The last few years have thrown us a lot of curveballs. This three-year pandemic-aversary is an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the last three years and to give ourselves permission to rest our minds and bodies. (Mental) health is wealth, ya’ll! If you need a boost, check out our mental health resource hub, a great spot to start prioritizing your emotional well-being.

AND, in the midst of a global health emergency, we also underwent perhaps the largest and most widespread racial reckoning of our generation, followed by nail-biting elections and the ongoing climate crisis.

Yeah, it’s been a doozy.

But we also want to celebrate all the wins–big and small–that young people have achieved these last three years. For starters, the first Gen Z member of Congress, Maxwell Frost, was elected into office last year and we saw a record-breaking youth voter turnout in the 2020 and 2022 elections, proving that young people want to have their voices heard! There have also been significant developments toward student loan forgiveness, and young people have catapulted into advocacy and action in a way no other generation has seen. 

You know what else is cause for celebration? DoSomething’s 30th birthday in June! Stay tuned for how you can join us in celebrating this milestone ;)

Let’s Do This!

DoSomething

Marginalized voices are essential to our history, but many of them are censored by book bans. In fact, most book bans target titles related to race and racism and the LGBTQIA+ community, which is an erasure that we’re not about. 

Our members are diving into banned books through our program Uncensored, and they shared their thoughts with us:

“I read The Hate you Give by Angie Thomas. Knowing that this book is one of the most banned books worldwide infuriated me, because black voices as well as black voices and opinions are always silenced,” said DoSomething member Anaya C., 20. “Black literature deserves recognition beyond Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream’ speech. Stories such as these are real and educational. They are important especially to white people because it combats ignorance. This book made me appreciate stories of the marginalized voices because I relate, and because that story could have been me. It could have been my brother or my mother. It could have been my friend. Yet it is being hidden from school literature because of the controversy around it that should cease to exist.” 

“I read the Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. The value that this book adds to society is that it opens people's eyes to the oppression of minority groups, and how people strive to be socially accepted by society when really they do not have to change for others wants,” said DoSomething member Erin T., 17. “This can lead to increased advocacy for such programs supporting minority groups and their rights…I hope that these banned titles will become more revealed to society, so people are able to further unveil society's flaws and try to combat that.”

Ready to join Uncensored and challenge the status quo? When you do, we’ll sweeten the deal by giving you the chance to earn a $1k scholarship!

Have you heard… about the Philadelphia business district reaching 50% women-owned businesses? Just in time for Women’s History Month, a major business and culture hub in South Philly reached 160 businesses owned by women.

ICYMI… Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman and person of Southeast Asian descent to win the award for best actress at the Oscars. Watch her inspiring acceptance speech here!

Environmental wins… A new plant-based meat alternative made from mycelium could change the game for reducing food waste and curbing the environmental impact of the meat industry by offering a more sustainable alternative. Pretty cool!

Fastweb Opportunity 

It's March, so you know what that means: Madness! Our friends at CollegeXpress are giving away a $1,000 no-essay scholarship through March 31st! And all you have to do is answer one simple question. 

Complete a free profile on CollegeXpress and answer the following to be entered: What is your favorite college mascot?

Calling all civically engaged rockstars! 

Our friends at 18byVote have an awesome (and paid!) civic research opportunity for young people and they want YOU to apply! You’ll join a youth-led, youth-driven fellowship program to explore youth civic engagement across the US. Applications are due on Friday, March 17. Apply today!

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