Eva Lewis facts for kids

Eva Lewis is a young American activist from South Side, Chicago. She has led many local protests, like the youth march on Millennium Park in 2016. This march protested police actions. Eva also started two groups: The I Project and Youth for Black Lives.

Eva's Early Life and Education

Eva Lewis went to Walter Payton College Prep high school. She is now a student at the University of Pennsylvania.

How Eva Became an Activist

Eva first protested with her mother on Michigan Avenue (Chicago) after a sad event involving Trayvon Martin. When she went to high school, Eva became even more involved. She had attended primary school in a different area, the African American South Side.

Starting The I Project

In 2015, when Eva was in high school, she started a non-profit group called The I Project. This group helps people get involved in activism through art. They raise money and reach out to the community. For example, they held a photo shoot for people of all shapes and sizes. They also talked about culture and how people see their bodies. Another event was a viewing of Beyoncé's Lemonade with a discussion for different generations.

Youth for Black Lives (Y4BL)

In 2016, Eva and three other young Black women activists organized a youth sit-in in Chicago. They wanted to protest police shootings of people of color, like Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. They used social media to gather young people, using a Facebook event and the hashtag #BLMCHIYouth.

The four organizers led a large group of over 1,000 young people. They held a peaceful sit-in at Millennium Park. Then, they marched down Michigan Avenue and State Street (Chicago). No one was arrested, which was a big win. This was important because Chicago sometimes has a reputation for violence, especially among young people of color. Also, there was a difficult relationship between activists and the Chicago police.

After this march, Eva and the other organizers started Youth for Black Lives (Y4BL). Their goal was to help young people speak up against unfair systems. With Y4BL, Eva organized another march on August 7, 2016. This march also started in Millennium Park and protested police actions after the death of Paul O'Neal.

In November 2016, Y4BL planned another march. This was in response to a shooting incident in Mount Greenwood, Chicago. However, Eva and the organizers received threats online. Their parents were also contacted by school leaders. Because of safety worries, the march was canceled. Instead, Y4BL arranged meetings with Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie T. Johnson. In these meetings, Eva and other Y4BL members asked questions and talked about fairness and policing in Chicago.

Eva at the United Nations

Eva Lewis was involved with the Girl Scouts of the USA for ten years. Through this, she took part in the United Nations' 60th Annual Commission on the Status of Women in New York in March 2016.

Eva spoke at the UN again in October 2016 for the United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child. She performed spoken word poetry at the start of the event. She also gave a speech during the meeting.

Writing for Teen Vogue

Eva Lewis wrote articles for Teen Vogue in 2016 and 2017. Her articles focused on Black women, different types of feminism, and how people see and deal with violence in Chicago. She writes about social justice, especially for people of color.

Awards and Recognition

Eva Lewis has received several awards for her important work:

• Chicago Foundation for Women Pioneer Award, March 2017
• Princeton Prize in Race Relations, April 2017
• DuSable Museum of African American History Rising Star award, June 2017

Publications and Speeches

• Eva Lewis articles on Teen Vogue website
• ABC 7 Chicago interview with Lewis on The I Project
• Eva Lewis Opening Performance, U.N. International Day of the Girl Child, 2016
• Eva Lewis Speech, U.N. International Day of the Girl Child, 2016
• Chicago: A Land of Wilderness and Oasis | Eva Lewis | TEDxTeen