Natasha Hull-Richter (20th/21st century)
Natasha is an unstoppable force of current times. At the age of nine, Natasha took a blow for democracy from rent-a-thugs , opposed to having ballots counted to determine the election of 2000. Instead of running away, she stood firm for voters' rights. In 2003, eleven year old Natasha co-wrote a resolution to protect voter accuracy. Her thirteen year old brother Alexandar was the co-writer. Within six months of co-writing the resolution, Natasha had convinced the California Democratic Party to back the resolution and California's Secretary of State to guarantee Californians that paper trail for the election three years later.
Natasha's other accomplishments included starring in plays at the age of six, founding a performance company at the age of seven, organizing a rally of more than 5000 activists at the age of nine, writing a popular and long-running weekly comic strip at the age of eleven, helping to found the most progressive Democratic club in America at the age of twelve, writing widely-read feature articles for a popular online journal at the age of twelve, founding the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party at the age of thirteen, creating the National Youth Rights Association of Orange County at the age of fourteen, and organizing youth rights rallies of thousands and becoming editor of am online news journal at the age of fifteen. By sixteen and seventeen, she was a major participant in politics and widely respected by popular government leaders..
At sixteen, Natasha convinced the California Democratic Party to recognize Claudette Colvin for her work in ending segregation in the South. Young people of courage stick together. Natasha is now seventeen and has written over 50 resolutions and over 150 proposed California Democratic Party platform planks. Some of the boldest steps taken by the California Democratic Party were based on her resolutions and proposed platform planks. Natasha has worked with legislators and leaders to change the face of politics. She has been a feature writer at various sites and an editor of an online news journal. Natasha has accomplished more than the vast majority of adults but has been prevented from voting because of her age.
The Next Could Be You
The one thing these kids had in common was a belief that they didn't have to wait for adulthood to live their lives or take a stand. They ignored or surpassed traditions of ageism and worked to improve conditions in the world for persons of all generations. Each of these heroes was willing to work hard and sacrifice so that others would benefit. Anyone with a plan or desire to improve the world has the chance to do so in the here and now. There is no bottom age on creating music or helping with political or social causes. The contributions of the young are rarely recognized, but they are can be just as Earth-shaking as those of older people. If a future kid invents a vaccine that stops cancer or manages to end the threat of nuclear war, someone may steal the credit or place the wrong name in a history book. There will still be a record somewhere that can be brought forth to prove who the real genius was. Writers and journalists, as the gatekeepers to public knowledge owe the world a duty to credit greatness, correctly, regardless of whether that greatness comes in a large or small package.
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