Follows the stories of 3 young women activists of color fighting for some of today’s most pressing movements of defunding the police, environmental justice, and arts education
Girls of color have always been on the front lines of the fight for equal rights—to vote, to learn, to live—even when they are the last to benefit from the outcomes of their work. In Don’t Wait, journalist Sonali Kohli follows 3 teenagers’ efforts to make their communities safer, healthier places.
Don’t Wait highlights what propelled the teenagers into their activism to their experiences organizing and incorporates Q&As with important lessons from activists who have led the way.
The 3 teen activists include:
- Nalleli has lived across the street from an active oil well in South Los Angeles and at age 7, developed serious health problems. Nalleli and her mother take on an oil company and become environmental justice activists.
- Kahlila, following the murder of George Floyd and looking to help fight back, becomes involved with Black Lives Matter movement in Los Angeles and fights to defund school police in one of the largest school police forces in the nation.
- Sonia, an accomplished singer who was grappling with finding an creative outlet in the pandemic, strove to increase access to arts education in schools across California.
As the young women are transitioning from teen to adult activists, Don’t Wait reflects the powerful lessons they’ve learned in their activism while building movements in their communities that will continue to live on as they move forward.
“The book is a well of inspiration . . . An essential purchase for California libraries and for budding activists looking for inspiration and guidance.”
—Booklist
“Kohli’s curiosity, compassion, and strong journalistic instincts combine to create a narrative voice that’s both engaging and insightful. Her writing not only honors her subjects’ strength but also demystifies the process of creating community change . . . Empowering portraits of a diverse set of young women who have changed their worlds.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Don’t Wait is a book that will speak to so many: aspiring activists, those already working in the movement, and young people who may not know they’re the future changemakers of the world. Sonali Kohli’s reporting is honest, hopeful, and inspiring—a refreshing reminder that you are never too young to use your voice.”
—Brandy Colbert, author of Black Birds in the Sky
“Propulsive, deftly rendered portraits of three extraordinary young activists. Kohli has created an eminently readable resource for those not only looking to be inspired but also seeking tangible pathways to reaching their own extraordinary.”
—Christina Hammonds Reed, author of The Black Kids
“What divides and unites us has always been imagined through story. Sonali Kohli offers us three real-life stories that speak to both division and unity and the tools to make the most of them.”
—Anton Treuer, author of Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians but Were Afraid to Ask and Where Wolves Don’t Die
“Prepare to be inspired. Don’t Wait tells the story of three astonishing young women whose resilience, compassion, and determination transformed their communities, against all odds. Kohli’s beautiful book proves that Gen Z is not here to save us—they’re here to be our guiding examples.”
—Sara Saedi, author of Americanized: Rebel without a Green Card and I Miss You, I Hate This
“Sonali Kohli’s Don’t Wait: Three Girls Who Fought for Change and Won is a riveting account of teenagers Nalleli, Kahlila, and Sonia and their fearless battles to remake the world as it should be. Too often, we read about activists who are fully formed adults, but here we have the rare opportunity to witness them in the process: being adolescents, becoming freedom fighters, and embarking on journeys to self that teach us all new meanings of sacrifice, justice, and hope.”
—Salamishah Tillet, Pulitzer Prize–winning writer and cofounder of A Long Walk Home
Author’s Note
PART 1: THE CATALYST
CHAPTER 1
Nalleli
CHAPTER 2
Kahlila
CHAPTER 3
Sonia
Q&A 1
Critical Self-Reflection
Discussion Questions
PART 2: KNOW YOUR STORY
CHAPTER 4
Nalleli
CHAPTER 5
Kahlila
CHAPTER 6
Sonia
Q&A 2
Building Your Artistic Toolbox
Discussion Questions
PART 3: FOOTPRINTS ON THE MOON
CHAPTER 7
Nalleli
CHAPTER 8
Kahlila
Q&A 3
Find Your Movement
Discussion Questions
CHAPTER 9
Sonia
PART 4: IN THE STREETS (AND BEHIND THE SCREENS)
CHAPTER 10
Nalleli
CHAPTER 11
Kahlila
CHAPTER 12
Sonia
Q&A 4
Resolving Conflicts Within Movement Work
Discussion Questions
CHAPTER 13
Nalleli
CHAPTER 14
Kahlila
CHAPTER 15
Sonia
CHAPTER 16
Kahlila
Q&A 5
Caring for Yourself amid Movement Work
Discussion Questions
PART 5: THE FIGHT CONTINUES
CHAPTER 17
Nalleli
CHAPTER 18
Kahlila
CHAPTER 19
Sonia
Discussion Questions
Acknowledgments
Notes
Image Credits for Insert