Fashioning the Future With: Naina Agrawal-Hardin of Zero Hour
While we like to have fun on the Style Engineers Worldwide blog, we also believe in featuring individuals doing serious work on serious issues. That's why we are seriously excited to bring you a two-part interview series about Zero Hour, the amazing youth activism organization that fights for climate justice.
Teenagers Jamie Margolin and Nadia Nazar founded Zero Hour in 2017. Since then, Zero Hour has become one of the most dynamic and influential climate change activism groups fighting for real change. To do this, Zero Hour organizes a variety of events such as marches and lobbying events.
Zero Hour brings people together, but to understand just what makes Zero Hour so awesome and formidable, you have to take a look at the individuals who come together to make it work.
Today, we are thrilled to have Zero Hour's Naina Agrawal-Hardin on the blog to do just that! Naina is a junior in high school and is the Co-Deputy Director of Global Outreach for Zero Hour. Naina is also a Zero Hour Ambassador for the organization's Getting to the Roots of Climate Change Campaign which means that she presents about the intersectionalities of the climate crisis to other young people where she lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Not only is Naina an integral member of the Zero Hour team, she also works with another climate organization, the Sunrise Movement, as well as with Know Your IX, a group that seeks to end sexual violence in schools. We couldn't be more in awe of Naina's activism. She's truly a role-model who is changing the world right now. As far as what the future holds for Naina, we know it's going to be something great. Naina told Style Engineers Worldwide that she has goals of studying law and having a career in politics. She's already got our vote!
We had the pleasure of asking Naina about her work with Zero Hour, what advice she has for other young people who want to help change the world, about who inspires her, and more. Meet Naina Agrawal-Hardin! #ThisIsZeroHour
When did you know you were an activist?
The first time I organized a huge event was for the March 15th global climate strike. I was working in a coalition with lots of other local young activists. On the day of the event, I watched as all of them tirelessly worked behind the scenes to make sure our audio system was working, that our speakers were comfortable, that our crowd knew what was going on, etc. Previously, I had thought that I needed to have a huge platform to consider myself an activist. Watching my friends on March 15th, I realized that simply being involved in mobilizing and educating people made me an activist.
Do you have a personal philosophy as a climate change activist?
One of the things I try to live by is that listening is a bigger part of activism than talking is.
Who (modern day or historical) inspires you?
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez! She inspires me because she is courageous and principled, but also open minded.
What advice do you have for young people who want to get involved with climate change activism and Zero Hour specifically?
My most simple and most important advice is “just start.” Taking the first step is the hardest, but it’s so, so critical. Also, there’s no one size fits all approach to activism! For some people, activism might be making really cool art to share on social media. For others, it may look like holding meetings after school to write letters to representatives. Think outside the box!
With Zero Hour, I would advise getting involved in the same way I did: by applying to become a ZH Ambassador!
Are there any upcoming events/marches/other that people should know about?
The next international strike dates are November 29/December 6, 2019 and Earth Day (April 22nd) 2020.
What can older (millennials and above) people who are also concerned about climate change do to support the youth movement?
If they’re able, provide financial support. The youth movement is constantly in need of funds! Professionals can help for free in a lot of ways. Obviously, there’s a really strong need for good media coverage, so journalists, agents, etc. have a huge role to play. For the Sept 20th climate strike, hundreds of doctors signed an excused absence note for strikers! As the movement becomes more and more escalated in the future, we’ll also need help getting legal advice and representation. These are just a few examples, and it’s important to remember that one of the most effective ways to help is simply by spreading the word.
Why do you think it is that young people such as yourself are so effective at spreading the message about climate change?
Instead of focusing on statistics, we tell our stories. We reveal the humanity in the crisis.
What do you wish people knew about climate change activism that isn’t discussed enough?
Young climate activists are impressive not only because of how we interact with the public, but also because of how we interact with each other. We are constantly working to maintain good organizational cultures, coalition cultures, movement cultures, etc., and to maintain good personal relationships with each other. Our community works hard and succeeds at staying mature and peaceful, and that’s a major part of what we do.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced during your activism?
Balancing activism with school is incredibly difficult. It’s really hard to stay on top of deadlines for school and also not disappoint the other activists I work with. I know other young activists face the same problem, and many of us end up sacrificing sleep in order to fulfill all of our commitments.
What has been the most rewarding part of being involved with Zero Hour?
The community. We are all so supportive of each others’ successes, whether or not they’re activism related! We also have a really good time when we get together.
It’s got to be incredibly stressful to be doing what you’re doing. How do you and your team encourage each other to keep going?
To me, it doesn’t feel like there’s much of a choice. Many of today’s young people live with this sense that there’s a massive ticking time bomb somewhere near us. Our activism is like our effort to do everything we can to disarm it before it’s too late. That said, it’s been really helpful to have friends and team members who encourage me to take breaks, and I try to do the same for them. It helps to know that taking time off isn’t frowned upon in our movement.
Following that, do you have any self-care/mental health practices that help keep you going?
I like to take showers at the end of the night when I’m ready to go to sleep after a long day. That way, I feel like the day is washing off of me. I also find it helpful to spend time with friends who aren’t as involved in activist work from time to time so that I can focus on other, activism-unrelated things through talking to them!
Do you have any favorite fictional activist or other such inspiring characters in books/movies/other art forms?
I really love Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. Also, Leslie Knope from Parks and Rec and Elle Woods from Legally Blonde. I’m a big fan of strong female leads!
If you were a superhero, what would your go-to wearable technology device be?
Some kind of gadget that can stop time! I’m always wishing there were more hours in the day.
Find Naina Agrawal-Hardin on Instagram and Twitter. Be sure to head over to Zero Hour's website to learn how you can get involved, and follow Zero Hour on Insta, Twitter, and Facebook too!