young futurists 2017
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Nominate the Leaders of Tomorrow for The Root’s Young Futurists
Who are the young, outspoken activists standing up for their communities and calling out injustice? Who are the young, creative artists and entertainers who will tell our stories and represent us in the worlds of music, film, television, books and theater? Who are the young, business-savvy entrepreneurs who are not just looking for a job…
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15-Year-Old Founder of Bow-and-Necktie Company Scores Huge NBA Partnership
While a lot of teenagers are spending their time doing homework, talking on the phone, hanging with their friends at the mall or making their latest Snapchat video, one 15-year-old has just inked a lucrative licensing deal with the NBA that could very well lead to his earning seven figures or more. Moziah “Mo” Bridges…
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The Root’s Young Futurists of 2017 Will Put Your Life to Shame
They are young, gifted and black. They are part of a generation that is poised to change the future. We know this because they are already changing the present. Meet The Root’s Young Futurists of 2017! For the past six years, we have honored 25 of the best and the brightest young people, ages 15 to…
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Shemar Coombs
Shemar Coombs wants to add a few minutes to your day. After getting tired of untangling his headphones, he decided to figure out how to solve the problem. Enter Rap-It-Up, Shemar’s solution to making sure you never have to wrestle with another knot in your earbuds. Rap-It-Up is a 3D-printed phone case that keeps your…
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Dejah Powell
Dejah Powell is doing everything she can to green up the South Side of Chicago. As a kid, Dejah didn’t know the meaning of “environmental justice.” So, now, with her nonprofit organization Get Them to the Green, she’s helping young people build community gardens and educating them on the importance of the environment. CATEGORY: Green…
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Haile Thomas
There aren’t many kids who can say they’ve met first lady Michelle Obama once—let alone multiple times. For teen chef Haile Thomas, meeting Obama has only empowered her quest to inspire kids to live healthy lifestyles. “Getting to interact with her several times over the years sometimes still feels unreal, and I am eternally grateful…
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Nicodemus Madehdou
Nicodemus Madehdou isn’t just a lover of video games. He’s obsessed with creating them, too. He co-founded Jumpbutton Studio in 2009—when he was still in middle school, no less—and brought on developers and designers from all over the world to create video games. Currently, his team is hoping to launch a mobile app called ME.mory,…
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Destiny Watford
Destiny Watford is the accidental environmental activist America needs right now. Her quest for clean air all started when she was a senior in high school after she saw a play about a small community whose lives were at risk because of a polluted hot spring. The play’s setting mirrored Curtis Bay, an industrial neighborhood…
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Olivia Russo-Hood
Even after tragedy struck Olivia Russo-Hood’s family, she started looking for ways to help others. After a massive flood in Austell, Ga., destroyed her family’s home, Olivia noticed how many people came to her family’s rescue. So she knew it was time to pay it forward. “If I hadn’t received help, I would still feel…
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Khareem Oliver
Pet owners often think of their dogs and cats as their kids. So when Scruffy or Fluffy is lost, it can wreak havoc on owners’ lives. Khareem Oliver has seen this firsthand. For the past 10 years, he’s volunteered at animal-rescue organizations and noticed that many animals did not have identification that could be used…