Social movements often begin with ordinary people taking a stand against injustice. This article will look at three instances in which children took an activist stand again injustice.

At Monroe High School in Los Angeles, California, students persuaded the school board to stop purchasing soccer balls produced in Pakistan. The balls are stitched together by about 10,000 children, all under the age of 14. The children are paid 60 cents for each ball, which is sold here for as much as $50. The Monroe High School student protest grew, until soccer ball manufacturers, including Nike, Adidas, Reebok, and 53 others, joined with the International Labor Organization and UNICEF to sign an agreement to eliminate child labor in the production of soccer balls.

In Modesto, California, Elisa Rockwell, a fourth-grade student, read a brochure sent to her parents about Nike shoes. The brochure stated that Indonesian workers are paid 4 cents for each pair of shoes they make. The shoes retail in the United States for up to $140. Elisa asked her parents to make 30 copies of the brochure, which she distributed to her classmates during show-and-tell. She has been an invited speaker at local classrooms, has written articles for the local newspaper, and has formed a group called "Just Say No to Nike."

Sixteen-year-old Patricia Soto, a Los Angeles teen, began protesting GUESS when her mother, an employee of GUESS, told her that employees were forming a union so they could be paid a fair wage, overtime when merited, and benefits. Soto took part in rallies against sweatshops and child labor, and has persuaded her friends to stop buying GUESS products.

Seventh-grade student Rylie Jones wrote to the Disney Company protesting the treatment of workers in Haiti, who are paid 28 cents an hour to make Pocahontas and Mickey House shirts. The National Labor Committee is critical of work conditions of people who produce Disney products, but Disney contends they are following applicable laws.

There is considerable debate on whether or not children should be encouraged to take an activist role in social justice issues. A growing interest in equity and cultural diversity is evidenced by curricula that help children develop skills they need to be critical consumers of commercially produced materials.

Source

Delucio-Brock, Jeff. (1997, November/December). Shopping with a conscience: Kids push for fair treatment for the workers who make their gear. Children's Advocate, 25(6), 3.