It might feel difficult to muster up visions of an optimistic future as the world endures another year marked by crises—from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the continuation of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Yet through the work they have done and the change they have made, many of the leaders on this year’s TIME100, our annual list highlighting the world’s most influential people, have reminded us that there are plenty of places to find hope. Whether it’s in the cultural works that bring us joy, like Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary, a standout television series that chronicles the ups and downs of life in a Philadelphia public school, or in landmark achievements that herald a more equitable future, as Ketanji Brown Jackson prepares to take her seat as the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, the members of this year’s TIME100 have found ways to foster optimism. We asked nine of them: What gives you hope for the future?
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Jeremy Strong, actor
“Students and the way they look at the world … their empathy and aliveness to one another’s struggles.”
Read More: Jeremy Strong Is on the 2022 TIME100
Ketanji Brown Jackson, incoming U.S. Supreme Court Justice
“Young people are my hope for the future. I see their passion, ingenuity, empathy, engagement.”
Read More: Ketanji Brown Jackson Is on the 2022 TIME100
Derrick Palmer, Amazon Labor Union organizer
“That my voice is inspiring a whole country of workers to let their voice be heard as well as to demand more benefits, pay, and job protection from their employer.”
Read More: Chris Smalls and Derrick Palmer Are on the 2022 TIME100
Quinta Brunson, television creator and actor
“I hope we can get it together enough as an entire planet to beat the environmental crisis we’re in.”
Read More: Quinta Brunson Is on the 2022 TIME100
Nan Goldin, visual artist and advocate
“The kids.”
Read More: Nan Goldin Is on the 2022 TIME100
Emmett Schelling, Transgender Education Network of Texas Executive Director
“I’m so proud of my community and the deep grassroots work being done by so many other Black and trans people of color-led orgs.”
Read More: Emmett Schelling Is on the 2022 TIME100
Chris Smalls, Amazon Labor Union organizer
“Changing how unions are viewed and making it cool to organize.”
Read More: Chris Smalls and Derrick Palmer Are on the 2022 TIME100
Gregory L. Robinson, James Webb Space Telescope Program Director
“Organizations are trying to implement more organic approaches to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, leaning forward in the future of work, and encouraging and adopting more innovation in organizations, products, services, and processes.”
Read More: Gregory L. Robinson Is on the 2022 TIME100
Eileen Gu, Olympic champion
“Open-minded young people. Only through curiosity, willingness to learn, and kindness can we bridge divides and achieve multicultural understanding.”