Jacob Stern, Massachusetts Sierra Club
In the lead-up to the November 2018 election, I was like many of you—wearing my soles thin knocking on doors and going hoarse from making calls for candidates I believed in. When the election results came in, I was excited, but also unclear whether the change in power would lead to any changes in policy. Now, just a few months into 2019, it’s clear that we are shifting the tide and pushing a proactive, progressive, and equitable congressional agenda that is uniting people from every corner of the country behind it.
Throughout the Trump presidency, the progressive movement has grown and evolved, coming together in times of crisis and heartbreak to form new coalitions, gain new skills, transform each other’s worldviews, and grow across our many different movements. In 2019, we’re now seeing that when we organize in our movements to fight climate change, racist immigration and incarceration policies, and the national crisis of inequity, there are new leaders in the halls of Congress who will stand with us. The new political leadership from people like Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Lauren Underwood, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez not only inspires young organizers like myself but also does the work to transform long-standing visions for things like climate justice into bold political solutions. This spring, the fire at the heart of our organizing for climate, economic, and racial justice feels brighter—fueled by hope, love, and a vision for a better world. We know what we need, and we are ready to join together to demand it.
I saw this fire come alive this past February when activists across the country mobilized to push forward groundbreaking new progressive policy solutions. At the Sierra Club, we saw this through the over 100,000 actions taken for a Green New Deal and the For the People Act, and the thousands of activists who organized and attended meetings with members of Congress to discuss these and other crucial policies across the country.
What are these groundbreaking policies? H.R.1., the “For the People Act,” which has been in the works for many years, advocates for a democracy that isn't ruled by corporate donations and where all Americans have an equal vote. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Markey’s twin House and Senate Green New Deal resolutions are the first go at articulating a just and equitable set of solutions that will actually match the scale of the climate crisis our country is facing. As these political leaders propose new policies, our communities are rising up to co-create these solutions and fight for them.
Photo from Penny Cothran, South Carolina Sierra Club
In the spirit of spring, our role now should be to sow the seeds for a climate movement where everyone has the resources and space they need to flourish. My work at the Sierra Club has allowed me to train, support, and cheer on grassroots leaders as they step into new action. Ryan from Colorado Springs was new to this work and went with his 13-year-old son to join Sunrise Movement activists in a visit to Senator Michael Bennet’s district office and ask for the support of a Green New Deal. “I am simply thrilled to be helping like this,” he wrote to me. Other leaders are more seasoned organizers, like Juliette in Davis, California, who is a part of an exciting new coalition of climate, justice, and labor organizations that successfully lobbied Representative Garamendi to sign on to the Green New Deal resolution.
Many of these organizing teams are intergenerational—in Huntsville, Alabama, Sarah, in high school, led some long-time Sierra Club activists to meet with Senator Doug Jones to urge support on H.R.1 and a Green New Deal. In Texas, Judith brought students from San Antonio public schools to thank Representative Lloyd Doggett for opposing Trump’s hateful border wall.
The exciting thing is that this style of organizing is working—H.R.1. just passed the House, and there are now over 100 cosponsors for a Green New Deal. As Barb, a leader in Vermont, told me “our civic health is like our physical health. It can feel intimidating to schedule a checkup and head to the doctor’s, but it is necessary to tend to it.”
Photo from Sandy Bahr, Arizona Sierra Club
We are at a point where it is not enough to just be informed. Yes we can listen to our quippy news podcasts and continue retweeting the latest think piece, but we should also follow the lead of this growing surge of organizing and embrace the role of active constituents. We need to grow beyond the phone call and step out into our communities (and into the halls of government) to demand the change we need. We have so much collective energy, wisdom, and creative vision to share, and not much time to waste.
This April, you'll have many more opportunities to grow your civic power to resist Trump and fight for a green congressional agenda. Whether you want to continue your work to fight for a Green New Deal by hosting a local town hall, or are ready to meet with your congressional leaders, Sierra Club organizers like myself are committed to supporting you as you find your place within our robust movement. Sign up here or email me at chelsea.watson@sierraclub.org to learn more about how you can take action in your congressional district this April, and contact morissa.zuckerman@sierraclub.org to learn about organizing or attending a Green New Deal town hall near you. Spring is here, Earth Day is around the corner, and people from every corner of the country are ready to fight for the future we’ve been waiting for.
Photo from Jillian Riley (NC)