In a powerful moment on Tuesday, Violet Affleck, daughter of Hollywood stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, addressed the United Nations in New York City.
The 19-year-old Yale student and activist used the platform to speak about the critical importance of masks and clean air, highlighting lessons still relevant five years after the COVID-19 pandemic transformed everyday life worldwide.
Speaking Up for Preventative Measures
Violet appeared at an event titled Healthy Indoor Air: A Global Call to Action, emphasizing the need to continue preventive measures.
“It is neglect of the highest order to look children in the eyes and say, ‘We knew how to protect you, and we didn’t do it,’” she told the audience.
She warned that adults’ eagerness to return to “normal” had come at a cost, ignoring the realities of airborne transmission and the ongoing threat of Long COVID.
“Our present is being stolen right in front of our eyes,” Violet said, calling out a lack of responsibility in the current generation’s approach to public health.
Advocating for Young People and Future Generations
The Yale freshman stressed that young people have often been left out of decisions about health policies, lacking both information and real choice.
She concluded her speech with a compelling vision for the future: “We can recognize filtered air as a human right as intuitively as we do filtered water.
We can create clean air infrastructure so ubiquitous and necessary that tomorrow’s children won’t even know why it was essential.”
Continuing the Fight Through Writing
Violet has consistently used her voice for change. In May, she authored an article in the Yale Global Health Review detailing Los Angeles’ organized response to COVID-19 and climate change.
She argued that fully addressing the virus requires a combination of measures: widespread mask-wearing, paid sick leave, universal healthcare, and environmental initiatives to ensure clean air.
She urged people to take action at a grassroots level, distributing masks to those in need and emphasizing the impact of small victories.
“In the same way that COVID-conscious and disabled people celebrate each chain of transmission broken, climate scientists recognize that each degree of warming we avoid is a victory,” she wrote.
Pushing Local Governments to Act
Violet has also made her voice heard locally. Last year, she spoke before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to address the ongoing Long COVID crisis.
She demanded that government facilities, including jails and medical centers, implement mask availability, air filtration, and Far-UVC light systems.
She also warned against laws suppressing mandatory mask-wearing, noting that such restrictions put vulnerable communities at greater risk.
“It stands to exacerbate our homelessness crisis, as well as the suffering of many people in our city,” she said, highlighting the disproportionate impact on communities of color, disabled individuals, the elderly, trans people, women, and public-facing essential workers.
Preparing for the Future
Violet concluded by calling on officials to invest in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), ensure access to free high-quality tests and treatment, and resist mask bans.
“They do not keep us safer,” she asserted. With her UN speech and continued activism, Violet Affleck is positioning herself as a determined voice for public health and environmental responsibility, carrying forward the lessons of the pandemic for the next generation.