The Radical Monarchs, a program of radical self-empowerment and engagement for tween African American and Latinx girls in Oakland, California, is the subject of this lively documentary shot between 2015 (the year of the Monarchs' formation) and 2017. Created by a pair of visionary community activists, Anayvette Martinez and Marilyn Hollinquest, both queer women of color, the Monarchs are intended to be an alternative to the Girl Scouts. (Some of the young Black and Brown Monarchs we meet in the film say they felt isolated and invisible in the after organization.) Instead of getting badges for selling cookies, Monarch girls earn merit awards for their participation in lesson plans about identifying American society's pervasive messages concerning what constitutes notions of female beauty; as well as the history of activism for social and racial justice; gender identification, and LGBTQ issues; and how to talk to people in power about one's concerns. The discernment and intellectual agility of the girls are impressive. You can see their self-confidence grow with escalating comprehension of how the world really works and the challenges faced by those who don't fit a dominant straight white culture and its narrow standards. While the girls march and meet California legislators, Martinez and Hollinquest scramble to shore up funding, codify and copyright lesson plans, and fend off haters and trolls on Fox and social media. In the background, of course, is the presidential election season of 2015-16, and the unexpected win of Donald Trump, an event that both scares and galvanizes the Monarchs. Filmmaker Linda Goldstein Knowlton does a terrific job capturing, with robust energy, the group's activities and evolution over three years. Strongly recommended. Aud: I, J, H, C, P. (T. Keogh)