Change.org Releases Top Ten Petitions that Changed 2021

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Change.org released its Top U.S. Petition Lists across several categories, including Top 10 Petitions That Changed 2021, Top 10 Victories, Top Changemakers of 2021, and the Top Changemakers Under 25 in 2021.

More than 115 million U.S. users came to Change.org to make a difference in 2021, starting more than 791,896 petitions with more than 463,883,172 signatures in total. The largest trend this year was a massive increase in youth campaigning, with tens of thousands coming to the platform to start and sign petitions. In response, Change.org doubled its Top Changemakers under 25 list in 2021 to accurately represent the scale of youth campaigning on the platform this year.

In general, petitions calling for local change were the biggest movement on Change.org in 2021, with more than 57,000 petitions created garnering a total of more than 10.8 million signatures. Animal rights campaigns led the second biggest trend in petition creation and signatures, with 10,300 created with 10.7 million signatures across them. The third-largest group of petitions were criminal justice and clemency campaigns, with more than 9.2 million signatures. These included major campaigns such as Justice for Julius Jones, Elijah McClain and Greg Mingo. Another such campaign, #FreedomforRogel, was a late-breaking entry for fastest-growing campaign in 2021, gaining more than 3 million signatures in just days.

Many campaigns became victories in 2021—from Ms. Opal Lee's historic Juneteenth campaign that led to her presence as President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Holiday legislation into law, to the historic settlement for Elijah McClain's family to Derek Chauvin's conviction for George Floyd's murder. The latter was in response to a public outcry for justice and the largest and most-signed campaign in Change.org history.

"Coming off of a historic year of activism in 2020, Change.org users built on a growing wave of change by launching local campaigns in their own communities," said Molly Dorozenski, Managing Director of North America and Australia at Change.org. "The new young leaders thriving on our platform aren't waiting for an organization to tell them what to do. They are taking our free tools and support and driving the change they want to see themselves."

Tens of thousands of students started campaigns on school dress codes, mascot reform, and anti-trans legislation and trans rights petitions in their communities. Youth campaigning was the largest trend on Change.org this year, reflecting the explosion in activism among Gen Z across the country. Gen Z, defined as those born from the mid-1990s to 2010, came to the platform in droves, defying claims of 'slacktivism' by leading rallies, protests, virtual events, boycotts, and much more.

"It's about more than just signing a petition and our generation knows it," said Saraya Hamidi, Campaigner at Change.org and Top Youth Changemaker of 2020. "It's about driving action and making real change through organizing. I've been fortunate to work with petition starters who believe in challenging the status quo and making the world a better place—and who won't stop until they do." Saraya led the historic Justice for Elijah McClain petition that achieved historic milestones this year before coming to work at Change.org.

