Teen Vogue: 21 Under 21 2017
Remember last February’s mass student walkout in New York City protesting President Trump’s travel ban? It was planned by Palestinian-American Muslim Hebh Jamal, who was in high school at the time. “I contacted a lot of different organizers from across the city — we were all really outraged,” says the Bronx native. “The walkout was an exemplary representation of unity, solidarity, and empathy.” Hebh’s activism is at the center of everything she does. She’s spoken before thousands at numerous rallies and events, including at high schools and the Ford Foundation, and she’s a key member of Integrate New York City, a student-led organization that tackles school segregation. Now a freshman at the City University of New York, where she studies economics and political science, Hebh also works full-time at New York Appleseed, a nonprofit that helps enforce policies against school segregation. The key to successful protesting? “If there’s an issue you’re passionate about, research it and really understand it,” she advises. “Then just yell until someone hears you. And after people hear you, organize with them and have them yell with you.” — AM