DOCSLIB.ORG

How Covid-19 Has Changed the Face of American Activism

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
How Covid-19 Has Changed the Face of American Activism CORONAVIRUS AND PROTEST: HOW COVID-19 HAS CHANGED THE FACE OF AMERICAN ACTIVISM ELLIOTT BRENNAN | MAY 2020 The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney is a university-based research centre, dedicated to the rigorous analysis of American foreign policy, economics, politics and culture. The Centre is a national resource, that builds Australia’s awareness of the dynamics shaping America — and critically — their implications for Australia. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE Institute Building (H03), City Rd The University of Sydney NSW 2006 Australia +61 2 9351 7249 [email protected] USSC.EDU.AU Research conclusions are derived independently and authors represent their own view, not those of the United States Studies Centre. Reports published by the United States Studies Centre are anonymously peer-reviewed by both internal and external experts. TABLE OF CONTENTS Key points 02 Months of lockdown after years of protest 03 Conservative protests 04 Progressive protests 11 COVID-19 could politically activate young Americans 15 Conclusion 17 Endnotes 18 About the author 22 This report may be cited as: Elliott Brennan, “Coronavirus and protest: How COVID-19 has changed the face of American activism,” United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney, May 2020. KEY POINTS › The COVID-19 pandemic coincides with an › At this point, only small numbers historic era of protest in the United States. of conservatives are protesting, yet movements of all stripes are taking the › The number of individual protests time to digitally re-tool and prepare to in the United States significantly mobilise when restrictions are lifted. diminished at the beginning of the lockdown, increased in mid-April › Prominent US progressive groups have and accelerated following President shifted their focus to recognise the Trump’s LIBERATE tweets on April 17. immediate challenges of household relief, health support for the most vulnerable › The biggest increase in protests has and gearing the economic recovery in been mostly in states that went to the direction of a Green New Deal. Donald Trump in the 2016 election, but have Democratic governors. › With younger generations of Americans bearing a heavy social, educational and › The pandemic and its economic fallout economic burden while facing the lowest have created new protest movements and health risk during the pandemic, this crisis stand to embolden already simmering could activate this otherwise famously progressive and conservative movements. politically lethargic demographic. › The lockdown policies across the United States set the conservative priority of individual liberty against the progressive priority of the common good, exacerbating an already entrenched partisan divide in the United States. ---- Protestors circle Philadelphia City Hall in vehicles to demand reopening of Pennsylvania, 8 May 2020 (Getty) UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE 2 CORONAVIRUS AND PROTEST: HOW COVID-19 HAS CHANGED THE FACE OF AMERICAN ACTIVISM MONTHS OF LOCKDOWN AFTER YEARS OF PROTEST Protest is a defining characteristic of American But now the loudest social movements in the society. The Boston Tea Party, the subsequent United States are pro-Trump and anti-lockdown. Revolutionary War and the splintering Civil Physical protest in the time of a pandemic is a War all bear the hallmarks of a national spirit dangerous and broken tool of civil resistance. of protest. The First Amendment of the United Experts, including those in the White House, States Constitution clearly enshrines freedom of acknowledge that restric- assembly, expression and the right to petition as tive measures will need to be three of the first five freedoms.1 maintained in some form for THIS REPORT CONSIDERS HOW The last half century has been punctuated by months to stop the spread of SUCH A DEVASTATING episodes of great American protest. These the coronavirus and to prevent ECONOMIC DOWNTURN mass acts of expression, assembly and peti- a “second wave” of cases.4 AND FAR REACHING tion emanate from the civil rights and anti-war USE OF GOVERNMENT This report places recent movements in the 1960s and 70s, continued POWER COULD EXPAND American protest movements through anti-nuclear and gay and lesbian rights THE SCALE, URGENCY, in historical perspective. It AND BOLDNESS campaigns in the 80s and 90s, came back to the outlines why conservatives