A Special Underground Groundbreakers Post
“What is so powerful about our movement is its ability to reveal leaders in every young person who joins. The people that inspire me the most are the activists I get to work alongside every day. We fight our climate anxiety with action and community building. The Sunrise Movement has brought me to some of my closest friends, and has instilled in me the strength to fight for our collective future. If you had talked to me back in 2016 and told me that I would be a leader in a movement like this, I am not sure if I could have believed it, but I stand here today knowing that I absolutely cannot see myself doing anything other than this at this time in history.”
–Michele Weindling, Sunrise Movement hub co-coordinator/co-founder, Sunrise Boulder, Colorado
You may not have heard of the Sunrise Movement by name, but if you have heard about any of the debate over the Green New Deal–the proposed plan to address both climate change and economic inequality by creating jobs in “green” industries based on the model of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal during the Great Depression–then you have heard of Sunrise: they have been a big part of making the Green New Deal part of the national discussion in the last year or so.
As scientists issue ever more dire warnings on the state of the planet, many in the United States and around the world have become impatient and fed up with the resistance of most politicians to addressing the issue in any meaningful way. Much of this mantle has been taken up by young people, those in college and even in high school (and even younger! See photo below) and have made the news recently, as evidenced by the September and December climate strikes and the Harvard-Yale joint protest at their yearly football game. And teenage Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was recently named Time’s Person of the Year. While there are many individuals and groups contributing great work to this movement, I have been inspired by those in the Sunrise Movement (the “Sunrisers”) who kindly took time out of their busy schedules to tell me about their work, how they got involved, and what motivates them to keep going when things seem hopeless. My goal in this project is to feature a cross-section of people, from various walks of life and parts of the country, who have come together for this urgent movement.
The Rapid Rise of a Movement
Sunrise is a 501(c)(4) political action organization that advocates for political action on the climate crisis. The Sunrise Movement is part of Sunrise, and is intended to be entirely youth-led. It was officially launched in 2017, but was started in various segments in 2013 and 2015 by Evan Weber, Matthew Lichtash, environmentalist Michael K. Dorsey, Sara Blazevic, and Varshini Prakash. Blazevic and Prakash and other early leaders learned about how movements worked at an organization called Momentum, where they developed the “DNA” of what Sunrise would be, as Sarah Duckett, hub coordinator in Boston who was my first introduction to how Sunrise works and how it got started, explains.
After its broader launch, Sunrise set its sights on defeating candidates who did not support renewable energy and who were taking contributions from the fossil fuel industry in the 2018 midterm elections. Among their first endorsements for Congress were now well-known names like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (New York), Rashida Tlaib (Michigan), Ilhan Omar (Minnesota), and Deb Haaland (New Mexico). Half of their first 20 endorsements were elected in 2018, and many of their most widely seen actions have taken place just since then.
At the core of the Sunrise Movement are 11 Principles, which range from the main goal to stop climate change and create millions of good-paying jobs to their commitment to being nonviolent in any action taken. The principle of being Americans from all walks of life gives me great inspiration for this project. The commitment to nonviolence is especially important and comes from the tradition of movements like the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The tenet of nonviolence is not just a moral imperative, but a practical one as well. As Mark and Paul Engler explain in their book This Is An Uprising (which was introduced to me by Jackson Cutsor, hub coordinator/founder in Kansas City, Missouri), nonviolence is not just the moral alternative to violence, but the practical one as well: violence only turns people away from a cause as opposed to inviting them into it, which is what a movement of this scale needs. Sunrise provides trainings to all new members to teach them these principles: another important component of nonviolent organizing is the idea of frontloading, that everyone who participates is on the same page about what is or isn’t acceptable.
Perhaps most importantly, the movement is based on an idea known as the “3.5 percent rule,” which maintains that a campaign will succeed once it achieves the active and sustained participation of just 3.5 percent of the population, and sometimes even less. This is no easy task, of course, but it is the goal that the members of Sunrise all over the country are working towards. And since the 2018 midterms, their numbers have only grown: actions like the sit-in with the newly-elected Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office have drawn more attention to the group and discussion of the Green New Deal.
