Meet Youth Climate Organizer, Co-Founder of Zero Hour & Author of Youth To Power

by Reza Cristián

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, which is set aside to celebrate our beautiful planet and note the start of the modern environmental movement. 

On April 22nd 1970, early eco-warriors were given the opportunity to voice their concerns about how we are hurting the Earth, and this day in particular, a weekday between spring break and finals, was chosen so youth advocates were more likely to come together and rally.

What the founder of Earth Day, former senator Gaylord Nelson, didn’t know back then, is how the conversation of climate change activism would change over the course of 50 years.

Celebrating our mother Earth this year will be a little different, but that’s not stopping our youth from propelling sustainability activism through virtual strikes and protests. 

Now in April 2020, Gen Z is continuing to lead the movement and making this space inclusive for all. That is why for our Earth Day digital cover we are featuring Jamie Margolin, 18-year-old climate justice activist, co-founder of Zero Hour and now turned author of her fist book Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It. 

When she was 14-years old living in Seattle, Margolin became more aware of the destruction of our planet. She mentioned in her i-D article how she, “resorted to a less than ideal coping mechanism for dealing with the climate crisis -- cutting myself off from anything.”

The turning point for her was after the 2016 presidential election. “Faced with a fascist climate denying administration, I could no longer hide.” Since she was too young to vote and unable to voice her concerns through the polls, Margolin found her voice, took action, and hasn’t looked back ever since. 

Margolin has been at the forefront of the youth environmental movement for a few years and truly understands what it means to take charge of your own future. 

That’s when her book Youth to Power was born. An essential guide for youth change-makers, which is set to publish on June 2nd. It’s already receiving high-praise from numerous climate activists such as former Vice President Al Gore and American documentarian, Ken Burns and includes a foreword by Greta Thunberg. 

“It is the ultimate guide to being a young activist and organizer,” Margolin said.  “Youth to Power is the book I wish I had when I was first starting my activism, a guide to help me through the ups and downs of the activist and organizing world.” 

From confronting local politicians, to organizing a youth climate march in Washington D.C, to starting Zero Hour, a movement led by youth to tackle climate change, the community organization has grown to over 25 chapters from all over the world. 

It wasn’t until Margolin was “leading youth marching on Washington in the middle of a giant rainstorm, yelling chants and speaking to the crowd who showed up for us despite the stormy weather,” that she realized she was a leader in the sustainability movement.

As the daughter of a Colombian immigrant, Margolin grew up in a multicultural household and has become the face, along with her fellow #ThisIsZeroHour peers, for, “young women of color who had never had a space they could lead before in the environmental movement.”

She is inspired by Jasilyn Charger and Tokata Iron Eyes, as well as all the other youth that started the No Dakota Access Pipeline movement. 

“Seeing these badass young women start a massive movement to stand up to a pipeline made me believe that young women were capable of anything, and that if they could take massive action, so could I!” 

With the 2020 elections soon approaching, Margolin’s organization Zero Hour is working on a campaign called #Vote4OurFuture to mobilize youth to turn out and vote with the climate crisis as the #1 issue for Americans on the ballots.  

What some people don’t know about Margolin is she isn’t just, “the girl who fights climate change.” She also likes to write fiction, is an aspiring director, actress and screenwriter, advocates for LGBTQ+ justice, and loves music, art, and feminist movies and shows.

Margolin’s biggest piece of advice for youth advocates who are looking to get more involved is to take your passion and make that the center of your activism. 

“Do you love art? Use your art to uplift a cause. Are you a good writer? Use your writing to uplift a cause. Use whatever it is that is your passion to contribute to a cause that you care about.”

Be sure to join Jamie Margolin and the rest of #ThisIsZeroHour members for an Earth Day livestream here from April 22-24.