TOP TEN PETITIONS THAT CHANGED 2021

TOP TEN PETITION VICTORIES THAT CHANGED 2021

2021'S TOP CHANGEMAKERS

• Ms. Opal Lee (Juneteenth): 95-year-old Ms. Opal Lee of Fort Worth, TX, known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," doing annual 2.5 mile walks to recognize the 2.5 years it took for the news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach all enslaved Americans. She and her granddaughter, Dione Sims, started Unity Unlimited to achieve the creation of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Ms. Opal Lee was present when President Biden signed Juneteenth legislation into law and gave her the historic pen he signed it with.
• The Free Greg Mingo team: A coalition of activists, including Greg's family members Ava and Evonne, family friends and supporters including Diana Scholl, Anne Dabrowski, the CUNY Student Law Center, and many more, led a driven and sustained campaign fighting for Greg Mingo's freedom. Greg, an innocent man, was in jail for 40 years – and thanks to their tireless efforts, which included mobile billboards, advertising, lobbying and more, Gov. Cuomo pardoned Greg during his last day in office.
• Maebel Gebremedhin (Tigray Genocide Awareness): Maebel Gebremedhin, an NYC activist, started a petition asking the U.S. government to stop the Ethiopian government's genocidal campaign against women, as well as all citizens, of Tigray. Tigray, a region in northern Ethiopia, has been engulfed in war. Women are now coming forward about the obscene sexual violence and separation of families, including Maebel's own family. Maebel first came to the United States as a refugee at the age of five from Tigray. Through her sustained activism, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order on Imposing Sanctions on Ethiopia in September.
• Rev. Cece Jones-Davis (Free Julius Jones): After Cece Jones-Davis heard about Julius Jones's story, she took on his cause, starting the Julius Jones Coalition and a petition calling for his freedom that went viral with 6.5 million signatures. Momentum continued to build through 2021, and celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Kerry Washington and Russell Westbrook voiced their support. Just three hours before Julius was to be executed for a crime he did not commit, Oklahoma Governor Stitt commuted his sentence. The Coalition plans to keep fighting for his freedom.
• Randy Kritkausky (WSJ Thanksgiving column): Every year, The Wall Street Journal publishes a Thanksgiving passage from a pilgrim detailing what colonists perceived when they arrived in the "New World"—full of racism and disdain for Indigenous Americans. Randy Kritkausky, an enrolled tribal member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, author, professor, and the founder of ECOLOGIA, felt enough was enough and started a petition calling on the WSJ to end this practice. He ran an essay contest to find a more fitting replacement and got a response from the WSJ—building awareness around an important Indigenous rights issue.
• Eric Woodyard (Free Horace Peterson): Eric Woodyard's grandfather, Horace Peterson, has been in prison for 49 years serving a sentence of life without parole – despite being innocent. Eric and his family want him to come home to experience the special family moments he's tragically missed. He started a petition calling on Gov. Whitmer to free Horace, which involved a mobile billboard campaign, advertising and more. Eric's incredible campaign to free Horace will continue into 2022.
• Stephanie Sherman (Save Taino Artifacts from Christie's): Stephanie Sherman, a Taino activist, started a petition calling on Christie's, a British auction house, not to sell off historic Taino artifacts. Stephanie hoped her petition would convince them to return the sacred artifacts, which hold invaluably sacred, historical, and cultural importance, to the Taino peoples. While the auction ultimately occurred, Stephanie has pivoted her activism to fighting for the establishment of a Taino Cultural Center.
• Camille (Anti-Trans Legislation petition, AL): During a wave of anti-trans legislation, Camille started a petition to fight against the proposed 'Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act.' It quickly gained tens of thousands of signatures, and Camille continues to galvanize supporters in the fight against dangerous legislation in Alabama.
• Jennifer Price (COVID Psychosis Awareness): When Jennifer's husband Ben came down with COVID-19, she never expected that it would cause him to develop paranoia, panic, and ultimately lead to Ben taking his own life. She learned that this was post-COVID psychosis, and there simply was not enough awareness of this serious, life-threatening issue. She started a petition asking President Biden to add a neurology expert to the COVID task force, and she continues to fight for change.
• New York Taxi Workers Association (Medallion Debt): Taxi drivers in New York City had been buried under crippling debt (an average of $600,000 per driver) that was thrust onto them by a system of car ownership loans that was approved and promoted by the city. After the total collapse in value of the 'medallions', the New York Taxi Workers Association (NYTWA) led by Bhairavi Desai, started a petition that gained thousands of signatures. Rallies and hunger strikes led to a November decision by Mayor DeBlasio to provide debt relief.
• Trisha Hamsmith (Reese's Law): When Trisha's infant daughter, Reese, swallowed a button battery, she channeled her grief into action. Trisha started a petition calling for federal legislation to require child safety measures for products with button batteries, and it quickly gained 114,000 signatures and support from major consumer and child advocacy groups. Her devoted campaign led to Senate introduction of the bipartisan "Reese's Law" this November.

