DeNora Getachew of DoSomething: 5 Things We Must Do To Inspire The Next Generation About Sustainability And The Environment
An Interview With Penny Bauder
The first piece of advice I’d give to parents is to listen to their children. Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are coming of age at a time when their access to information surpasses ours by far. They are able to educate themselves instantly about causes important to them. Take a minute to learn from your children about why climate justice matters to them, so you can fuel their activism and engagement.
As part of my series about what we must do to inspire the next generation about sustainability and the environment, I had the pleasure of interviewing DeNora Getachew.
She is the CEO of DoSomething.org, a 28-year-old tech-forward nonprofit activating young people for social impact. DeNora is also a native New Yorker, a mother of three, including a son she had as a teenager, and a passionate advocate for an accessible, equitable, inclusive, and representative democracy. She brings more than a decade of experience as an attorney, advocate, and nonprofit executive leader with strong competencies in coalition-building, legal analysis, fundraising, and policy advocacy.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I like to say I’m just a girl from the Bronx. I was born in the Bronx and then raised in Yonkers before moving back to the Bronx in my teenage years. My parents instilled the importance of voting in me. But growing up, I didn’t know what it meant to be an activist or an advocate. I learned what it meant to advocate for myself as a young pregnant teen who sought educational equity and opportunity. I didn’t know at the time that what I was doing was “advocacy,” but that formative experience lit my personal, civic spark.
I went to law school inspired to figure out how to advocate for an accessible, equitable and representative democracy with youth at the center. Throughout my career, the work I have done has been in service of that mission.
Was there an “aha moment” or a specific trigger that made you decide you wanted to become a scientist or environmental leader? Can you share that story with us?
I wouldn’t quite call myself an environmental leader. I was aware of the importance of climate equity and environmental racism from a young age as someone who grew up in the Bronx — one of the poorest counties in the country. I knew the higher incidences of childhood asthma plaguing this under-resourced community weren’t an accident. Then I began to read about the pollution, the waste plants and how the borough has been a dumping ground for the city for decades. What really elevated the importance of these issues for me was hearing from young people who are unapologetic and emphatic about the importance of climate justice. My work at DoSomething isn’t about my own activist journey; it’s about equipping youth to lead and affect systemic change on the issues most important to them. I’m honored that I can play a small part in their respective journeys on this and other issues.
Is there a lesson you can take out of your own story that can exemplify what can inspire a young person to become a leader?
I want all young people to know their voices and experiences matter. If a young person is facing an experience that feels unjust, my greatest hope is that they feel validated and compelled to speak up and advocate for themselves and their communities. Reflecting back on my experience as a young pregnant teen, I felt like educational opportunities were being stripped away from me and I had to step up, speak out, and insist on being treated equally and equitably. I didn’t think of myself as becoming a “leader” through this experience, but it did in fact awaken my civic leadership. It fueled my journey as an advocate for an accessible, equitable, inclusive and representative democracy — leading me to dub myself the Democracy Ninja.
Can you tell our readers about the initiatives that you or your company are taking to address climate change or sustainability? Can you give an example for each?
As an organization aimed at activating young people, we’re so inspired by how many Gen Zers are active in the fight against climate change, and we’ve been inspired to build campaigns and initiatives that equip them with tools to continue addressing climate change and making sustainable choices.
As we head into 2022, we know a large majority of Gen Z say the quality of the environment affects not only their physical health but mental health as well. DoSomething plans to use the upcoming year to continue promoting environmental education and climate change advocacy through various campaigns — like “See Us, Hear Us,” which educates young people on environmental racism and climate injustice and encourages them to share their stories on the first “Youth Map of Climate Injustice,” which will be shared directly with the EPA.
We’ll also continue our quest to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions from transportation, with programs like “Go There Greener,” which encourages young people to switch from solo car rides to carpools, bike rides, public transportation or walking! This next year, we also plan to educate young people on the benefits of meatless meals (which leads to fewer CO2 emissions), reducing textile and plastic waste, reducing water pollution AND water waste, and recycling electronic waste.
