Faridah Azeez: Teen Organizer
I’m Faridah Azeez! I am a 16 year old high school junior and organizer. I’m a organizer for Boston Climate Strike (BCS) where I am one of the four general coordinators. We organize many of the big climate strikes in Boston, Massachusetts. When I’m not organizing with BCS, I’m with the Sunrise Movement, a Movement building and army of young people to fight the climate crisis, where I’m a hub coordinator for Sunrise Blue Hills, and a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) lead for Sunrise a Boston. I’m also apart of the Massachusetts High School Democrats (MAHSD) where I serve as a JEDI director aspiring to make MAHSD embody these values.
Question: Talk to us about first getting into activism? How did you first get into it? Who introduced you? What compels you to it?
Faridah: I first got involved with activism in 2018 during the midterm election, after a friend, Joanna Setow introduced me. I joined Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Re-Election Campaign as a High School Intern, because I saw Donald Trump get elected as president, and felt that I couldn’t do anything about it. So I decided to join Elizabeth Warren and her campaign and it was a step into the door of organizing for me. I feel compelled to come back everyday and organize even more than I did the day before, because I know and I believe that the organizing that I do alongside so many other amazing organizers and activists will create the change that we seek.
Question: Talk to us about the BCS? How did you come across becoming an organizer and what makes BCS important to you?
Faridah: Boston Climate Strike (BCS) is an organization of climate organizers and activists under the age of 20, who organize the major climate strikes in Boston, Massachusetts. I joined Boston Climate Strike in March of 2019, when it was known as Massachusetts Climate Strike after hearing about it at a Sunrise Boston hub meeting. Since then I have been organizing with BCS, from the first strike on March 15th to our latest in person strike on December 6th, and virtual strike during Earth Week. BCS is important to me because I get to organize with people from different backgrounds and different parts of the state, who are in the same age range as me. We all have to go through the struggles of balancing school, organizing, and adults telling us we are old enough, so we do the things that they have neglected to do and we do it better!
Question: You are involved in so much, how have you learned to balance school & organizing? What life skills have you learned that apply to your day to day life?
Faridah: The balancing of organizing and school hasn’t been the easiest for me, but I try. In the beginning I would always question myself, why do I do the things that I do? And that’s because I believe in a future that works for all people no matter where you come from. Before organizing, I spent all of my time, including free time working on school and making sure that I maintain my GPA and good grades, but after organizing I realized I can spend my time, now as a high schooler doing the things I always envisioned of doing in the future. So I split my time from school and organizing, where now I do my assignments in between calls, on the train to meetings, and wherever and whenever. I have definitely learned how to multitask and manage my time better since becoming a student organizer and I can carry that with me in my every day life.
Question: That’s a great way to manage! Explain the MAHSD and how you impact it by being a JEDI director?
Faridah: Massachusetts High School Democrats (MAHSD) is a statewide political organization that is an access point for young high schoolers who want to contribute to the Democratic Party and push for progressive ideals. I can only try and inspire to change the internal dynamics of MAHSD and how we operate, by educating members about their privilege, implicit biases, and how they can make MAHSD more “JEDI”, and I do this with my extraordinary JEDI committee!
Question: How has all these opportunities opened your eyes to future careers you would like to explore?
Faridah: I have been very fortunate to have all of these opportunities, and they have definitely opened up my eyes to so many things I have never imagined doing before, but the future is still up in the air for me. I’m not sure what I’m going to be doing in the future, but I do know that I will still be organizing wherever I go, maybe in the law or political field.
Question: How have you been passing time in quarantine? How have you been coping?
Faridah: I still stay organizing even while in quarantine, doing my school work, going outside and getting some fresh air, as well as picking up some painting brushes and painting more. I would say that I’m coping with quarantine by staying positive, checking in with loved ones, spending time with my family, and remaining close to my faith.
Question: Any advice for teens hoping to follow your footsteps? How would you suggest they find opportunities?
Faridah: To anyone who wants to get involved with organizing/activism, make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons! Ask yourself what change do I want to see, and how will I get there? Whatever answers you may get, try and find already established movements or groups that also have those same ideas, which you can do by following organizations on social media, looking them up on the internet, or even reaching out to a student organizer or activist such as myself, and I would be happy to help you find your way into the world of organizing! And remember organizing comes with the good and the bad some days will be hard, but remain grounded in your fight and it will be worth it! This is your journey, your experience walk your own path, and not the footsteps of someone else!
Question: Perfect! Anything else to add before we conclude this interview?
Faridah: If you ever need advice on how to get your foot in the door filled of organizing, don’t hesitate to reach out, you can message me on Instagram @faridahazeezzz !
