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One group who has given her hope during this time is the Youth Advisory Board, a board of college and high school students focused on the representation of youth in public policy. Franklin said she is inspired by how young people are continuing to advocate for causes such as environmental justice, gun reform, and anti-racism, despite the fact that the current crisis has caused them to miss out on many experiences, especially the high school seniors.

“They have continued to lead, even though they're missing out on everything that seniors get to do,” she said.

In the wake of the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by a Minneapolis police officer, protests against police brutality and systemic racism have broken out across the country, including in Everett. Seattle, a neighboring city to Everett, has seen large-scale demonstrations.

“Our communities are rightfully outraged and grieving,” she said. “They need to be able to do this and we are still in a global pandemic, so what can we do to try to protect these individuals?”

Leaders across the country are now faced with not only the ongoing global pandemic, but protests in response to ongoing racism.

“The stress of the pandemic hasn't yet let up and then we have this added stress of the sickening atrocities and violence that we saw against African-American men and especially at the hands of those that are actually supposed to protect,” she said.

Franklin said it can sometimes feel as if these problems are too big for her to solve.

“You're just like, this is too big; I can't do this,” she said. “And then you kind of realize, like, well, none of us can. That's why we ... all work together as a ... society.”

ABC News' Melia Patria contributed to this report.

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