Our friends over at The Root have compiled an awesome list of young African American innovators.

The 2012 Young Futurists are a diverse group of intelligent and engaged young people between the ages of 16-22 that are doing amazing things for our world, specializing in fields as diverse as green innovation, science and technology, arts and culture, social activism and business enterprise.

From The Root:

“Many of them meld their concern for their communities or the world at large with their own academic or professional interests — whether it’s Ariel Harden, a science major from Spelman College who was inspired, after seeing her mom struggle with cancer, to find a way to make treatments less harrowing. Or Brandon Turner, a 2012 Rhodes scholar who wants to use his research to stamp out diseases that disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities. Through her jewelry company, Shomari Patterson donates jewelry-making kits to a shelter for women rescued from the sex trade.”

View the full list at TheRoot.com

The Black Youth Project salutes and congratulates this year’s finalists on receiving this wonderful honor, and commends them for the spectacular things they’re doing for our communities. Keep up the great work!

And check the video below to hear directly from a few of these amazing young people.