Five years into our Youth Fund for Social Change, we remain humbled and inspired by the many young people who are taking a stand and transforming systems that harm them and their peers. Over the past five years, we have seen young people advocate for a trauma center in their neighborhood, engage their elders to break cycles of violence, come out as “undocumented, unafraid and unapologetic,” and work to empower homeless LGBT youth, among other issues.

It took thousands of people camping out in parks around the country to convince the mainstream media to acknowledge that economic inequality is a major problem in our country.  One study found that use of the words “income inequality” in the media increased more than 500% in the weeks after the Occupy Wall Street Movement began.