Amanda Nguyen
Rewriting the law
"I want young people to understand—no one is powerless when we come together. No one is invisible when we demand to be seen."
Amanda (she/her) is a civil rights advocate fighting to change the U.S. criminal justice system on behalf of sexual assault survivors—and she’s winning.
In 2013, Amanda was raped during her senior year at Harvard University. Facing hurdles about her rights as a survivor, Amanda decided to fight for justice and change the laws. She wrote the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, which includes the right for survivors to have a rape kit procedure at no cost and the requirement that kits will be preserved for 20 years. The bill passed unanimously into federal law in 2016.
Now 27, Amanda is the founder and CEO of Rise, which advocates for survivors’ rights and assists people to write and pass their own bills. She is a nominee for the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize.
“The greatest tool we all have is our voice. All people — no matter their age — have the constitutional right to petition the government. Solutions to our world most pressing issues sit with those who live the problems every day.”
“I am so proud of the Rise movement as it’s being led by young people of color throughout the country who are committed to creating change. If we can ignite this feeling for more young people, the world will be a much better place for next generation.”
The Organization
Amanda founded the organization Rise in 2014 as an effort to bring equality to sexual assault survivors across the U.S. It grew into something even bigger: a blueprint to drive democracy that can easily be applied to other social issues and can empower ordinary citizens to write laws. Rise Justice Labs is currently working with Zero USA to compose and pass laws across the country to help reduce gun violence.
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