Get Inspired By Amazing Activists: The Everyday Heroes of Activism
The world is full of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The everyday heroes of activism. Learn from activists who dedicate their time, energy, and voices to their causes. Every activist has a story, a reason why they fight for what they believe in. Their stories can ignite your own passion and help you identify the cause closest to your heart.
I spent months researching and my favorite part was reading the stories of activists. Some are icons now, but all are ordinary people who use their strengths creatively to make the change they want to see in the world.
Want to get inspired in your activism? Browse their stories.
Environmental activists play a crucial role in safeguarding our planet. They raise awareness about environmental threats and push for sustainable solutions. Their diverse activism methods protect ecosystems and combat climate change. Learn from activists using creative methods in support of the Earth.
Peter von Tiesenhausen, Artist and Activist
In Canada, Peter Von Tiesenhausen prevented a natural gas pipeline from being laid through his property, using legal intervention. But not the kind you might imagine; he used a copyright to protect his land.
Greta Thunberg, Environmental Activist
Greta Thunberg is a world-famous environmental activist with a focus on global warming. But when she started she was a kid camping out in front of the Swedish Parliament to encourage her country to support the Paris Climate Agreement.
Mari Copeny, Environmental Activist
Mari Copeny, "Little Miss Flint," advocates for clean water. At age 8, she wrote a letter to President Obama asking for help with the Flint water crisis. Starting with that one action, she has done more to help her city than many adults.
Grey, Vegan Activist
Rapper Grey, the “Vegan Rapper,” advocates for plant-based diets and talks about how changing your outlook on your diet means positive changes in many aspects of life.
Kelsey Juliana, Environmental Activist
Kelsey is the oldest of the youth plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States, which asserts that governments have endangered their future by not taking measures to reduce fossil fuel emissions.
Margaret Renkl, Environmental Activist and Author
In her book "The Comfort of Crows" Margaret Renkl stresses the importance of finding hope and action amid the darkness of global warming.
Bevin Cohen, Environmental Activist
Bevin Cohen saves seeds and believes no other work on this Earth is as important. That seems dramatic when you consider the many ways we can make the world a better place. But consider this: if you browse your pantry and look at the labels, you’ll see 90% of your food comes from seeds.
Feminist Activists
From shattering glass ceilings to challenging societal norms, these everyday heroes of activism fight for gender equality.Feminist activists are educators dismantling sexist narratives, lawyers advocating for equal rights, and artists sparking conversations with their creativity.
Cecile Richards, Feminist Activist and Author
In her book, Make Trouble, former Planned Parenthood director Cecile Richards describes how to raise your child to be an activist, lessons learned from her mom and former Texas governor Ann Richards.
Kristin Rowe-Finkbiener, Feminist Activist and Author
Rowe-Finkbeiner is the author of Keep Marching, and the executive director for MomsRising, an organization that educates, mobilizes, and lobbies for issues important to women and mothers.
LGBTQ+ Activists
LGBTQ+ activists battle discrimination, advocate for equality, challenge legal barriers, and redefine societal norms. What can we learn from these activists? Resilience in the face of adversity, the power of collective action, and the importance of amplifying marginalized voices.
Sam Killerman, LBTQ+ Activist
Sam Killerman is an artist, author, and activist who focuses on gender, sexuality, and global justice at his website, It's Pronounced Metrosexual. The privilege examples are enlightening.
Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera
Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera were veterans of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion, a turning point in the movement. Later they advocated for transgender rights and care for AIDS patients and the homeless.
Health Equality Activists
Health equality activists fight to dismantle the systemic barriers that deny equal access to quality healthcare for marginalized communities. They challenge unfair policies, raise awareness about disparities, and empower individuals to advocate for themselves. They illuminate the human cost of inequality and the importance of creating a just healthcare system where well-being is a universal right, not a privilege.
Jennifer Brea, Health Equality Activist
Jennifer Brea fights for health equality for sufferers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She chronicled her battle in the movie, Unrest.
Sue Klaus, Health Equality Activist
Sue Klaus suffers from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and uses her online platform to fight for health equality since the illness makes it difficult for people to travel even short distances to gather. She makes it easier for ME patients to connect. Tapping into her theater background, she makes ME awareness videos.
Jenny Arthur helps people at a difficult time in their lives--dealing with the death of a loved one. In the midst of grief, they must navigate the sales tactics of the funeral industry, and many end up purchasing services that they do not want, at great expense. She gives them better choices.
Cesar Chavez, Union Organizer
Cesar Chavez, remembered as head of the United Farm Workers, also advocated for women to take leadership positions. He was the first major civil rights leader to support gays and lesbians, and supported animal rights by becoming a vegan.
Dolores Huerta, Union Organizer
Cesar Chavez considered Dolores Huerta a full partner in their work to create the National Farm Workers Association. For workers that meant better working conditions, insurance, a credit union, and a voice.
Sarah Corbett, Consumer Activist
Sarah Corbett is a multi-cause activist. Her method? Craftivism. She also champions gentle protest. At the Craftivist Collective (I'm a Patron) she inspires crafters to make change. Read about her unique method of highlighting the exploitation of garment workers.
Carl Gombert uses art to highlight how we use visual clues to make judgments about people and helps us understand racism. He created self-portraits but with different skin, hair, and eye colors and asked for reactions. Then he revealed the truth: each face was the same, showing how context influences racism.