Faridah’s Biography:
Faridah Azeez is a 16-year-old high school organizer from Randolph, Massachusetts. She started organizing by working on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Re-Election campaign, since then she began organizing with the Sunrise Movement, Boston Climate Strike, and Massachusetts High School Democrats by fighting for social and environmental justice especially for black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC)!
Question: Talk to us about first getting into activism? How did you first get into it? Who introduced you? What compels you to it?
Faridah: I first got involved with activism in 2018 during the midterm election, after a friend, Joanna Setow introduced me. I joined Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Re-Election Campaign as a High School Intern, because I saw Donald Trump get elected as president, and felt that I couldn’t do anything about it. So I decided to join Elizabeth Warren and her campaign and it was a step into the door of organizing for me. I feel compelled to come back everyday and organize even more than I did the day before, because I know and I believe that the organizing that I do alongside so many other amazing organizers and activists will create the change that we seek.
Question: Talk to us about the BCS? How did you come across becoming an organizer and what makes BCS important to you?
Faridah: Boston Climate Strike (BCS) is an organization of climate organizers and activists under the age of 20, who organize the major climate strikes in Boston, Massachusetts. I joined Boston Climate Strike in March of 2019, when it was known as Massachusetts Climate Strike after hearing about it at a Sunrise Boston hub meeting. Since then I have been organizing with BCS, from the first strike on March 15th to our latest in person strike on December 6th, and virtual strike during Earth Week. BCS is important to me because I get to organize with people from different backgrounds and different parts of the state, who are in the same age range as me. We all have to go through the struggles of balancing school, organizing, and adults telling us we are old enough, so we do the things that they have neglected to do and we do it better!
Question: You are involved in so much, how have you learned to balance school & organizing? What life skills have you learned that apply to your day to day life?
Faridah: The balancing of organizing and school hasn’t been the easiest for me, but I try. In the beginning I would always question myself, why do I do the things that I do? And that’s because I believe in a future that works for all people no matter where you come from. Before organizing, I spent all of my time, including free time working on school and making sure that I maintain my GPA and good grades, but after organizing I realized I can spend my time, now as a high schooler doing the things I always envisioned of doing in the future. So I split my time from school and organizing, where now I do my assignments in between calls, on the train to meetings, and wherever and whenever. I have definitely learned how to multitask and manage my time better since becoming a student organizer and I can carry that with me in my every day life.
Question: That’s a great way to manage! Explain the MAHSD and how you impact it by being a JEDI director?
Faridah: Massachusetts High School Democrats (MAHSD) is a statewide political organization that is an access point for young high schoolers who want to contribute to the Democratic Party and push for progressive ideals. I can only try and inspire to change the internal dynamics of MAHSD and how we operate, by educating members about their privilege, implicit biases, and how they can make MAHSD more “JEDI”, and I do this with my extraordinary JEDI committee!
Question: How has all these opportunities opened your eyes to future careers you would like to explore?
Faridah: I have been very fortunate to have all of these opportunities, and they have definitely opened up my eyes to so many things I have never imagined doing before, but the future is still up in the air for me. I’m not sure what I’m going to be doing in the future, but I do know that I will still be organizing wherever I go, maybe in the law or political field.
Question: How have you been passing time in quarantine? How have you been coping?
Faridah: I still stay organizing even while in quarantine, doing my school work, going outside and getting some fresh air, as well as picking up some painting brushes and painting more. I would say that I’m coping with quarantine by staying positive, checking in with loved ones, spending time with my family, and remaining close to my faith.
Question: Any advice for teens hoping to follow your footsteps? How would you suggest they find opportunities?
Faridah: To anyone who wants to get involved with organizing/activism, make sure that you are doing it for the right reasons! Ask yourself what change do I want to see, and how will I get there? Whatever answers you may get, try and find already established movements or groups that also have those same ideas, which you can do by following organizations on social media, looking them up on the internet, or even reaching out to a student organizer or activist such as myself, and I would be happy to help you find your way into the world of organizing! And remember organizing comes with the good and the bad some days will be hard, but remain grounded in your fight and it will be worth it! This is your journey, your experience walk your own path, and not the footsteps of someone else!
Question: Perfect! Anything else to add before we conclude this interview?
Faridah: If you ever need advice on how to get your foot in the door filled of organizing, don’t hesitate to reach out, you can message me on Instagram @faridahazeezzz !
Faridah’s Biography:
Faridah Azeez is a 16-year-old high school organizer from Randolph, Massachusetts. She started organizing by working on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Re-Election campaign, since then she began organizing with the Sunrise Movement, Boston Climate Strike, and Massachusetts High School Democrats by fighting for social and environmental justice especially for black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC)!