AMINA KHALIQUE

Interviewed by Kiersten Hoff

Photographed by Kiersten Hoff

On her place of special meaning: The mural was actually painted in 2018, so this was, I can’t remember the name of the group, but they worked with a lot of people in the community to paint a mural that represents and celebrates the Bangladeshi community here in Hamtramck. The Bangladeshi is a majority here in this little community here in Hamtramck, which is also now referred to as Banglatown. But we are also a minority in Detroit as a whole, and so this mural is just supposed to celebrate the power of our community, the impact that we create.

“A lot of groups or individuals who may consider themselves feminists might think that my hijab is a symbol of oppression. Feminism is realizing how different we are in our identities, and celebrating those differences, and ensuring that we are all sort of uplifting each other and are able to be present in positions of politics and positions of leadership.”

On what makes her a leader: I think what makes me a leader is that passion that I have for serving my community. I grew up in poverty for the majority of my life– and I would say that my family and I are in a much better place, but, you know, we’re not super wealthy or anything, we still struggle and we have a lot of financial challenges even to this day. So I think those experiences that I’ve had growing up as a woman of color, as a woman in general, as a daughter of immigrants, I think all of those sort of intersectional identities and experiences that I have really pushed me to realize what my community needs and how I can be here for it. And I think that’s what makes a true leader is not necessarily leading with your own perspective but with the perspective and experiences of an entire community and making sure that you are putting them first. I think that I’ve always sort of led with that mindset and in any position that I hold in the future or moving forward in general I’ll continue to do that.

“Us young people, although a lot of people underestimate us, we have a lot of passion, we have a lot of drive”

To those who doubt young leaders: We are all in this together. Even though a lot of us are young, like I said before, we have a lot of power, and our age gives us a unique perspective and tool to organize, to advocate in our communities. We need to be open to the idea that it’s time for new leadership, it’s time for a new generation to take initiative and to pave the way forward for the rest of us. Older generations, the’ve done a lot for us and I don’t think that their work is done yet; I think at this stage it’s important for them to support us because we’re gonna need all the support that we can get. So yeah, I would say be super supportive, we could really use that knowledge and wisdom. Anybody who really identifies as a feminist, regardless of age, will always be supportive of other women who are doing anything in their power to creat a difference and impact their community.

CALLIE RAMIREZ

INTERVIEWED BY PHOENIX MINTUS

Photographed by Phoenix Mintus

On her place of special meaning: On her place of special meaning: I chose the Fox Valley River (in Aurora, Illinois) as my place of special meaning because it's a really nice place and it's isolated from everything else. It's like a little paradise. It’s a good place to ground yourself and just think.

The most rewarding part of being a leader: I just like watching the community work together, people making friends. Especially at the river cleanups, I like the friendships that have grown over the past few river cleanups. And it's just super nice to watch.

Who has inspired her journey: My mom, she has really supported me through all of this. She's been my main supporter since day one. And so has my dad, he gives me awesome pep talks before each river cleanup and I'm just really grateful to have them.

“I’m passionate about working, especially with the river cleanups. I want to do as much as I can to help the environment.”

— Callie Ramirez

LILLY TAGUE-BLEAU

INTERVIEWED BY GILLIAN CAMPBELL

Photographed by Gillian Campbell

“ I think ultimately it’s just human rights as the bottom line to every other type of activism that I do: reproductive rights, climate issues, racial justice–it’s all just human rights and equity. I want to make sure that people are being worried about and not the dollars or the numbers.
”

— Lilly Tague-Bleau

On her place of special meaning - (Veterans Park, Manchester New Hampshire) As I have worked in politics and activism, I have given speeches and found my voice. This was the first place where I had a chance to speak. This was at the Climate Strike in September of 2019. I reached out to an organizer, Jennifer Dube, from 350NH, and she told me how I could help out, and she wanted a speaker. Standing in front of at least 100 people was such an exhilarating feeling; to feel like progress was actually being made.

Is the burden on us to change older generations' views, or can the younger generations work independently of them? - That's a question that I think about a lot. How much can a person really change? Can beliefs really change? I have seen some really inspirational older folk, especially with the Extinction Rebellion, where they are accepting of everything and supportive of the youth. They have this vulnerability of ‘I'm here to learn and change my ways’. And so I think, in a way, yes. I don't think the burden of change should be placed on us, but I think older generations are certainly capable of stepping up to a changing world. 

To learn more about the organization 350NH Lilly is involved in click here.

MYKIRAH RUSSELL-HOPSON

INTERVIEW BY CAITLIN MULDOWNEY

Photographed by Caitlin Muldowney.

Her Place of Special Meaning: City Hall and Dilworth Park because I spent a lot of time here with my family and friends. Over the summer I was able to record Youtube videos here with my friend Destiny for my channel. It makes me feel safe and gives me the freedom to express myself and have fun.

On Why Feminism is Personal: I know for a fact that women are still overlooked in this day and time especially Black women. We’re very much overlooked and I really want people to see that we need women. Women are the backbone of a lot of things, whether it is political, whether it is something with everyday life.

“I really have to fight harder to prove that I am serious about what I’m saying and I’m gonna make a change.”

