Philadelphia Youth Climate Strike
It was about 55 degrees out, a bit too warm for a December day in Philadelphia. Thus, it was the perfect day for the climate strike – a day that quite literally showcased the rising temperatures of our Earth. The climate strike was organized and led by youth. Many people that were at the climate strike looked of middle and high school age. During the climate strike in September students received unexcused absences from school for attending. However, for this strike in December, the Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia announced that students would be excused from school to attend the strike, something I considered to be revolutionary. When I arrived at the strike, the energy was high. People of my age and younger had tables set up with books, newspapers, and forms to promote climate activism. There were older generations walking around talking to and teaching others about the sustainable development goals and how we can do our part to help make sure we are living sustainably. Students were protesting by walking around the City Hall building and saying “Hey, hey, you, you, we deserve a future too.” Others had signs that said things such as: “People and planets before profits,” and “The climate is changing, why aren’t we?” The feeling of collective power in the air was incredibly apparent. It was amazing to see that young people were organizing around a common goal. They had come together in a movement. The strike consisted of speakers, young rappers, poets, and singers. The strike was a movement led by young people, but a place in which generations had come together to make demands towards a more sustainable future. Participating in this was moving. I felt as though I was a part of something in which our voices were being heard and listened to – we were forcing people to hear us and take our voices in consideration.
Climate Strike Sign
This event relates to the course because throughout the semester we have been talking about political activism, oppressions, power, organizing, and communities. This strike showcased how to build power in a communal sense. It highlighted this idea of collective power within acting as a productive force rather than power over as an oppressive one. Participating in the climate strike also showed firsthand the importance of organizing work. In this case, it is one thing to be an environmental activist on your own but coming together as a mass of people to make demands and get your voices heard showed just how important it is to do more than act alone. I have attended strikes and protest before but never one labeled specifically as led by ‘youth.’ Attending this also reminded me of the concept of belonging and what it can mean to exist within certain spaces. Although I am not a Philadelphia native, here I felt like I belonged within a larger community working towards a greater good for all.