I interviewed Sunrise members from 15 hubs (Sunrise parlance for local chapters) who all have different backgrounds and reasons for getting involved in the movement. But various themes emerge that I’ll explain here, such as preserving the beauties of nature both for its own sake and for environmental justice, and bringing together an inclusive, multi-racial, sexually/gender diverse, intersectional coalition of young people to fight the biggest crisis our generation faces. And in the spirit of Sunrise, I will share what I’ve learned in my interviews using the 11 Principles as a guide.
Please be sure to check out the list of resources, social media accounts, etc at the end of this post if you are interested in learning more about the work of the Sunrise Movement.
Principle 1: We are a movement to stop climate change and create millions of good-paying jobs in the process.
We unite to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people.
“I am from South Florida, only minutes away from the beach, which has forced me to always care about my natural surroundings. However, as I became immersed in [Environmental Science courses in college], I realized environmental conservation is beyond just protecting a natural landscape because it is nature. Instead, the environment is people’s homes, jobs, and more. Hence, environmental justice at its core is social justice.”
–Destiny Treloar, co-hub coordinator, Sunrise South Hadley, Massachusetts (originally Sunrise Mount Holyoke College)
One of the central components of the Sunrise Movement–besides stopping the destruction of the warming of the planet, of course–is integrating this catastrophic issue with the equally catastrophic issue of economic inequality in America. As we surely all know by now, the income gap has widened astronomically over the last 30 to 40 years, leaving many middle- and working-class Americans behind with little hope of catching up without some type of major intervention. Just as Franklin Delano Roosevelt did during the Great Depression, Sunrise helped launch support for a Green New Deal. As Destiny Treloar explains above, the idea of environmental justice is interconnected with almost every aspect of life, particularly economic and social justice. This is the central issue which all the others serve.
Of course, the importance of environmental justice does not mean that protecting nature isn’t crucial too. I learned this the most from those in areas with particularly beautiful landscapes in the South, which leads into Principle 2.
Principle 2: We grow our power through talking to our communities.
We talk to our neighbors, families, religious leaders, classmates, and teachers, in order to spread our word. Our strength and work is rooted in our local communities, and we are always growing in number.
Much of the change that will have to take place for a dent to be made in the current climate crisis will have to happen at the federal and state levels, to be sure. But this will require grassroots work from the ground up, and that starts in local communities across the country. For some, this means convincing friends and neighbors that they must become active participants in the movement for real change in places where the concept of climate change is generally accepted but cynicism has taken over. For others, this means convincing friends and neighbors that climate change is both very real and imminent, and then eventually convincing them to similarly get involved.
While I spoke with Sunrisers from various parts of the country, the interviews I personally found most enlightening were those of people who are from areas completely unknown to me, which is anywhere outside the “East Coast bubble.” I particularly wanted to hear perspectives from outside this area, because the key to having a movement like this succeed is for politicians from these “Trump country” or “red state” areas to see that the people here, not just the coastal liberals, care about this issue. They provided me with this perspective, which was crucial for my understanding of how those who are still not convinced by the overwhelming evidence of climate change of the effects it could have on their own backyard. As an example, one Sunriser I spoke with, Logan Hysen from Knoxville, Tennessee, explained how there are plenty of people in the area who don’t believe in climate change, but what resonates with them is their love of outdoor resources and recreation, which slowly encourages them to act for change. What also helps is that Knoxville already has a fair amount of activists and existing environmental groups, particularly older people who are supportive of younger people getting involved in the movement.
Principle 3: We are Americans from all walks of life.
We are of many colors and creeds, from the plains, mountains, and coasts. A wealthy few want to divide us, but we value each other in our differences and we are united in a shared fight to make real the promise of a society that works for all of us.
