Rockville student creates organization to equip youth for social action, civic engagement
ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — The songs Gabrielle Zwi writes and sings about reveal her passions.
"I try to write songs that promote progress and peace and acceptance," she said.
When the 20-year old isn't strumming her ukulele or taking classes at Columbia University, her attention is on an organization she founded known as DC Teens Action.
"A local group that aims to amplify students from all over the DC area for social action and civic engagement projects," Zwi said.
She started the group in 2018 and now has more than 14,000 Instagram followers. "To have like a central location to post information about protests that were happening," said Zwi.
Richard Montgomery High School senior Lauren Payne got support from DC Teens Action for a protest she was planning against police brutality.
"I noticed that after it was posted on the DC Teens Action page we got so much more engagement and about 5,000 people ended up showing up," she said.
Zwi, who also serves as a human rights commissioner in Rockville, Maryland, has offered protest organizing workshops, coordinated transportation for local demonstrations, and was featured in the Time Magazine project called Guns in America.
The college junior says youth activism today is essential to secure a better life for tomorrow.
"We need to be taking action on this in order to ensure our future survival," Zwi said.
Zwi is majoring in human rights and pre-law at Columbia.
She says her dream job is to be a singer, songwriter, and senator.
