Aidan Kohn-Murphy

Aidan Kohn-Murphy (born 2003 or 2004)[1] is an American social media content creator and political activist. He is the founder of Gen-Z for Change, a non-profit advocacy organization that uses social media to promote civil discourse and political action among members of Generation Z.

Aidan Kohn-Murphy
Born2003 or 2004 (age 19–20)
EducationHarvard University
Alma materGeorgetown Day School
OccupationPolitical activist
OrganizationGen-Z for Change
Known forFounder of Gen-Z for Change

TikTok activism

Gen-Z for Change began in 2020 with Kohn-Murphy creating the TikTok account "TikTok for Biden" to support the presidential bid of Joe Biden. As of August 2022 it is a registered 501(c)(4) organisation with a core team of 15–20 people and a coalition of over 500 content creators and activists, which together have 540 million followers and receive 1.5 billion monthly views on social media.[2][3] It has been the subject of significant news coverage, especially after coordinating a one-hour briefing with the White House for 30 prominent TikTok content creators about the United States’ strategic goals regarding the war in Ukraine, which was parodied by Saturday Night Live.[4][5][6]

Reaction

Kohn-Murphy himself is featured prominently in this coverage, in part because of his young age (he was 16 when he created the TikTok for Biden account).[7][8][9][10] Many articles characterise him as politically precocious, and the first news coverage of his political activism is a 2011 Washington Post article about then-seven-year-old Kohn-Murphy's testimony before a D. C. Council Committee of the Whole, Youth Issues hearing, against the ban of chocolate milk in Washington, D.C.'s public schools.[11][12] Kohn-Murphy was also interviewed by The New York Times in 2022 as president of the Georgetown Day School's Student Staff Council regarding controversy over anti-racism teaching in schools, unrelated to his work with Gen-Z for Change.[13] A biographical article on Kohn-Murphy partly attributes his activism and prominence to his parents' political savvy; his mother directs the legal clinics at George Washington University, and his father served as a former D.C. Mayor’s chief of staff and is Georgetown University’s vice president for government relations and community engagement.[10]

Personal life

Kohn-Murphy lives in Washington, D.C.[1]

References
  1. "They can't vote, but they can meme: How these TikTokers are trying to get Biden elected". NBC News. October 17, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  2. "Gen-Z for Change – About Us". February 7, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  3. Latu, Dan (November 10, 2021). "They started making TikToks for Joe Biden. Now Gen Z For Change wants to wield real political clout". The Daily Dot. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  4. Lorenz, Taylor (March 11, 2022). "The White House is briefing TikTok stars about the war in Ukraine". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  5. Klein, Betsy; Janfaza, Rachel (March 11, 2022). "White House is briefing social media creators on Russia and Ukraine". CNN. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  6. Itzkoff, Dave (March 13, 2022). "On 'S.N.L.,' President Biden Seeks Help From TikTok Influencers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  7. Euse, Erica (October 28, 2020). "Could TikTok be the thing that finally gets young voters to the polls?". Mic. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  8. Ward, Ian (March 27, 2022). "Inside the Progressive Movement's TikTok Army". POLITICO. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  9. Stein, Perry (March 23, 2022). "The elite D.C. prep school at the center of Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearing". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  10. Oltuski, Alicia (July 18, 2022). "How a Georgetown Day grad's political savvy has made him a TikTok star". Bethesda Magazine. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  11. DeBonis, Mike (June 21, 2011). "Meet the first-grader who has Kwame Brown asking about chocolate milk". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  12. Kohn-Murphy, Aidan (June 11, 2011). "Testimony of Aidan Kohn Murphy, Lafayette Elementary, Grade 1, Before the D.C. Council, Committee of the Whole, Youth Issues". Scribd. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  13. Green, Erica L. (March 24, 2022). "Caught in a Culture War, Georgetown Day School Holds Fast to Its Mission". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
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