“On September 20 of this year, I attended the Boston Climate Strike with fellow Sunrise Acton members. Accompanied by ten thousand fellow Boston strikers, as well as seven million strikers world-wide, we striked for our futures, sending a message to politicians and the public that the climate crisis can no longer be put on hold. In Boston we marched to the Massachusetts State House where about three hundred strikers made it inside to protest Governor Charlie Baker’s insufficient climate policies. Walking up three flights of marble staircase, we could hear the chants, shouts, and song of fellow strikers and Sunrise members already gathering inside. Joining them, I could feel the same electricity as I had during the Boston Sunrise Movement tour stop. It is a really powerful thing to be surrounded by people you have never met, but who are connected to you by their same passion for the climate. This sums up why I feel like Sunrise and the work we are doing is so important. Climate change is not something that is divided by political, socioeconomic, gender, sexuality, ethnic, or racial lines.”
–Sophie Cooke, press lead, Sunrise Acton, Massachusetts
You might think from her eloquent description of her experience in the recent climate strike that Sophie is in her twenties, or at least in college. But, like many actively involved in Sunrise across the country, she is actually in high school, and is one of the millions of young people who took part in the September climate strike.
The members of Sunrise I spoke with come from all walks of life–some have backgrounds in science, like engineering, while others work in fields like nursing. Some are even still in high school. They come from “red” states and “blue” states. Some have always been rather liberal while some considered themselves hard right-wingers just a few years ago.
All have various reasons that keep them in the fight, from protecting beautiful natural lands to making sure that people understand the intersectionality of the crisis at hand. Many of the Sunrisers I interviewed started off their stories of getting involved by explaining that they had never been involved in activism or politics, and some were never particularly interested in science or the environment. But in some way or another they came to learn about the climate crisis and eventually felt compelled to get involved, either by joining their local hub or starting their own–and there are new ones being started all the time (see more info on that at the end of this post). As Sophie explains here, the movement includes and encourages participation by people of all races, ethnicities, political beliefs (current or former), socioeconomic classes, sexualities, and gender identities–and the various intersections of these categories. No matter who you are, the most important thing is that you are willing to be dedicated to the fight.
At the heart of this is the important concept of intersectionality, which is the idea that the overlapping social identities discussed here contributes to the kind of systemic oppression and discrimination an individual experiences. As Abraham Renteria Infante, team lead of Sunrise Chico, California, explains, climate change is not just about the melting of glaciers or the increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere–it also has the potential “to restructure our institutions and power dynamics…just as environmental destruction is a result of colonialism and its exacerbation, globalization, so is the eradication of queer/trans* history.”
In order to build a strong movement, it must take every single person on this planet into consideration.” As a queer nonbinary person of color, Abraham has several identities that are marginalized, just as the movement as a whole brings together all sorts of these identities. Similarly, Jyoni Tetsurō Shuler, hub coordinator/co-founder in Boise, Idaho, has many “intersecting identities and passions,” as she is “a transfeminine non-binary vegan Buddhist of mixed Caucasian/Japanese descent.”
Another important aspect of this inclusiveness is, as Sophie’s quote above indicates, the active inclusion of the youngest activists. While any participation by young people in politics and activism is worth celebrating, Rachie Weisberg, hub coordinator and field organizer in Philadelphia, explains that Sunrise is particularly special: because it is still a new and relatively de-centralized movement, it creates a space where young people feel like they are actually being listened to instead of simply tolerated. Their contributions are seen as valuable and important. Judah Klingsberg, another high school Sunriser in New York City, is a sophomore in high school and got involved after the September 20th climate strike. He explains that while many people his age are involved in various environmental movements and the strike, the goal is to get more of them in Sunrise in particular, since it has the potential to be such a powerful force. He feels motivated by the cause of making the Green New Deal a reality. The frustration that he and so many others have at the inaction of politicians who treat climate change like “just another issue” is a powerful catalyst for trying to do something about it. And let’s not forget that many of these young people will be voting for the first time in 2020, and how candidates respond to this issue (among others) will be extremely important to this brand new large voting bloc.
The involvement of so many groups who may or may not agree on all issues is key to the success of a movement as vast as this. At the end of the day, the movement is all about changing the existing power dynamics around everything that is unjust. This inclusive coalition is the smartest and strongest way to accomplish this noble and crucial goal.
