Youth activists have unique skill sets and knowledge, especially in environmental movements, and many have been coming together to protest the expansion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). The 303-mile pipeline has been resisted by communities in affected Appalachian areas for generations, but today’s youth are in a unique position. Psalms White, Grace Tuttle, Jalyn Oxendine, and many others have been personally affected by the pipeline. In many cases, it has been a defining constant in their lives. Their futures are most at risk from the rapidly accelerating climate crisis, but they also have new tools at their disposal to enact change. Growing up in the digital age makes them able to communicate, organize, and educate more easily and efficiently than ever before. Additionally, any knowledge passed down to them from their elders can become widespread. The communities face danger from law enforcement, structural violence, public health inequities, and more, but they are pushing for their futures and their homes. The MVP protests are intergenerational in nature, and the shared knowledge and resources of communities coming together is bringing in a new era of change.
