NextGen America Announces List of 30 Young Black Changemakers to Celebrate Black History Month

To honor and celebrate Black History Month, NextGen is recognizing young Black changemakers making history in 2022

Austin, TX — Today, NextGen America announced its “30 Around 30” list, featuring young Black political figures, community organizers, activists and creatives who are helping shape political discourse around the country and transforming the way Black stories are represented nationwide.

The list features national figures like New York Congressman Mondaire Jones, poet and political strategist Camonghne Felix and Congressional Black Caucus Executive Director Vincent Evans. It also includes leaders in local communities across the country, like Pennsylvania political organizer Ociele Hawkins and Arizonan poet Trinity Miracle.

“For this year’s Black History Month, we wanted to highlight Black success, Black Joy and Black excellence. Rather than looking to the past, NextGen is focused on the future and celebrating the remarkable people shaping it,” NextGen America National Political Manager Justin Atkins said. “The young Black changemakers on this list are leaders who inspire us and are pushing our country toward a more just and equitable future for all — not just this month but every day of the year.”

During Black History Month, NextGen America is committed to amplifying Black voices and stories, and believes that celebration and action must go hand-in-hand. That means protecting the right to vote, demanding urgent climate action and advocating for student debt cancelation this month and all year long.

NextGen’s student debt cancellation advocacy campaign aims to bring awareness to Black and brown borrowers, who owe a disproportionate amount of student debt, to increase engagement and action on the issue. NextGen will continue its efforts to advocate for broad cancellation of student debt in the amount $50,000 until the President responds with an executive order providing relief to over 40 million borrowers.

###

About NextGen America

NextGen America is the leading national organization for engaging young people through voter education, registration and mobilization. We invite 18-to-35 year olds — the largest and most diverse generation in American history — into our democracy to ensure our government works for them and to find new solutions to the dire challenges facing our society and the world. Since 2013, NextGen America has registered more than 1.4 million young voters and educated many millions more, delivering more than the margin of victory for progressives in key races and building an electorate that will lead American politics for decades to come.