Hillary Rodham Clinton is the guest-editor of our Volume IV issue, on newsstands nationally December 5. She will keynote at the first-ever Teen Vogue Summit in conversation with actress, scholar, and activist Yara Shahidi. The Teen Vogue Summit will take place on December 1 & 2 in Los Angeles. Tickets and information are available here. Here, she and Teen Vogue Editor-in-Chief Elaine Welteroth welcome you to our new issue.
Have you ever noticed that whenever a teenage girl takes a stand on an important issue, people seem surprised? That’s true even in 2017—a year that has seen young women turning out in force at the Women’s Marches, smashing expectations in sports and STEM, demanding diversity in books and movies, rallying to protect affordable health care and Planned Parenthood, even holding a quinceañera on the steps of the Texas Capitol to protest attacks on immigrants’ rights. Girls are raising awareness about child marriage in Yemen and sex trafficking in Cambodia; speaking out for environmental justice in Flint, Michigan, and equality in Raleigh, North Carolina; and so much more.
That’s why, when the brilliant Elaine Welteroth invited me to edit this issue, I jumped at the chance. Teen Vogue takes teen girls seriously and understands that style and substance aren’t mutually exclusive. I love seeing articles about the search for the perfect makeup remover next to essays about running for office (I have strong opinions on both topics, but we’ll get to that later). Teen girls are a powerful force for good in the world, and it’s refreshing to see that reflected in these pages.
I know the last year hasn’t been easy for any of us. The letters I received after the election helped me pick myself up and keep going, and I’m looking forward to sharing a few with you. In this special issue of Teen Vogue, I’ll also introduce you to some people who are near and dear to me, including my childhood best friend, Betsy Ebeling, and my daughter and hero, Chelsea. I’m proud to add What Happened, the most personal book I’ve written, to the Teen Vogue book club reading list. And I had a lot of fun answering questions from readers whose politics differ from my own. All in all, this issue is a celebration of resistance and resilience. I hope you’ll take that message to heart, because the world needs your passion and determination more than ever. So keep marching, keep speaking up, and as Shirley Chisholm once said, “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”
I believe in you.
I’ll never forget walking into Teen Vogue’s war room on election night. As our scrappy digital team of twenty-somethings live-streamed coverage, a palpable tension filled the space—it was equal parts excitement and panic. When I headed off to HRC’s election-night event, I remember saying (and genuinely believing), “There is no way—No. Way.—that man will win.” Boy, was I wrong. The next morning, we gathered to mourn what felt like the end of the world. But in the weeks and months that followed, girls and young people sprang into action, speaking out and marching—many for the first time. A year later, we dedicate this issue to those of you continuing the fight for equality and basic human rights. Hillary Clinton may not have broken the tallest glass ceiling in America—but one of you will. And you will be standing on the shoulders of women leaders like HRC whose story unlocks universal lessons in determination, survival, and resilience. This issue explores what we can all learn from her impact, her style, and her grace under fire.
Some will say it’s too partisan, too political, too retrospective, too “echo-chamber-y.” This issue isn’t for them. It was designed for the millions who acknowledge that until women, girls, people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and the economically disadvantaged are on an equal playing field, we must hold space for these critical conversations. Very special thanks to Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin, Nick Merrill, Moj Mahdara, Capricia Marshall, Chelsea Clinton, and seven-year-old artist Lila Suter-Chung, whose charming drawings in this issue remind us that there is a generation of girls who know their voice matters. Want proof? Just wait until you see this year’s list of 21 girls and femmes already radically changing the world—all under the age of 21.
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Production by Mathilde Carlotti for Rosco Production. Manicure by Dawn Sterling.
Want more from our Teen Vogue Volume IV guest editor Hillary Rodham Clinton? Check this out: Hillary Clinton Wrote a Powerful Letter to Her Teenage Self