— Mykirah Russell-Hopson

Julianna Brunicardi

INTERVIEW BY HALEY GLOVER

Photographed by Victoria Vongsaphay

First Political Act: Something that helped me get to where I am today would be joining the Mock Trial team at school. My Mock Trial advisors gave me a lot of confidence, as did just going into the courtroom for the trials. And it pushed me to want to work on my public speaking and just make me feel more confident in general. I would like to thank my Mock Trial Advisors, Marla Farbacher and Jenny Siddiqi for their continuous support.

“There are no qualifications, anyone can make a difference”

The Strengths of Underestimation: Because I am a woman and I am younger sometimes people can underestimate that. I do think it’s a strength to be underestimated, because then you have more of an opportunity to show them that you are someone to be respected, as a woman, or as someone from the younger generation.

“If multiple people start taking smaller steps towards making an impact, it could lead to something so much bigger”

Her Advice to the Younger Generation: The advice that I would give to the younger generations would be just to care about what is going on. I hear a lot of people say that they don’t care about what’s going on in the world because it doesn’t effect them. But I think that something as small as just caring about what’s going on, and listening, can help you improve so much in being a leader because then it will inspire you to want to take part in helping with campaigns and on.

ZULEYMA PEÑA

INTERVIEW BY ANIKA KALRA

Photographed by Ari Espinal.

ZULEYMA PEÑA, NOMINEE OF NYS ASSEMBLYWOMAN ARI ESPINAL, DISTRICT 39

Place of Special Meaning: A place of special meaning for me is Corona Plaza. It's located right off the seven train on 103rd Street, Corona Plaza. For me, that's a special place because it's a place that I remember throughout my childhood. We used to move around a lot when I was younger, so anytime the rent went up in any of the apartments we lived in, we moved somewhere else. But, Corona Plaza was always a place that we went to… A lot of my memories consist of my dad taking me there for ice cream or just to clear our heads or to go check out the latest Harry Potter movie. It was our place of outing… Now as I'm older, every time I pass by that spot, it reminds me of my father. It reminds me of our community. 

“How can I be a resource to my folks?”

Advice to Younger Women: I would say to my younger self, but also women that are looking to enter these fields, [is] we need to be in more spaces that we aren’t in yet. It’s crazy the decisions that are made by folks who don’t know what we live through… Especially as first generation, as [a] daughter of immigrants, we are creating these stories because there was never anyone like us before… It wasn’t until 3 years ago that I connected with my Mexican culture and was proud to be Mexican. I feel for me, my parents were always looked down upon because we were immigrants… all the stigma around it doesn’t make you want to associate with it… Once I was able to connect, and I wish I was able to connect sooner…that really is powerful, and inspiring and empowering to other people that look like us, that speak like us, and share the same experience as us.

Her Relationship with Assemblywoman Ari Espinal: I learned a lot about connecting with community based organizations, working with constituents [and] hosting events… Just getting to know who she was as a person and the work that she's doing and how much people admired her was truly amazing. I knew that she was someone that just wanted to do better. And she just wanted to see how she can help, and she much reminded me of myself where we're not the type of people that want to be out there taking credit for the work that's being done— we’re the people that want to do the work. The credit will come— that's not what we're searching for. It's more ‘how can I be better for my people and how can I help my people?’ … I feel all this time I had to look out for myself. And right here, I have someone that truly believes in me and sees things in me that I don't see in myself. And I think that's super powerful and that's so important in being a woman and being someone that doesn't have those connections…So I've always been someone that [believes] we have to pay it forward.

“I see myself as someone that just wants to be able to create a meaningful impact, but an impact that has a domino effect all over.
”

LILY COADY

INTERVIEW BY MADELINE ELKES

Photographed by Madeline Elkes

LILY COADY, NOMINEE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE SENATOR MELANIE LEVESQUE, DISTRICT 12

Place of Special Meaning:

My place of special meaning is the turtle garden at Hollis Primary school because I feel like it’s a good place to come back to when trying to go back to that raw creativity that comes with being a child or the imagination that I used to have. I’m a very creative person, and I think when I was 5 or 6, young, that particular characteristic was saturated. All I did was fun and creative stuff, and it’s helped me do real meaningful projects now like my creativity with designing graphics for Senator Levesque - it plays out well. But it’s nice to come back to see when, you know, the efforts were carefree. I had a great time here too, childhood was awesome. 

Why are you majoring in Political Science at University of Pennsylvania?

I ended up pursuing a senior project last year where I toured a detention center, talked to people who had been affected by the northeast immigration system, people who have had members of their family deported. It was sort of an investigation to remind myself why I want to do the work that I want to do. I’m majoring in political science as a start to eventually become an immigration attorney, which is my long term goal. But it all ties back to the work that I’ve been doing here that keeps myself motivated and inspires me just to talk to these people too. 

“Of course, [with] advocacy, I’ll still volunteer and do stuff probably forever. I can’t wait to be one of those old lady hippies at whatever protest is going on in 50 years.”

NATALIE LEWIS

INTERVIEW BY MADELINE ELKES

NATALIE LEWIS, NOMINEE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE SENATOR MELANIE LEVESQUE, DISTRICT 12

What inspires you to pursue your desired career path?

