10 Rising Voices Who Should Snatch the Torch From Our Current Black Leadership

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Feminista Jones

Architect of the 119 vigils across America for the National Moment of Silence (#NMOS14), Jones sought to empower Black and brown people by having rallies and watches in their own neighborhoods, rather than far away at venues where they might attract more notice. Jones, who is a social worker by training, is also behind other hashtag campaigns like #YouOKsis, designed specifically to protect Black women from street harassment, and is considered one of the generals of “Black Twitter,” using the social network to spark real-time activism.

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Stacey Abrams

Abrams is a Georgia state representative who last year founded the New Georgia Project with the goal of registering 800,000 voters of color to “sway election results in dynamic and progressive ways.” Abrams, 41, is the minority leader for the Georgia General Assembly — the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly and the first African-American to lead in the Georgia House of Representatives. In an environment where she’s not usually surrounded by agreeable voices, Abrams is not afraid to speak the truth.

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