Can you share three lifestyle tweaks that the general public can do to be more sustainable or help address the climate change challenge?
One thing I’ve been more cognizant of during the COVID-19 pandemic is how much waste my family and I produce. One of the things I’m working on is reducing my food waste. I haven’t quite graduated to the composting stage, but that’s a tweak that is increasingly accessible and fairly easy to implement.
Another tweak I’ve implemented is being a more environmentally conscious shopper and upcycling my family’s clothes. Whether you’re reusing clothes for other purposes, donating or recycling them — there’s an approach that can work for everyone.
Finally, I’m trying to reduce my carbon footprint by shopping locally when possible and using public transportation.
OK, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview: The youth-led climate strikes of September 2019 showed an impressive degree of activism and initiative by young people on behalf of climate change. This was great, and there is still plenty that needs to be done. In your opinion, what are five things parents should do to inspire the next generation to become engaged in sustainability and the environmental movement? Please give a story or an example for each.
The first piece of advice I’d give to parents is to listen to their children. Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are coming of age at a time when their access to information surpasses ours by far. They are able to educate themselves instantly about causes important to them. Take a minute to learn from your children about why climate justice matters to them, so you can fuel their activism and engagement.
Second, help them find an outlet to channel their passion for the issue. Whether it’s DoSomething.org’s volunteerism and activism hub or a grassroots organization advancing local climate initiatives, there’s a place for everyone. Help your child find their place and then support them in navigating their civic journey.
Third, remember that democracy is a full-contact sport. Take some time to teach your children they not only have to care about a cause, but they also have to understand the system — democracy — that allows them to affect systemic change on that cause. We need everyone to understand how democracy works and how to spur change through it if we’re going to achieve systemic change.
Fourth, teach them patience and resilience. It’s important to understand the change they seek is attainable, but it won’t necessarily happen overnight. While technology and social media can fuel movements, systemic change requires strategy, coalition building and dedication. Celebrate the incremental wins in the quest for long-term impact.
Finally, teach your children to practice self-care. It’s OK to miss the moment or unplug from the movement to ensure they’re fueled up to participate in democracy and cause advocacy towards the long-term goal.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful toward who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Wow, that’s a hard and politically fraught question to answer. If you’re under- or over-inclusive, you run the risk of offending people. I’m grateful to many people who have inspired and supported my journey over the years. Most importantly, my family, who are always in my corner pushing the Democracy Ninja to keep at her life’s work. They never give up on me and challenge me to keep pushing and live my values.
I’m grateful for the friends, mentors and sponsors who champion me and my leadership in ways big and small, seen and unseen. I’m always looking for ways to pay that forward.
You are a person of great influence and doing some great things for the world! If you could inspire a movement that would bring the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
My work right now at DoSomething is all about inspiring and activating young people to create movements around the causes that matter most to them — from climate justice and racial justice to mental health and education. DoSomething quite literally exists to help young people do the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of people — I am honored to lead this incredible organization. I’m excited to work with young people to build the next version of DoSomething that centers the voices of youth, especially those from historically marginalized communities who have not been included in mainstream decision-making and societal norm-setting, in every facet of our work. And I want to ensure we’re not just activating young people, but truly catalyzing their civic and societal impact for systemic change. I need youth to continue to join us in this movement for good.
Do you have a favorite life lesson quote? Can you tell us how that was relevant to you in your own life?
My favorite quote is by the Honorable Shirley Chisholm [the first African American congresswoman] who said, “You don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas.” We all have moments when we feel knocked down or off track — that’s human. What matters most is that we use that fuel the journey, the progress toward good ideas and change.
What is the best way for people to follow you on social media?
DoSomething is on all major social platforms. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
You can follow DeNora here: Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
This was so inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
DeNora Getachew of DoSomething: 5 Things We Must Do To Inspire The Next Generation About… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.