What inspires young people to care?
This weekend, Americans will celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to commemorate the life and legacy of the famed civil rights leader. Across the country people will engage in acts of service inspired by the leader known for justice and social impact. In that spirit, we asked members of our Springtide Ambassadors Program (SAP) about what people, places, and things they’ve been exposed to that have inspired them to care about a particular issue.
Joelle, 23
Springtide Ambassador
Inspiration: Matt Bernstein (podcaster and Instagram influencer)
Inspired me to care about: transgender healthcare, Palestine, gun violence
“His posts raise awareness about different issues with collages on a cool background.”
Brendan, 23
Springtide Ambassador
Inspiration: Dewayne Noel (host of Dry Creek Wrangler podcast)
Inspired me to care about: healthy masculinity
“Dewayne has had a lot of points in his videos that have helped me navigate life as a young man with little direction. Oddly enough, I’ve been able to apply a bunch of horsemanship lessons in his podcasts to my daily life (even as somebody who has never interacted with a horse before).”
Sunny, 17
Springtide Ambassador
Inspiration: Jess Natale (creator of @so.informed on Instagram)
Inspired me to care about: abortion rights and political/social issues happening around the world
“[This account] has inspired me to look deeper into the political issues between Palestine and Israel; it keeps me engaged in real-life events and any updates about the war. It inspired me to care about this specific political issue because of the staggering statistics they provide about the death tolls and living conditions of people in Palestine. I am always invested in the posts and eager to stay informed about current news and conflicts around the world.”
Aimee, 23
Springtide Ambassador
Inspiration: Dan Levy (actor and producer)
Inspired me to care about: indigenous peoples’ history in Canada/North America
“Growing up in the United States, most of what I’d learned about Native Americans was in reference to Christopher Columbus, Squanto and Pilgrims around Thanksgiving, Sacagawea with Lewis and Clark, Pocahontas, and the California missions. It wasn’t until I was in college that I fully realized there were indigenous peoples in Canada (northern North America) too. With Schitt’s Creek creator Dan Levy bringing awareness to the University of Alberta’s free “Indigenous Canada” course, I began to learn about First Nations people and their culture, the history of residential schools, and the call for reparations.”
Christian, 26
SAP Leadership Fellow
Inspiration: Malcolm X
Inspired me to care about: religious equity
“Malcolm X showed me that even when we are so sure about our faith, we must be open to accepting what we do not know. He also allowed me to see that in certain cases, we must not be afraid of wanting to give our very life for what we believe in.”
Gabriella, 19
Springtide Ambassador
Inspiration: Nancy Pearcey (author of Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity)
Inspired me to care about: education and our understanding of worldview/truth
“Pearcey thoughtfully explains how the current culture tends to process values and facts on two separate playing fields, such as how faith and science are often considered separate rather than hand-in-hand. Therefore, this book compelled me to seriously consider my basis of truth and then apply it actively, intentionally, and unashamedly to every social/political issue I encounter. Fundamentally, this book shaped my outlook on politics across many issues.”
Mirelia, 16
Springtide Ambassador
Inspiration: John Green (novelist)
Inspired me to care about: equitable global healthcare and treatment for curable diseases
“I was inspired by his passion for the specific cause of tuberculosis. I appreciate how he puts his advocacy into action. He not only spreads awareness through his wordsbut also has multiple nonprofits in which 100% of proceeds go towards making healthcare more accessible in other countries.”
Leo, 18
Springtide Ambassador
Inspiration: Jason aka BarsofSteel (rapper)
Inspired me to care about: increasing access to all types of education in low-income communities
“Using emotional personal stories along with moving metaphors and uses of rhetoric, Jason paints a political portrait with his words. With us both being artists in Madison, WI, I was able to see Barsofsteel perform in person, which only furthered my understanding of his message. Finally, he is a great human with a creative approach to art, who is inspired to make a change in my very own community.”
Serafeim, 18
Springtide Ambassador
Inspiration: Pose (American drama series originally aired on FX)
Inspired me to care about: queer awareness, economic divide, education opportunity, ethnic awareness, and political unity
“Film media and ‘Pose’ have inspired me to explore my political passions and opinions through the display of diverse struggle and triumph. Through exposure, I am taken out of my experience to understand others, resulting in a more empathetic political outlook.”
Claire, 22
SAP Leadership Fellow
Inspiration: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Inspired me to care about: activism
“When I first read Strength to Love, I was struck by how contemporary the book felt. It enabled me to see with painstaking clarity that the political and social issues we face in this age are not breaking news, but a continuation of the same struggles and same hopes of our ancestors.”
Learn more about what inspires young people to care in our newest report, Cultivating Care: How & Why Young People Participate in Civic Life.