Principle 4: We are nonviolent in word and deed.
Remaining nonviolent allows us to win the hearts of the public and welcomes the most people to participate. We need maximum participation in order to achieve our goals.
“We graduated in a time of hate and uncertainty, on a planet that’s on fire, and with leaders that deny our impact on climate change. But we know and have always known that this climate crisis is more than melting ice caps and plastic in the oceans. Our generation has always known that this climate crisis is about systemic corruption that prioritizes the wealthy few over the prosperity of The People. That is why we feel so angry, because we see millions of people who did the least to cause climate change, suffering the most from climate disaster, and at the hands of fossil fuel executives and corrupt politicians. So somewhere along piecing all of this together, and making sense of my pain, I stumbled upon a video of a sit-in in Nancy Pelosi’s office just after the 2018 elections. The Sunrise Movement was demanding that our government recognize and fight the climate crisis at the scale it requires. Signs that read, “time’s up”, and “what’s your plan” flooded the halls of the Capitol, all being held by young people who looked like me, were angry and afraid like me, but who were speaking out and fighting back. That was one of the most badass things that I have ever seen. My partner, who shared the same anxieties, watched the videos with me over and over; a week later we signed up to start a Sunrise Movement hub in Boulder, Colorado.”
–Michele Weindling, hub co-coordinator/co-founder, Boulder, Colorado
One thing that was common among almost everyone I spoke with was the catalyst for their getting involved, as Michele Weindling of Sunrise Boulder explains here–the November 2018 sit-in at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office to make the case for a Green New Deal, in which the recently-elected congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a notable appearance. Almost every Sunriser I interviewed was either directly involved in the sit-in, or was moved to join or start a hub in their area once they saw the video of the protest. This common catalyst shows how the political landscape in America has changed rapidly, particularly since the shock to many of Donald Trump’s election in 2016. The sit-in at Pelosi’s office is just one example of the power of nonviolent action to get both attention and action for the cause. Other Sunrisers, like Rachie Weisberg in Philadelphia and Caleb Nauman, hub coordinator in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, have been locked out and arrested at politicians’ offices simply for sitting in or demonstrating peacefully for a conversation with their representative. Similarly, Scotty Monteith, core hub member of Sunrise Louisville, Kentucky, spoke in Kentucky Senator and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s DC office about how he was not listening to his constituents on this important issue. If our elected officials can’t even discuss these issues with us, why would we continue to reelect them? It’s examples like these that show the power of the movement to the people who need to see it most. If our elected representatives won’t pledge to take action on the issue that affects us all, Sunrise will make sure to help find people who will. Nonviolence is crucial for this effort, both practically and morally.
Principle 5: We tell our stories and we honor each other’s stories.
We all have something to lose to climate change, and something to gain in coming together. We tell our individual stories to connect with each other and understand the many different ways this crisis impacts us.
An important part of training for new Sunrise members is having the trainees get to know each other through activities like telling stories, as Sarah Duckett of Boston and Rachie Weisberg of Philadelphia explain. There is often laughter and tears as people often share things with each other that they have never shared with anyone else. Activities like these help establish personal connections between people who will be working together closely in very emotionally demanding work.
Principle 6: We ask for help and give what we can.
We all have something to offer to the movement. Some of us give time through volunteering anywhere from 1 to 50 hours per week. Some of us give money. Some of us donate housing or meeting space. We invite our community into the movement by asking for the help we need.
The people I’ve interviewed, just like the movement as whole, make Sunrise what it is in lots of different ways–through actions (protests, sit-ins, etc–always non-violent, of course), social media, and more. Some work for Sunrise full time, while others do it in any hours they have free from full-time jobs. All of this and more contributes to keeping the movement going and thriving. For example, as Claire Gadberry, social media coordinator of Sunrise South Bend, Indiana, who is also a full-time nurse, explains, “It’s frustrating to put a lot of effort, time, and energy into things that don’t work out. In all honesty I’m a little burned out right now and I’ve got some stressors in other areas of my life so I’m trying to take it easy for a couple days, but I know I’m going to get back in there and keep working hard as soon as my spirits pick up again. The stakes are too high to drop the ball.”
