10 Black Girls That Are Changing the World

Originally published on October 8, 2018

Black women and girls have historically been at the forefront of creating change. Black women have been trailblazers in practically every field. We've invented products, created new genres of music, we've lead people to freedom and have even dominated various courts and fields.

We have done the work and continue to do the work. If you're not convinced, take a look at these 10 Black girls that are working to change the world:

1. Marley Dias

At age 11 Marley Dias launched a social media campaign called #1000BlackGirlBooks because she was tired of reading books about “white boys and dogs.” The campaign collected over 10,000 books with Black girl protagonists that she then donated to libraries around the nation.

Now at age 13 Marley has made it onto the Forbes '30 Under 30' list. She's spoken at the United State of Women. This year she also published her own book on activism titled: "Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!"

2. Journey Jamison

"I think that the future is overrated. Everybody needs to take action right now." - Journey Jamison

16-year-old Journey Jamison is from the South Side of Chicago and working to save victims of gun violence. In July of 2016 she was able to save the life of a man who had been shot. She received first aid training from Ujimaa Medics, a Chicago-based Black health collective that works to teach people how to respond to gun violence. With her training she was able to act faster than paramedics and is encouraging everyone else to learn how they could do the same.

3. Zoe Terry

11-year old Zoe Terry is the founder and CEO of a non-profit she created called Zoe's Dolls. The brand grew out of Terry’s experience as a victim of bullying. The mission of her non-profit is to give toys and dolls to Black and brown girls in need as a reminder that they are special. Check out more about Zoe's work here.

4. Mikaila Ulmer

13-year old Mikaila Ulmer is the chief executive of Me & The Bees Lemonade. Her lemonade is now stocked in 500+ stores across the U.S. including Whole Foods Market. Some of the proceeds from her company also got towards organizations that protect honey bees. Check out more about Mikaila here!

5. Mo'ne Davis

You may recognize this face from the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine. Mo'ne Davis is a baseball extraordinaire. At age 13, she became the first girl to ever pitch a shutout in a Little League Baseball World Series. She has since made it into the Baseball hall of fame and received the award for Best Breakthrough Athlete at the ESPYs.

6. Amiya Alexander

Detroit native Amiya Alexander is a dancer and entrepreneur who at the age of nine created her own mobile dance studio. The dance academy housed in a hot pink school bus caters to Detroit students ages 2-12 teaching everything from jazz and hip-hop to ballet and salsa. Amiya also has a mission to fight childhood obesity by not only providing creative workouts but teaching classes on healthy eating. Find out more about Amiya's work on her website.

7. Maya Penn

Maya Penn is an 18-year old eco-designer, entrepreneur and activist (just to name a few of her titles). At 8 years old Maya created a nonprofit called "Maya's Ideas 4 the Planet" selling handmade accessories and clothing using eco friendly materials. Since then Maya has given 3 TED talks (that's right THREE), been featured in Forbes magazine and even received commendation from President Obama back in 2016. To learn more about the great work that Maya continues to do, visit her website.

8 & 9. Kayla & Keonna Davis

Kayla Davis, age 19, and Keonna Davis, age 21, are the youngest Black women in the U.S. to own a beauty supply store. The two came up with the idea after they were both unable to find jobs. Their mother advised them to create their own business and they did just that, finding a common interest in their hair. They hope to expand their business into a chain. Keep up with their growth on their website.

   10. Kheris Rogers

11-year old Kheris Rogers launched her brand Flexin' My Complexion after years of being the target of bullies due to her skin color. With one viral tweet from her older sister she received a wave support that encouraged her to launch her brand. She has since blown up beyond imagine. Her products have been seen on Lupita Nyong'o and Lena Waithe among others. Get your #FlexinMyComplexion gear here.