Parenting

This 13-Year-Old Activist Is Making Meaningful Change In Her Community & Beyond

From Flint, Michigan to Washington D.C.

by Marie Lodi

When things happen in our communities that are beyond our control, it can be hard to feel hopeful, but sometimes just speaking up about it can lead to incredible change. This is something we can learn from kids, whose honest optimism inspires us all. This spring, we’re partnering with H&M to celebrate a few kid role models who are making big moves.

When Mari Copeny, known as “Little Miss Flint,” was just eight years old, she wrote a letter to the President to tell him about the water crisis happening in her town of Flint, Michigan. Mari’s letter prompted him to visit Flint and authorize $100 million dollars to repair the water system. But she didn’t stop there. Since then, Mari, now 13, has dedicated herself to helping other communities throughout the country. “My personal mission is to ensure that everyone has access to safe, drinkable water,” she says. “This is important to me because I am dealing with the Flint water crisis and all of the effects it has had on my family and my community.”

“My personal mission is to ensure that everyone has access to safe, drinkable water. This is important to me because I am dealing with the Flint water crisis and all of the effects it has had on my family and my community.”

Mari’s activism doesn’t end with clean water awareness. She’s also a youth ambassador for the Women’s March on Washington and the National Climate March. Chez, Mari’s father, says kids like Mari are proving to adults that they can be the ones to lead the change, and we can learn from and follow them. “Sometimes it's hard to let our kids experience the world for what it is, but once our kids are able to experience life and the world around them, they can find what matters most to them and how they want to tackle it,” he says. “You just have to let your child take the lead and support them every step of the way, even if it scares you or makes you uncomfortable.”

“You just have to let your child take the lead and support them every step of the way, even if it scares you or makes you uncomfortable.”

Mari says that kids who want to make a difference in their communities can do so by finding something that matters to them and just going for it. After all, a role model, in Mari’s words, is “someone that people of all ages can look up to and learn from,” and who “stands up for what is right.” And while speaking up might be intimidating at first, it does get better. “It may be hard starting out, but the more you do it, the easier it gets,” she says, adding that parents can help encourage their kids “by telling them they are capable of changing the world now and not making them wait until they grow up.” For Chez, his daughter is an endless source of inspiration. “Mari’s drive and tenacity to go out and change the world really inspires me; she is fearless and truly believes that anything is possible if you work hard enough,” he says. “I hope to inspire Mari to continue to be bold and fearless, knowing that I will always have her back, no matter what.”

If you know a role model who is inspiring you and your community, let H&M know. Submit your own Role Model story now on H&M Kids.

Photography: Megan McIsaac; Art Direction: Diana Weisman; Branded Fashion Editor: Kate Marin; Production Manager: Nancy Valev