OF CONSERVATIVE fore at the turn of the century with the anti-glo- are particularly aggrieved by AND PROGRESSIVE balisation “Battle of Seattle” and surged during MOVEMENTS BOTH the lockdowns in many states the Iraq War. In the 12 years since the Global DURING AND AFTER and examines the conservative Financial Crisis (GFC), protests in the United THE PANDEMIC. players agitating for the easing States again increased with the Tea Party and of COVID-19 restrictions, Occupy movements and accelerated in many including the president. By using state-level data directions following the election of President of the protests, this report maps the number and Donald Trump in 2016.2 trend of protests in the United States in response In 2019, American movements like March For to the pandemic restrictions. Our Lives, Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and the It also considers how such a devastating Women’s March, as well as the international economic downturn and far reaching use of School Strike For Climate, were important play- government power could expand the scale, ers in the global sweep of protests, although urgency, and boldness of conservative and they fell well short of scale and impact of the progressive movements both during and after Hong Kong protests and the government-break- the pandemic. ing movements that took place in countries like 3 Lebanon, Algeria, Bolivia, Iraq and Sudan. The United States is now an immensely divided nation tackling a high-stakes health crisis and headed towards a high-stakes presidential elec- tion. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE CORONAVIRUS AND PROTEST: HOW COVID-19 HAS CHANGED THE FACE OF AMERICAN ACTIVISM 3 CONSERVATIVE PROTESTS What motivates conservative How is COVID-19 playing into this? protesters? The stay-at-home and lockdown measures In recent weeks, much attention has been paid enforced by many states do not sit well with to groups of conservative protesters demanding the primacy of individual liberty. During March that their states reopen and they be given the and April, all but five US states paused their local freedom to work. Personal freedom is a well- economies to varying degrees and issued stay- known value in American society. In a 2019 United at-home-orders.9 The most severe closed all States Studies Centre (USSC) survey of Ameri- schools and only kept businesses and opera- cans and Australians, 74 per cent of Australians tions open that were deemed absolutely essen- nominated it as a favourable aspect compared tial. Given the scepticism of government inter- with 87 per cent of Americans.5 The perception of vention in the United States, it is no surprise that the United States as the land of the state’s role in curtailing this liberty and the the free is a longstanding one ability to move about freely has provoked, among THESE PROTESTERS a small fraction of conservatives, a compulsion AND THEIR OFTEN- but is also one that is funda- FLAGRANT DISREGARD mentally disjointed with the to exercise their constitutional right to assem- FOR SOCIAL COVID-19 pandemic. bly. State governor’s residences and state capi- DISTANCING, AS WELL tols have been subject to groups of protesters AS A VISIBLE MINORITY The central role of liberty in demanding that the economy be opened. These PROUDLY CARRYING conservative American thought protesters and their often-flagrant disregard for HEAVY FIREARMS, extends to a perception of an social distancing, as well as a visible minority HAVE DOMINATED individual’s role in determin- PRESS COVERAGE. proudly carrying heavy firearms, have dominated ing their own success. This press coverage. is historical,6 but it continues to this day, albeit in a more politically charged manner. In the same USSC survey, 80 per cent The number of protests in the of Americans who voted for Donald Trump in United States has surged, but the the 2016 election said that “hard work and ability number of protesters hasn’t determine how well off a person becomes in It is possible to ascertain the broad impact the your country”. Only 43 per cent of those who lockdown has had on protests in the United voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 said the same. States using data from the Global Database of This 37-point gap between progressive and Events, Language and Tone Project (GDELT), conservative-voting Americans provides a snap- an open-source academic resource providing shot of the deep partisan divide in the country.7 information on various “events” stretching back Similar partisan divisions were on display in a to 1979.10 It can be observed in