Advice From One Of Gen Z’s Most Prominent Social Change Leaders On Maintaining Sustainable Movements

In July, The New York Times named the Black Lives Matter movement and its summer 2020 protests as the largest social movement in U.S. history. As a largely decentralized organization, BLM organizers have used social media in innumerable ways to rally supporters and demonstrators. Gen Z in particular have used platforms like Twitter and Instagram to push for crucial policy change in addition to awareness, showing the integral role young adults have played in the push for systemic change. Jarred by the death of George Floyd and the legacy of state-sanctioned violence it displayed, Brooklyn native Chelsea Miller felt the need to re-center the message of the movement in the midst of confusion. 

“We were in the middle of a pandemic and still Black lives were under attack,” said Miller in our recent interview, recalling how she felt before deciding to step out into the streets of her city the night of May 30th. “The first night that I went out, it was wild. No one knew what was happening. There really wasn’t any central leadership on the ground,” she said. Wanting to ensure the narrative didn’t feed into the destructive and divisive perspective being portrayed in the media and by the White House, Miller and Co-Founder Nialah Edari, organized a non-violent protest to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, also known as the burning of Black Wall Street. “I think that when you see something and you don’t like it, or when you see something and you believe that there’s a better way of it being done, show up at that moment and take a stand,” she said. 

The duo posted an open invitation to social media at noon proposing a march with specific demands for police accountability and a clear-cut path to reclaiming the narrative of peaceful protesting. By 8 pm the post went viral. What transpired was one of the largest non-violent protests in New York City to date and the launching of the youth-led civil rights group, Freedom March NYC. “Leadership isn’t about what you will do in times of comfort, but how you will step out in times of uncertainty,” shared Miller, who’d previously worked on domestic policy as one of the youngest interns at the Obama White House. 

Since their first organized event, Freedom March NYC has led hundreds of in-person and “virtual” marches, vigils, and community events promoting voter registration. Many of their demonstrations have gone viral, including their speech at the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington this past summer. Adopting a 360 approach to activism centered around policy, civic engagement, voter mobilization, and digital organizing, the organization has raised over $50,000 for their Freedom Fall voting initiative, graced publications from Rolling Stone to Vogue, and have even appeared in Ciara’s “Rooted” music video.

“A lot of people ask what would they have done during the civil rights movement. The answer is, whatever you’re doing right now.” One of the youngest to ever be named on the Brooklyn Power 50, listing the most influential people in the borough and often seen as the go-to publication for finding NYC’s power players and public office potentials, Miller prides herself on building and maintaining sustainable movements. I had the pleasure of speaking with the cofounder to find out what she believes each of us can do to build our communities and why we ought to pay attention to NextGen leaders on the ground.

Do What Fits Your Lifestyle

Mentioning the countless number of Black squares popping up on social media over the summer as a “slap in the face to the movement,” Miller states the real chance to create change and organize a call to action was lost there. “It just felt very performative,” she explained. “For us, it’s not just about standing in solidarity, it’s about standing as a comrade,” Miller states that camaraderie is predominantly centered around continuously thinking of how you can actively engage with the conversation. For those struggling with exactly how to do that, the Columbia University alum suggests contributing in ways that make sense and are sustainable for you. 

Miller shared the story of how a young White female who’d attended several marches stepped up after noticing several organizers losing their voices. Organizing a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for megaphones, Miller revealed within three days every organizer in New York City had a megaphone. “To me, it’s not necessarily about what you do. It’s about how you contribute and where your skills and talents can be used.”

Connect With Those Already Doing The Work

“There’s a Stacey Abrams in every community. Don’t just wait until they push the senate to pay attention to them,” responded Miller when asked what resources we can connect with to get involved. Tapping any of the many organizers of the movement to see how they can be of service to the work you’re doing and vice versa is what she says is the best way to get started. “There are hundreds of other Black women, gender non-conforming, transwomen, who are doing this work, so show up for them.”  Miller also emphasized doing your due diligence in checking the validity of sources when trying to stay informed of important developments in the movement for Black lives. “All of us fall victim to misinformation. The question is whether or not you’re going to do the necessary research and work to just make sure that you are double-checking facts.”

Build Sustainably

Miller emphasized the importance of building an organizational infrastructure with Freedom March NYC, from funding to management, in order to do the work sustainably. Keeping in mind the many misinformation campaigns steering youth and Black voters away from the polls, she says it was imperative to push legislative efforts in conjunction with protests. “You have to do both. You have to demonstrate. We also need to make sure that you take it to the ballot.” Working with elected officials, such as Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Madame Vice President Kamala Harris before her ticket run was announced, the organization put in the work behind the scenes to ensure supporters turned out on election day.

“We need to make sure from a legislative perspective that we aren’t just creating Band-Aid solutions to various surgical issues, but we’re thinking about long-term impact,” she said, discussing what should be done after the historic win. Miller pointed out many supporters have committed to monthly, automatic donations to campaigns, which she believes will be crucial in upcoming months. “There’s a lot of work that needs to happen at the local level right now,” she said, recalling the many legislative issues faced by the Obama administration without the majority support of the Senate. 

At the time of our call, Miller was working in Georgia doing organizing work for the Senate runoff. “We’ve shown that we’ve been able to [show up] for the presidential elections, so local elections are going to be no different. We’re tired of incompetent leaders and it’s clear from this past summer that we have a lot of them,” she exclaimed. “We’re taking names and we’re taking notes and people are going to be losing their jobs.”

Continuing to stay plugged into the voices of organizers, amplifying them, and sustainably supporting their efforts remains the key to maintaining the movement. For Freedom March NYC, long-term solutions include developing a new youth commission in NYC to work with elected officials to remove officers from classrooms and creating more opportunities and infrastructure for mental health resources and education for underserved communities. They’ve also launched the Freedom Fund to assist changemakers and activists in their need to fulfill their work.

Don’t Count Out The Youth

“I think that it’s important to keep in mind that young people are leading movements,” she said. “We’re not the leaders of tomorrow, we’re the leaders of today.” Speaking of Gen-Z’s impact in particular, Miller wasn’t shy to magnify their unapologetic nature, familiarity with discussing topics surrounding change, and unparalleled ability to organize across the digital landscape. “We show up in ways that challenge the system. And I think that is where our power lies.” 

Miller says she and her team are occupied with ensuring as many young people as possible are prepared, equipped, and trained to do the work. This looks like deep pushes for policy initiatives over the long-term through school and government partnerships. For the upcoming year, Miller shared Freedom March NYC will be developing more digital content and continuing to partner with larger brands, organizations, and institutions. Miller herself has recently been named Albany State University’s first Activist-in-Residence, joining the faculty to support in the discourse around racial justice and how it connects to what’s happening in our world today. She says the org hopes that when things eventually open back up that there be a place erected for organizers to more conveniently meet. Miller will also be appearing in the new six-part docuseries, BET and CBS News Present: Boiling Point. The series premiered on February 21st and will examine the pivotal moments in Black America’s longstanding fight for racial equality.