UNION, N.J. — Kean University’s 17th annual Human Rights Conference will spotlight Gen Z activism with keynote speakers David Hogg, co-founder of March for Our Lives who survived the 2018 Parkland school shooting, and Tiana Day, founder of Youth Advocates for Change.
The theme of the conference, presented by the Human Rights Institute at Kean, is We Are the Future: How Gen Z is Changing the World and begins at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 21, at the Wilkins Theatre on Kean’s Union campus. Admission is free, but registration is required.
“Today’s Generation Z leaders are driving real change in human rights by pioneering innovative solutions to longstanding social challenges,” said Kean President Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D. “We invite everyone to join us as we explore and celebrate the impact of youth activism in advancing human rights.”
“As an anchor institution committed to supporting and uplifting the community,” Repollet said, “Kean is committed to advocating for human rights, and we are honored to host this milestone 17th annual Human Rights Conference.”
The Human Rights Conference highlights a human rights issue of global importance each year. Felice Vazquez, Kean senior vice president of planning and special counsel to the president, said this year’s conference will delve into issues through the eyes of young people. Attendees will learn how Gen Z is taking a modern approach to human rights and social justice.
“Youth have always been at the forefront of human rights issues. But activism is different today,” said Jessica Barzilay, assistant vice president for global initiatives. “Social media has given Gen Z a world view of issues and a global reach to their messages. They see the problems and solutions of the world through an interconnected lens.”
Adara Goldberg, Ph.D., executive director of the Holocaust Resource Center and Human Rights Institute at Kean, noted that Gen Z leaders – born between the late 1990s and 2012 – engage mass audiences through social media and digital footprints, and “have the ability to enact change in an instant.”
“Leading social change and advocating for human rights takes passion, an entrepreneurial spirit and iron-clad determination,” Goldberg said. “Our keynote speakers, David Hogg and Tiana Day, use their voices to advocate for safer schools and communities.”
Hogg was a high school senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida when a lone gunman killed 17 people in the school, one of the worst mass shootings in the nation. Resolving that no other young person should have to experience the impact of gun violence, Hogg joined with high school friends to co-found March for Our Lives, which drew 800,000 protestors to Washington, D.C. Marches also took place around the world.
Now a Harvard University graduate and New York Times best-selling author, Hogg is the co-founder of Leaders We Deserve, a grassroots political organization.
Day was 17 years old when she organized her first protest march after the death of George Floyd. Now the executive director of Youth Advocates for Change, she works to amplify youth voices and inspire transformation through service, art, intersectional advocacy and entrepreneurship.
Day received the CNN Hero of the Year and Young Wonder awards and was named a Golden State Impact Warrior. She has spoken at many conferences and has raised over $30,000 in scholarships for youth leaders.
The two keynote speakers will also take part in a joint fireside chat with a moderator following their remarks. Attendees will be able to ask questions.
Several human rights awards will also be presented at the conference, including the Student Human Rights Activist Award. Additionally, attendees will be encouraged to visit the Human Rights Institute Gallery exhibition by Gen Z artist Weiling Pan, Journeys of Growth, after the program. The exhibition is open and runs through Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
The event is free and open to the public; high school groups are welcome. To register, visit kean.edu/humanrightsconference.