Long term, I would love to have a career in the legal field. That is one of the goals that I am building my skills to attain. As of the last couple of months, the movement that has absolutely lit my fire more than ever has been the Black Lives Matter movement. Having the opportunity to spearhead the first rally in my hometown has been both eye opening and transformative for me. I would love to pursue a career in either civil rights law or family law.

My interests in family law are supported by my experience working at a nonprofit organization that supports victims and survivors of domestic and sexual assault. I interned at Bridges in Nashua, NH, two years ago, and there is where I started to build my advocacy skills. That is where I felt like I could make a difference. Having that experience has translated to my new found organizer status with the Black Lives Matter movement and given me some confidence to share my knowledge and help support my community.

More on the suffrage movement: Not enough people are talking about the murder of Black women under the guise of the BLM movement or the murder of black trans women. For me, I see potentially with the suffrage movement, the modern suffrage movement, getting more women in politics, getting more women equal pay, which is another issue in of itself. I think that times up and we really need to come out and show up and speak out because black women deserve better, they have always deserved better, and we are a part of the suffrage movement whether people recognize it or not.

INDIA CRAWFORD

INTERVIEW BY ELLIE BROEREN

Photographed by P. Robert Broeren Jr.

INDIA CRAWFORD, NOMINEE OF OHIO STATE REP. JUANITA BRENT, DISTRICT 12

Her career goals: I used to always be reluctant to tell people that one day I want to run for electoral office or I want to be the next president, because that to me just kind of sounds silly out loud, even though within myself, I knew that’s always what I’ve wanted to do, but it just seemed so unachievable. I used to look where I was at, and I felt like I was 1,001 steps away from getting there. So seeing Kamala get appointed kind of was like a reaffirmation for me, like “No, you can do this too, you can run for office one day.” So that’s inevitably my end goal. 

Where she finds female empowerment in her life: I briefly mentioned how I was adopted, and I was adopted by a lesbian couple, so I grew up in a household where it was just women. And at a young age I struggled with embracing my family because the dynamic of my family was just so different from the norm. But growing up with two women in the household and seeing them be unapologetically themselves in their relationship that often wasn’t accepted by mainstream society, was nothing short of inspiring to me because it taught me not only how to be myself unapologetically but also to be authentic and brave and that there is always someone that’s going to resonate with you."

“From my experience as a young Black woman, even if we’re given a seat at the table, it’s really rare we’re given a microphone”

VALERIE GOMEZ

INTERVIEWED BY SARAH DECARO-RINCON.

Photographed by Sarah DeCaro-Rincon

VALERIE GOMEZ, NOMINEE OF COMM. MARGARITA GUZMAN OF WEST NEW YORK, NJ

Women’s Issue that is most near and dear to her: As I just turned 23, I've really grown into my womanhood more. I've realized more things that seem very unfair. And I think the top of that list is the pay gap between men and women. Recently, I was just reading and looking into it more. Everyone already knows that women are obviously still discriminated against in the workplace. I remember reading that Hispanic and Latino earn about 54 cents to the dollar compared to white men in the workplace. And I see that now, more than ever myself, as a woman in the workplace. As a teacher, I see the work that we do as caretakers, and as people that put their emotions into their work. And even then it's not appreciated, and even then we still don't have fair pay. So I think that is definitely one of the most important women's issues that I relate to every day

“We do the work. We put the 110% effort.”

Her background: I was born and raised in low income communities. Again, born and raised in Hudson County. Being Hispanic, coming from two parents that came to this country at a very young age, all those things play into who I am. I find myself almost always saying the answer to the question “Hey, where are you from?” is almost always: I'm Salvadoran because I do very readily identify with my parents ethnicity. That is my cultural background. That is the pride that I have. And I bring that everywhere with me. Being from a low income community makes me aware, makes me very aware of my place in society or where we've been placed, and it also makes me aware of in equality and justice, right. I had that experience and I keep that in my back pocket every single day. Now, more than ever, as a teacher, my background plays a part every single day because my kids are mostly black students, black students in a very low income community. And even then, as much as I can relate, our experiences are very different. But it does help me to be empathetic towards my students, empathetic towards my cause and why I do my job every day

“I wanted a challenge.”

MICHELLE BONILLA

INTERVIEW BY NATALIE TRAN.

Photograph provided by Michelle Bonilla.

MICHELLE BONILLA, NOMINEE OF MAYOR TRACY GANT OF EDMONSTON, MARYLAND

Her Place of Special Meaning: The park that’s down the street. It’s definitely a nice place to just think to yourself. It’s actually why I started out volunteering, so it does have a special place in my heart. I was helping out with a summer camp and I was nervous because I was only 16. I was like “what if the kids don’t like me?” But, everything was fine and I just love that park because of it.

“I love getting involved with the children in the community. That’s what made me want to be a teacher.”

Advice to Other Latina Women: Being a Latina woman, you’re not taken very seriously. You’re definitely going to have to fight for your voice to be heard. It’s troubling being a Latina woman, but it’s worth it in the end when you get the end result.