Principle 7: We take initiative.
Any group of 3 people can take action in the name of Sunrise. We ask for advice — not permission — from each other to make this happen. To make decisions, we ask ourselves, “does this bring us closer to our goal?” If yes, we simply do the work that is exciting and makes sense.
Since Sunrise is still a new organization gaining attention, new hubs are being started all the time. Some of the participants I interviewed had only started their hubs within the last few months, and only have a few members at the moment–with the expectation, of course, that as awareness becomes more widespread that membership will grow.
Some of the newer, smaller hubs were founded and/or are led by Logan Hysen in Knoxville, Tennessee; Sam DiFalco in Morris County, New Jersey; and Laura Neale in Little Rock, Arkansas. These groups only have a handful of consistent members (at least for now), but one of the goals of the strikes and actions is to increase awareness, with the hope that this translates into more active members.
Principle 8: We embrace experimentation and we learn together.
We welcome imperfection, share innovations, and learn through honest mistakes followed by honest conversations that help us move forward together. If we see something we don’t like, we contribute with something we do like, modeling an alternative.
One of the greatest aspects of Sunrise is that, while it has certain ideals and values that are non-negotiable, it is also open to trying new things. Laura Neale of Little Rock, Arkansas, is a great example of this. While the aim of Sunrise, which is an admirable one, is to have leaders under the age of 30, Laura convinced the leadership to allow her to start her hub in Little Rock even though she is above that age. Due to the resistance to the idea of climate change in her area, gaining a foothold would already be hard enough, so Laura was granted permission to start the hub, but with the hope that once it gains more traction it can have a younger leader. This is a wonderful example of adapting to a situation in a way that makes sense, instead of rejecting the idea altogether.
Principle 9: We take care of ourselves, each other, and our shared home.
We maintain our health of body, mind, spirit, and environment to the best of our ability so that we can maintain a strong movement together. We respect that for each of us this looks different.
As one might imagine, working for such serious change can take a toll mentally, emotionally, and physically. As Claire explains in Principle 6, taking time for self care is important. For Michele from Boulder, working for change while also working a full-time job certainly is a lot, but she sees it as a means to an end: “I am fighting now, so that one day soon, I can go back to being a 20 something year old that is figuring out what her path is, and can breathe knowing that I have time to decide within a new system that supports my generation and protects our planet.”
Principle 10: We stand with other movements for change.
Stopping climate change requires winning and holding power at every level of government. This is a huge job and we can’t do it alone. When it makes sense, we work with other movements who share our values and are also working to win political power.
Sunrise hubs across the country welcome and actively seek out candidates, both incumbent and running for office, who support the movement to tackle the climate crisis. This ranges from local to statewide to federal offices. On a national level, they have recently endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont for President, as they believe he “would create the best political terrain to win the future we deserve.” Additionally, as is clear in their dedication to involving people from all walks of life, Sunrise stands with other political and activist movements who are hoping to move issues in our country in a better direction.
One Sunrise-affiliated candidate who I spoke with is Daulton Lease, who is running for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He is primarying a Democrat who has held the seat for decades and has barely spoken about any policies–he doesn’t even have a website. Daulton believes the district is overdue for a change, so he is making a run for the seat.
While the climate crisis is a central issue for Daulton as a member of Sunrise, just as important is the urgency to remove the corrupting influence of money in politics. This is an issue throughout the country, but in Pennsylvania, schools and social services cannot be sufficiently funded due to a flat tax rate of 3%–so a millionaire will pay the same rate in taxes as someone who lives below the poverty line. Without the adequate funding, politicians turn to more nefarious sources, such as fossil fuel companies, who then have influence on what becomes law. As a result, almost any issue that the legislature tries to vote on–more funding for public universities, social services, and more–goes nowhere due to the lack of funds.
Daulton, like many others, is running on the belief that in order to even start on making big sweeping changes like the Green New Deal, we need representatives who aren’t going to accept corporate or fossil fuel money. As he explains, “We have the people on our side,” but we must “combine candidates with mass political movements to create this change.” You can find out more about Daulton and how to support his campaign at his website, daultonforpa.com, and his Twitter account, @DaultonLease.