Rhonda Rucker, Racial Equality Activist and Author
Rhonda Rucker's life path includes practicing medicine in Southern Appalachia and performing around the world with her husband James “Sparky” Rucker. Their music highlights African American history. Oh, she is also an author! Her children’s books, Swing Low, Sweet Harriet, and Make a Change focus on racial justice.
Sparky Rucker, Racial Equality Activist
Activist, musician, and storyteller Sparky Rucker keeps history alive. As a child, he was part of a “pray in” in front of a store asking for African American access to the lunch counter. This protest is the subject of the book Make a Change, by his wife and musical partner Rhonda Rucker.
Bryan Stevenson, Racial Equality Activist and Author
Just Mercy is Bryan Stevenson's chronicle to get justice for those unjustly incarcerated. He created the Equal Justice Institute, which initiated anti-discrimination efforts challenging the legacy of racial inequality in America. They opened The Legacy Museum and The Memorial for Peace and Justice, also known as the “Lynching Memorial.
Disability Activists
Disability activists fight for a world where society no longer defines individuals based on their abilities.Their efforts teach us crucial lessons about dismantling ableism, recognizing diverse experiences, and valuing human potential beyond physical limitations.
Judy Heumann, Disability Activist
Camp Jened, nicknamed Crip Camp, was a crucible for the formation of disability activists. Camper and renowned activist Judy Heumann went on to spearhead the fight for the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Jim Lebrecht, Disability Activist
Jim Lebrecht attended Camp Jened (Crip Camp) and later floated the idea of making a documentary about their experiences. He produced the film Crip Camp, which was nominated for an Academy Award.
Peace Activists
Peace activists challenge societal acceptance of violence and work to build a world where conflict is resolved through dialogue, empathy, and nonviolent action. They teach us about nonviolence and a commitment to a world without war.
Emma González, Gun Control Activist
Emma González and the survivors of the massacre at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, became unexpected activists, advocating for gun control. Their methods? Rallies, marching, getting young people registered to vote, and calling out politicians who are funded by the NRA.
Summer Awad, Peace Activist
Summer Awad wrote the play WALLS: A Play for Palestine when she realized that theater could be used as a form of activism. A Palestinian American who experienced the harm caused by stereotyping, in WALLS she tells the story of a teenager’s relationship with her traditional Muslim father and her struggle to reconcile her Palestinian roots with her East Tennessee upbringing.
Political Activists
Political activists push society towards progress for those on the margins, our environment, and for collective action.
Nathan Higdon, Political Activist
Nathan Higdon is a multi-talented political activist. He has supported democracy by running for office and by managing political campaigns.
Julia Turshen, Activist, Chef, and Author
Julia Turshen wrote Feed the Resistance: Recipes + Ideas for Getting Involved. She provides easy and quick recipes for activists who don't have time to cook and for preparing food for big groups.
Pete Earley is a former Washington Post reporter, author of numerous books, including Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness, and mental health activist.
Taraji P. Henson, Mental Health Activist and Actor
Taraji P. Henson recognized the lack of African American mental health resources and decided to help. So she created the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in honor of her father, who struggled with mental health issues. One resource is a tool to search for culturally competent therapists.
Dr. Ken Duckworth, Mental Health Activist and Author
Dr. Ken Duckworth, NAMI’s medical director, wrote You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health. He includes the lived experiences of 130 interviewees throughout the book.
Karyl Chastain Beal, Mental Health Activist
The heartbreak of losing a child is unimaginable. Like any mother in her situation, Karyl Chastain Beal's life was profoundly and forevermore altered. Karyl used her love of quilting to honor her daughter's memory and created memorial quilts honoring those lost to suicide.
Gabe Howard, Mental Health Activist
Gabe Howard is a published author, speaker, podcaster, and mental health activist. He speaks about his mental health diagnosis and advocates for reducing stigma.
READ NEXT
If you want to learn from more famous activists, read The Best Books About Activists to Inspire You. This list includes books about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, and others who paved the way for us.
Thanks for stopping by, Laurie! You are right – some of them are nationally recognized and others are in my area. In fact, I was amazed at how many people in my area are working for change.
Thanks for publishing your amazing list. Some of these activists are familiar to me, some of them I have not heard of. What a wonderful resource!
Thanks for stopping by, Laurie! You are right – some of them are nationally recognized and others are in my area. In fact, I was amazed at how many people in my area are working for change.
Pingback: How an Innovative Artist Blocked a Pipeline Challenge with Copyright Law • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: What Being A Witness Teaches Us About Social Justice • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: Little Miss Flint Is Passionate About Environmental Justice • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: Kids take legal action to protect their future • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: Who was Cesar Chavez's Surprisingly Badass Partner? • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: At the Intersection of Teens and Gun Control • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: At the Intersection of Kids and Activism • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: How a Chef Helps Activists With Self-Care • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: Powerful Advice for New Activists: Agitate, Agitate, Agitate! • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: How an Artist Teaches a Powerful Message about Racism • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: Life At the Intersection • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: Beautiful Harmonica-Playing and Powerful Change-Making • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: Celebrate Cesar Chavez's Birthday (March 31st) by Watching this Short Documentary • Life At the Intersection
Pingback: Is Acting in Your Blood? A Spotlight on Theater as Activism
Pingback: My Big Fat Italian Veganfest (And My Small Skinny Scruffy City One)
Pingback: Who are the Millions Missing? • Life At The Intersection
Pingback: How an Activist Uses His Skills in a Powerful Way