bolstered by facts

Have you been following Teen Vogue on twitter? I started following their twitter feed in October for the amazing coverage of the Dakota Access Pipeline. But, since Saturday's op-ed by Lauren Duca titled “Donald Trump Is Gaslighting America” Teen Vogue has been making news and jumping onto everyone's radar.

29-year-old Elaine Welteroth became Teen Vogue's first black editor in chief in May of 2016. Since her arrival, Teen Vogue has been covering politics, feminism, identity, and activism.

For example:

Teen Vogue’s recent September issue, typically the month in which fashion magazines focus on upcoming trends, was noteworthy for its politically oriented content. It featured a personal essay by the presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, a conversation between the actor Amandla Stenberg with the feminist Gloria Steinem, and an interview with the U.S. attorney general Loretta Lynch, conducted by the black-ish star Yara Shahidi. The issue also introduced “21 Under 21,” the magazine’s “official guide to the girls and femmes changing the world.” The list of young activists, artists, and advocates featured few household names, but a notable majority of young people of color.

In the Lauren Duca interview on Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, when asked "What do you hope that teen girls will take from your op-ed?" Duca replied, "I want teen girls to feel empowered to form opinions about current events, to express them in a way that is bolstered by facts, and to never ever worry about seeming rude."

SG: What do you hope that teen girls will take from your op-ed?

LD: I want teen girls to feel empowered to form opinions about current events, to express them in a way that is bolstered by facts, and to never ever worry about seeming rude. In this fraught moment, young women are often silenced or treated as something silly and other, despite having an equal investment in the political future.

So I made some post-its with that quote and left them around town. I can't think of a more empowering wish for young women.

If you are looking for a holiday gift for the young women in your life, consider a subscription to Teen Vogue. Thoughtful, empathetic, fact based journalism will thank you for it.