Principle 11: We shine bright.
There are hard and sad days, to be sure. This isn’t easy work. But we strive to bring a spirit of positivity and hope to everything we do. Changing the world is a fulfilling and joyful process, and we let that show.
I like to ask every Groundbreaker I interview who inspires them in the work they do, who their Groundbreakers are. I always find that the responses let me get to know people and what’s important to them. The Sunrisers are no exception. The people who inspire them also, unsurprisingly, correspond to what is most important to them in the movement, such as conservation and intersectionality.
One of the most popular responses to this question was Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who was the direct inspiration for many to join. To many Millennials and Gen Z-ers, who make up the majority of Sunrisers, AOC and “The Squad” (Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley) represent a new generation of leadership that is sorely needed in these times. The leadership of both parties is simply not cutting it for what urgently needs to get done now. Just a few points of support for her include Michele: “She is truly a groundbreaker for me. She, like so many of us, was a concerned young person that was sick of corrupt politicians hurting her community. She is an example of how passion, tenacity, and strength can rally people together to fight for a better future for all. I strive to uphold those qualities in all of the work that I do in Colorado”; Scotty: “AOC is another person who I admire because she is the leader I have been looking for. She is the leader that we need right now and if people listen to more people like AOC…then our country and the whole world will be better”; Destiny: “We need people like AOC at all levels of the government” and a good sum-up by Caleb: “She’s the best ever.”
As important as Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s current example is, the Sunrisers also take inspiration from those who came before them. For one, Scotty recognizes the important example of FDR in what he did to help workers during the Great Depression. And in the tradition of nonviolent action, Sunrisers like Judah and Michele look to their example as they do their work today. As Michele explains: “If I were to say who I aspire to be like from history, it is any one of the brave youth activists of the civil rights movement. I can see their faces in my head, I feel their devotion in my bones, and I carry the legacy of their accomplishments in the work that I do. I haven’t chosen a specific person, because I believe this movement is bigger than one well-known leader. It is so hard to get people to see past recognition and fandom with all the social media platforms we utilize. Sometimes it can feel like the media’s attention on one specific person can actually hurt the message, and can devalue the thousands of youth that put in the work every day to make change in their communities. That’s why I love that you are writing this piece to highlight the movement from the perspective of activists across the country! That way, the work that we all put so much into is the thing that people remember, and that is another way that we are going to win support for environmental justice and a Green New Deal.” Judah adds that the brave people who took part in the movement did the hard but important work of moving the majority to their side in an active rather than a passive way, as is explained in This Is An Uprising. He sees a parallel between that work and the work that is being done right now. This is particularly true in how Sunrise aims to bring together an intersectional coalition.
In the environmentalist/conservationist vein, Rachel Carson is another important inspiration to many Sunrisers. Karla explains, “I think my biggest inspiration in the environmental movement is probably Rachel Carson. I read her book Silent Spring, and from what I know about the history of the environmental movement in the 70s, I think she was definitely partly responsible for triggering a change in how people saw nature–she gave it value.” And as Laura adds, Carson “sounded the warning bell in a way that empowered people and brought it home to people in their backyards,” but with a strategy and in a tone that got people to listen. She brought the problem “home to people in their backyards,” not in abstract terms, so that people could truly understand the gravity of the issue. That is exactly what Laura and the other Sunrisers are doing in their work every day.
But the inspiration that everyone would agree on is their fellow Sunrisers, people they work with. This is especially true of the youngest Sunrisers, high schoolers and younger, who not only understand the issue at hand but actively and vigorously participate in trying to change it. As Michele eloquently sums up, “If I can leave the public with anything, it is that young people are more powerful than anyone believes them to be. And when you combine that with a shared goal to fight for a livable future in the election that is our last and best chance to do so, well then, you are about to see a revolution. The point is, each and every member of the Sunrise Movement has something personal that they are fighting for, and that devotion keeps us strong, our culture keeps us united, and we fight for one another every step of the way.”
