So far, the 2020s have proven to be a time of great change, and the past year has been no exception. In 2022, we witnessed a third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, watched girls and young women fight for gender equality in Iran, watched Russia escalate its invasion of Ukraine, protested after the Supreme Court was overthrown Roe v. calfand continued to fight for racial equality and social justice of all kinds.
Amid the hardship, however, there was immense hope – fueled primarily by young people. Gen-Z turned out in droves in the midterm elections, hampering the “red wave” predicted by the GOP; young LGBTQ people have defied homophobic rules in their cities and states; and groups like the ever-powerful Gen-Z for Change have been making waves in activist communities.
To recognize their work and the lasting change young people have made this year, Teen Vogue presents our annual 21 Under 21, a list of changemakers, influencers, activists and artists who have made a significant impact in both their communities and the world.
But as we celebrate these young people, we also understand that we don’t have to – young people are too often held up as the ones who will save the world, but it’s a task that shouldn’t necessarily rest on their shoulders. In our recent cover photo celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy, March for Our Lives, Delaney Tarr, co-founder of March for Our Lives, wrote of America’s gun violence crisis: “[The youth activist industrial] The complex focuses on… the individual vs the system, the youth vs everyone who should be responsible for this crisis. And at what price?”
So as you read about and celebrate these extraordinary young people who are undoubtedly doing their part to save the world, ask yourself how you can help. After all, we’re in this together.
Here are Teen Vogue21 under 21 2022: