This is a guest post by Karen Romero, who is working with the education team at the Library of Congress as part of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Internship Program.
Last month history was made as the seventeen year-old education activist Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (along with children’s rights advocate Kailash Satyarthi), making her the youngest person to be given such recognition. Her work in advocating for children’s education has brought international attention to the rights of young people throughout the world, and to the impact young people can have when they advocate.
Children and youth have often been active participants in protests and movements. For example, during the 1912 “Bread and Roses Strike” in Lawrence, Massachusetts, children were a critical component of the activities that led to better working conditions in the city’s textile mills.