Just Getting Started
What I love most about Sunrise, as I do about all the progressive movements fighting for change like Justice Democrats, Brand New Congress and many others, is that they bring together a coalition of people from the big cities and rural towns coming together for this urgent movement. This is the only way that real change will be brought about.
These kids and young adults have the energy that is sorely lacking in our politics and politicians right now. While some may call them optimistic or even idealistic, they are fighting for change in one of the only ways that really works. The climate crisis, like many of our most pressing issues today, is not going to be solved with incremental change–there’s simply no time for that. The only way it will be solved is with bold action. Like Jackson, I did not believe in the power of civil resistance until I learned more about what Sunrise has already accomplished and reading This Is An Uprising. Now I believe more than ever that what Sunrise is putting into action, particularly as establishment politicians and ideas become more rejected, can be a real force for change.
It is so hard to choose one quote to sum up the many interviews I conducted, but a point Laura made is very apt. If no other arguments, including about protecting the environment, convince people of the urgency of this issue, then maybe this one will: “The world we are shaping right now will be the world future generations will inherit from you. What kind of world do you want to leave them? Are they going to have a better life than you did?”
I am so grateful to everyone who responded to my inquiries to speak with me about the work they are doing with Sunrise. I am especially grateful to Sarah Duckett, who was the first person I reached out to as a fellow Smithie, who introduced me to the history and principles of Sunrise and pointed me to others I could contact, and Jackson Cutsor, who recommended the foundational This Is An Uprising. My interviews with Laura Neale of Little Rock and Caleb Nauman of Lancaster were especially enlightening for me and opened my eyes to a perspective in America that is so different from mine, which is a very welcome byproduct of this project. I’ve had some great conversations and, besides learning more about Sunrise, I have learned a lot about the great deal of diversity of thought and experience in this country from my New York bubble. As much as I wish I could include everything I heard from everyone, this post would have been book-length! But my aim here was to include points from everyone that corresponded to the principles that are so important to the work they do. My hope is that this project, in some small way, will bring the great work this movement has already done and will continue to do to people who may not be aware of it yet, which will only make the movement stronger.
Participants Interviewed and How to Follow Them and their Hubs on Social Media:
- Sarah Duckett, hub coordinator, Boston, Massachusetts
- Jackson Cutsor, hub coordinator/co-founder, Kansas City, Missouri
- Logan Hysen, hub coordinator/founder, Knoxville, Tennessee
- Rachie Weisberg, hub coordinator/field organizer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Sam DiFalco, hub coordinator/founder, Morris County, New Jersey
- Caleb Nauman, hub director, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Jyoni Tetsurō Shuler, hub coordinator/co-founder, Boise, Idaho
- @SunriseBoise, https://www.instagram.com/sunrisemvmtboise/
- Michele Weindling, hub co-coordinator/co-founder, Boulder, Colorado
- Laura Neale, hub founder/coordinator, Little Rock, Arkansas
- @sunriseLR, https://www.facebook.com/SunriseLittleRock/, https://www.instagram.com/sunriselittlerock/, @lauracricket
- Abraham Renteria Infante, team lead, Chico, California
- Claire Gadberry, social media coordinator, South Bend, Indiana
- @SunriseSouthB, @SunriseSouthBend on Facebook and Instagram
- Sophie Cooke, press lead, Acton, Massachusetts
- @sunriseacton1, Facebook: Sunrise Acton, Instagram: @sunriseacton
- Scotty Monteith, core hub member, Louisville, Kentucky
- Gabbi Perry, Karla Esquivel, Destiny Treloar, hub coordinators, South Hadley, Massachusetts (originally Mount Holyoke College)
- @SunriseSHadley, Instagram: Sunrisesouthhadley Facebook: Sunrise South Hadley
- Judah Klingsberg, member/high school organizer, New York, New York
General Sunrise Movement info: Sunrise Movement website, @sunrisemvmt
Where to find a hub to join near you (or start one if there isn’t): https://www.sunrisemovement.org/hubs
