In only a few years, 19-year-old Veronica Rodriguez’s activism grew from her being involved in high school clubs to attending City Hall sit-ins. In January, the University of Illinois at Chicago freshman stood at the altar of the city’s historic Mount Pilgrim Mission Baptist Church, demanding change in front of a packed crowd and five candidates in the upcoming mayoral election.

“We are all here because we’re committed to transforming this city,” Rodriguez said at the event. “We represent neighborhoods and working-class people across Chicago, and we are ready to take back our jobs, our schools, our housing, and our streets.”

Through her work combating gentrification and the construction of a police and fire academy, Rodriguez is part of a wave of Chicago youth spearheading change on issues including police reform, public school funding, and affordable housing. While some aren’t yet old enough to vote, their direct action and community organizing are influencing the platforms of many candidates in the hotly contested February 26 election for Chicago’s mayor and City Council seats. From the Chance the Rapper–endorsed community organizer and mayoral candidate Amara Enyia to seasoned players in the city government, politicians are paying attention to young people beyond the ballot box.

Many of Chicago’s new generation of activists are disrupting widespread corruption that for decades has too often defined the Midwestern political machine. From former governor Rod Blagojevich’s conviction for attempting to sell President Obama’s vacant Senate seat to recent accusations against a City Council member allegedly trying to use his political influence for personal benefit, the phrase “Chicago-style politics” has become as infamous as the mob bosses who once ruled the city.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and then Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez faced backlash following the 2014 murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. Groups such as Black Youth Project 100 (BYP 100) and We Charge Genocide accused Emanuel and Alvarez of keeping details of the case private as they waited 13 months to release police dash-cam footage of the shooting.

Youth organizer Veronica Morris-Moore helped lead direct-action protests, showing up at Alvarez’s campaign events and spreading the hashtag #ByeAnita. Alvarez lost her 2016 reelection bid.

“My goal was to show that you don't have to participate in election season just by backing a politician, door knocking, and canvassing for that politician and helping them,” Morris-Moore tells Teen Vogue. “I wanted to show that you can be a part of the season by just saying who you don't vote for and why and doing that in unorthodox ways.”

Although Emanuel narrowly won his reelection in 2015, the aftermath of the shooting continues to shape his legacy. (Some have wondered if it even influenced his decision not to seek a third term in office.) The incident also prompted a U.S. Justice Department investigation that uncovered systematic issues, including inadequate police training and excessive and deadly force, largely impacting black and Latinx residents. The report confirmed activists’ longstanding allegations and inspired further grassroots action.

Assata’s Daughters grew out of Black Lives Matter and Chicago’s police and prison abolitionist movements. Taking its name from Black Liberation Army activist (and Tupac Shakur’s godmother) Assata Shakur, the intergenerational collective centers black women and femmes to build a more equitable justice system.

Co-founder Page May says Assata’s Daughters helps “develop the skills and confidence and community necessary to participate in the Black Lives Matter movement in meaningful ways — so not just show up to the protest and be in the photos but really understand what are we doing and why are we doing it.”