a Thursday evening in early June, thousands of protesters — some estimates put the number north of 10,000 — marched peacefully through the streets of downtown Nashville in support of Black lives. The demonstration, one of many organized across the country in response to the police killings of Black citizens including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, was a sight to behold. And the neatest part? The event was organized by Teens for Equality, an activist group led by several teenage girls. Since then, Teens for Equality has been involved in many other efforts, including another successful protest march on the Fourth of July and the sharing of anti-racist material via their Instagram account (@teens.4.equality). The teens’ actions earned them loads of media attention, and even a shoutout from former President Barack Obama on Twitter. It’s deeply heartening to see young people continuing the traditions of activism established by former Nashvillians like Diane Nash and the late Rep. John Lewis many years ago. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Best Activists
Teens for Equality
Photo: Eric England