Figure 1 that the variety of areas but were largest on issues of number of protests in the United States dimin- government intervention, where conservatives ished significantly in early March 2020, as the were considerably more sceptical of the govern- pandemic became apparent in the United States. ment’s involvement in questions of support for Protests began increasing in mid-March as many the unemployed, a minimum wage set above the states began to impose stay-at-home and lock- poverty line and universal healthcare.8 down orders and surged in mid-April. These data only represent the number of protest events and not the number of protesters, they show the UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE 4 CORONAVIRUS AND PROTEST: HOW COVID-19 HAS CHANGED THE FACE OF AMERICAN ACTIVISM Figure 1. The number of nation-wide protests in mid-April 2020 eclipsed all 2019 protest movements GDELT data showing the five-day rolling average of national protests between 1 Jan 2019 and 4 May 2020 Protests against the 300 detention of children in border camps and for gun control.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • This Governor's Race Gives Bernie Sanders
    This Governor’s Race Gives Bernie Sanders’ Movement One Mor... https://www.huffpost.com/entry/andru-volinsky-dan-feltes-bernie-... ! This Governor’s Race Gives Bernie Sanders’ Mov…Log In&& "Join #Hu!Post$ Plus% POLITICS 09/06/2020 09:10 am ET | Updated 13 hours ago This Governor’s Race Gives Bernie Sanders’ Movement One More Shot At A Big Win Andru Volinsky touts his experience as a climate change and education activist, but state Sen. Dan Feltes believes his battles with the Republican governor make him a better candidate. By Daniel Marans 1 of 8 9/6/20, 11:12 PM This Governor’s Race Gives Bernie Sanders’ Movement One Mor... https://www.huffpost.com/entry/andru-volinsky-dan-feltes-bernie-... ! This Governor’s Race Gives Bernie Sanders’ Mov…Log In&& "Join #Hu!Post$ Plus% VOLINSKY AND FELTES CAMPAIGNS/FACEBOOK Andru Volinsky (left), an attorney and education activist, is running to the left of state Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes (right), in New Hampshire’s Democratic gubernatorial primary. In an election cycle filled with competitive Democratic congressional primaries, intraparty gubernatorial races have received less attention. But New Hampshire’s Democratic primary for governor on Tuesday is one of the last chances this year for an activist in the mold of independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of neighboring Vermont to nab a win. Sanders has endorsed Andru Volinsky, an attorney, environmentalist and education activist, in his race against Dan Feltes, New Hampshire’s state Senate majority leader, for the party’s gubernatorial nomination. The winner of Tuesday’s contest will go on to face Republican Gov.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Winners 2020 Microplastic Madness
    The Zero Waste Schools newsletter will help you get your school on a path toward generating zero waste through waste prevention, recycling, composting, and food recovery. You’ll also find resources that connect zero waste to healthy eating, school gardens, and environmental education and action. Feel free to share the newsletter with friends, colleagues, and students who are interested in zero waste. Sign up for ZWS news U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Winners 2020 The U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools winners for 2020 were announced in early May. Green Ribbon Schools awards schools, districts and postsecondary institutions that: reduce environmental impact and costs improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff provide effective environmental and sustainability education. To apply, schools in Illinois first submit applications to the Illinois Green Ribbon Program. Applications are reviewed at the state level, and the top scoring schools are then submitted for consideration at the national level. 2020 honorees from Illinois: Joseph Sears School - Kenilworth, IL College of Lake County - Grayslake, IL Click on the links above to read each school's application, learn what they've accomplished, and get inspiration for your own school or district. 2020 honorees from across the U.S. can be seen HERE. See current and past honorees from Illinois and read more about the Illinois Green Ribbon program HERE. Be on the look out this September for the 2021 application on theI llinois Green Ribbon Program website. Microplastic Madness Microplastic Madness "is the story of 56 fifth graders from P.S.