2021'S TOP CHANGEMAKERS UNDER 25

• Kim Saira (James Corden / Spill Your Guts): Kim Saira, a 24-year-old Asian-American activist, started a viral petition calling on James Corden to change the "Spill Your Guts" segment in which guests are asked to answer difficult questions or eat the "gross," "disgusting" or "horrific" foods presented to them. Many of the dishes come from various Asian cultures and are deeply ingrained in Asian cuisine. Saira's petition went viral through a TikTok video about the segment and got top-tier media coverage calling out Corden. He eventually pledged to avoid using those foods for his segment.
• Olivia Rosenblum (ESPN Women's Soccer Coverage):  Olivia, a New York City fourth-grader, started a petition calling on ESPN to increase their women's soccer coverage after learning that only 2% of ESPN's airtime is dedicated to female sports. She has been calling for ESPN to increase their coverage to at least 30%, saying they have a responsibility to disrupt these damaging gender stereotypes.
• Rose Felice (Ban Fiji UNL): Rose, a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has led protests with her peers against their campus fraternity Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), for their continuous history and recent accounts of sexual assault on campus. With more than half a million signatures, Rose's petition became one of the fastest-growing petitions on Change.org this year. It resulted in the ban of the fraternity at UNL through 2026.
• Raien W. (Anti-Trans Legislation petition - NC): 17-year-old Rai started a petition after NC lawmakers introduced legislation that would ban gender-affirming healthcare for youth under the age of 21, and would require schools to report to a child's family if suspect they are trans. Rai, who survived a suicide attempt as a youth, believed that measure would put countless trans kids' lives in danger and knew he had to do something about it. His petition gained 35,000 signatures and galvanized support for a marginalized community, and Rai continues to push for change.
• Daniel Peterson (Pierre Trans Youth): This year, Daniel's South Dakota high school said they would no longer address trans students by their chosen names, placing their dead names and assigned gender at birth on their records and college transcripts. The sudden change was devastating, and the affected students had no counseling support. Daniel started a petition calling on the school to protect fellow trans students, and it gained 14,000 signatures. Daniel continues to fight for trans students in South Dakota to have their chosen names on their records.
• Siddhanth Pachipala (Texas Minority History): Siddhanth, a high school student from Houston, TX, decided to stand up against some of his state's recent education censorship laws. After his classes sparked an interest in local civics and government, Siddhanth looked up the bills in front of the Texas legislature. He was horrified to see a curriculum bill where items like "the 'I have a dream' speech'" and "Native American History" had been simply crossed out. After taking off amid a storm of backlash against Texas bills from 2021, Siddhanth's petition caught the attention of USA Today. They interviewed Siddhanth about the importance of freedom of ideas and discussion for high schoolers, helping the petition grow to nearly 160,000 signatures.
• Nikki Wombwell (Myers Park) - Nikki is a Myers Park High School graduate (Charlotte, North Carolina), who started a petition against her school to raise awareness of its inaction against sexual violence. As a student, Wombwell was known as "Jill Roe" in a lawsuit filed against CMS and Myers Park leadership, who ignored her case of sexual violence by fellow students. Nikki started a petition this year that gained 60,000 signatures to stand against rape culture. Now 22, Nikki has grown into a leading voice for survivors in Charlotte, including the formation of Amplify Voices - an organization dedicated to standing against sexual violence.
• Reem Kirja (Eid Off For Students): Reem Kirja, an Iowa 8th grader, petitioned for Iowa City Community School District to allow Muslim students to honor the religious holiday, Eid al-Fitr, without penalty. Through multiple meetings with the district and presenting her petition, the Iowa education board voted a unanimous yes to Reem's campaign, and the new policy will be implemented next school year.
• Sydni Scott (Tulsa Reparations Resolution): Sydni Scott, a Columbia University student-athlete, activist and Rhodes Scholar, started an organization called The Amendment Project calling for the Tulsa City Council to vote 'yes' on the reparations resolution for victims and descendents of the Tulsa Massacre in 1921. In June, the campaign was a success, gaining 10,000 signatures and passage of the historic resolution, a step towards justice for survivors and descendants of those impacted by the Tulsa Massacre on Black Wall Street.
  

For more information on any of these campaigns, or to speak with any of these petition starters or a representative from Change.org, please contact press@change.org.

ABOUT CHANGE.ORG
Change.org is the world's largest nonprofit-owned tech platform for people-powered, social change. More than 450 million people across more than 196 countries use our technology-driven petition and campaign tools to speak up on issues they're passionate about. Approximately 70,000 petitions are created and supported on our platform every month, with 1.7 million new people joining our global network of users every week.

Every day, our users collaborate to organize on local, national and global issues; hold corporations to account; and demand action from decision makers at the highest levels of government and business. Our platform is free to use, open to all, and completely independent because it's funded by the people who use it. This independence also makes Change.org a trusted resource for decision makers, who turn to the platform to hear from and respond to the communities they represent. People on Change.org have powered tens of thousands of campaign victories worldwide, and more are winning every week.

As an organization, Change.org is committed to providing the tools, resources and support needed to empower anyone, anywhere to create the change they want to see in the world.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/changeorg-releases-top-ten-petitions-that-changed-2021-301448464.html

SOURCE Change.org, PBC