Miami Rising Concert & Rally Draws 1,000+ for the People’s
Climate Movement National Day of Action
On Saturday, September 8,
Sierra Club Miami, Miami Climate Alliance and more than 40 partner
Using art, music and
poetry to create connections, Miami Rising focused on educating South Florida
residents about people-centered solutions to climate change and extreme weather
and on promoting a just transition to a new 100% clean and renewable energy
future. At the event, Sierra Club volunteers organized a solar-powered cell
phone charging station and a clean energy raffle wheel trivia game to educate
attendees about 100% clean and renewable energy. Volunteers also collected 275
petition signatures asking the City of Miami to commit to a just transition to
100% renewable community-wide energy supply before 2050. Watch a video of the event here.
Performers and creators helped
tell the story of climate, jobs, and justice for our communities;
showing that
to change everything, it takes everyone. Performers included musical
artists Soulpax, Remyz, Locos por Juana, and Ra Ra Roots Rasin, and spoken
word artists included Dita Devi, Michealango 305, and Sebastian. Visual
artists created murals, paintings and works dedicated to the themes of climate,
jobs and justice. Interactive displays also helped participants connect
to the issues, like a virtual reality Everglades canoe experience from Paradise
Key Media.
To generate excitement
and drive attendance, partner organizations placed op-eds and hosted Miami
Rising lead-up events, including four climate forums, a Battle of the Bands
event, a live art competition and series of volunteer trainings. Now
until November 15, Miami Rising attendees and volunteers will be invited to
participate in a series of actions and events, including Sierra Club gatherings
and online petitions. Check out the campaign at MiamiRising.org.
Speakers
at the event focused on the urgency to act on climate, jobs and justice,
illustrating the issues with personal stories. Among the 14 speakers were
Sierra Club Organizer and Miami Climate Alliance Steering Committee Chair Emily
Gorman, SEIU 1199 Vice-President Dequasia Canales,
WeCount member Sergio Maldonado, Executive Director of FANM Haitian Women of Miami
Marleine Bastien, Founder of Make the Homeless Smile Valencia Gunder, and
Valholly Roff Frank, the 15-year-old plaintiff in Our Children’s Trust lawsuit
against Governor Rick Scott and State of Florida.
Sponsors
and partner organizations included: Sierra Club, The Miami Climate Alliance,
The CLEO Institute, FANM Haitian Women of Miami, 350 South Florida, New Florida
Majority, 1199 SEIU, Peoples Climate Movement, Florida Immigrant Coalition,
Demos, Life Is Art, and the Center for Climate Integrity, AFSCME,
Blackbird Communications, Catalyst Miami, Engage Miami, Florida Student Power
Network, Life Is Art, Miami Workers Center, MoveOn.org, National Latina
Institute, NextGen America, Progressive Caucus of Miami Dade, Progressive
Jewish Action, Rethink Energy, Sachamama, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy,
South Florida AFL-CIO, South Florida Resilience System, Unitarian Universalist
Justice Florida, United Teachers of Dade, Unite Here, We Count!, Women's March
Miami, and the South Florida Workers Rise for Climate Justice Coalition