    [Show full text]
  • January 2021 
    DOMESTIC ENERGY PRODUCERS ALLIANCE January 2021 DEPA REPORT ON INDUSTRY, LEADERSHIP, LEGISLATION AND ENERGY REGULATION Where We Are and What Now Written by David Crane, DEPA DC Lobbyist or the past year we have been discussing the possibil- which initiates a series of regulatory actions to combat ity and implications of change in Washington. On January climate change domestically and elevates climate change 20th those discussions became reality as Joe Biden was as a national security priority, issuance of a Scientific In- sworn-in as the 46th President of the United States. Presi- tegrity Presidential Memorandum which “directs science dent Biden has the added benefit and evidence based decision-making of Democrat control in both the in federal agencies”, issuance of an House and Senate as the Demo- Executive Order re-establishing the crats swept both seats in the Geor- Presidential Council of Advisors on gia Senate run-off. As a result of Science and Technology and announc- a 50-50 tie Vice President Harris ing the data for U.S.-hosted Climate casts the deciding vote making Leaders’ Summit to be held on April Chuck Schumer the Senate Major- 22. ity leader. Beyond the usual line-up of energy Out of the blocks the Biden regulators the Biden Administration is Administration made clear there opening a new front aimed at limiting would be a radical shift in ap- and denying access to capital by those proach to domestic energy pro- “DEPA will be running engaged in domestic energy produc- duction. On day one of his presi- hard to bring the facts to tion.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sunrise Movement's Hybrid Organizing
    The Sunrise Movement’s Hybrid Organizing: The elements of a massive decentralized and sustained social movement Sarah Lasoff Urban and Environmental Policy Department Occidental College May 11th, 2020 Acknowledgements I would like to thank Professor Matsuoka and the Urban and Environmental Policy department for giving me a place to study this movement. I would like to thank Professor Peter Dreier, Professor Marisol León, Professor Philip Ayoub for teaching me about organizing and social movements. I would like to thank Melissa Mateo and Kayla Williams for sharing your wisdom, your leadership, and passion for change with me. I would like to thank Sunrise organizers, Sara Blazevic, William Lawrence, Danielle Reynolds, Monica Guzman, and Ina Morton for sharing their wisdom and stories with me. I would like to thank the entire Sunrise Movement for already bringing so much change, but more importantly, for it’s current fight for a better future. And finally, I would like to thank my mom, Karen, for being the first person to tell me I can make a difference and my sister, Sophie, for being the person to show me how. 1 Abstract My senior comprehensive project focuses on the Sunrise Movement’s organizing strategies in order to determine how to build massive decentralized social movements. My research question asks, “How does the Sunrise Movement incorporate both structure-based and mass protest strategies in their organizing to build a massive decentralized social movement?” What I found: Sunrise is, theoretically, a mass protest movement that integrates elements of structure based organizing, a hybrid of the two. Sunrise builds a base of active popular support or “people power” and electoral power through the cycles of momentum, moral protest, distributed organizing, local organizing, training, and national organizing with the hopes of using that power in order to engage in mass noncooperation and manifest a new political alignment or “people’s alignment” in the United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Youth Activist Toolkit Credits
    YOUTH ACTIVIST TOOLKIT CREDITS Written by: Julia Reticker-Flynn Renee Gasch Director, Youth Organizing & Mobilization Julia Reticker-Flynn Advocates for Youth Contributing writers: Kinjo Kiema Clarissa Brooks Manager of State and Local Campaigns Sydney Kesler Advocates For Youth Madelynn Bovasso Nimrat Brar Locsi Ferra Head of Impact Design & Illustrations: Level Forward Arlene Basillio Contributing Artwork: AMPLIFIER Special thanks to AMPLIFIER, Cleo Barnett, and Alixandra Pimentel for their support and input. This guide was created by Advocates for Youth and Level Forward, and is inspired by the film AMERICAN WOMAN. Advocates for Youth partners with youth leaders, adult allies, and youth-serving organizations to advocate for policies and champion programs that recognize young people’s rights to honest sexual health information; accessible, confidential, and affordable sexual health services; and the resources and opportunities necessary to create sexual health equity for all youth. https://advocatesforyouth.org Level Forward develops, produces and finances entertainment with Oscar, Emmy and Tony-winning producers, working to extend the influence and opportunity of creative excellence and support new voices. We take great responsibility for our work, using film, television, digital and live media to address inequality through story-driven, impact-minded properties. https://www.levelforward.co/ AMERICAN WOMAN is a film that raises questions about power: who has it and who doesn’t, and how best to change that. It challenges us to question the ways people wield power, grapples with the choices presented to both the powerful and the marginalized. The story’s center is a young pacifist whose violent activism has sent her on the run from the law, and who is wrestling with her choices as she joins a cohort of young radicals and their kidnapped convert.
    [Show full text]
  • The Green New Deal and the Sunrise Movement: a MAHB Dialogue with Sunrise Activist Leader, Marcela Mulholland
    MAHBDialogues_March_Mulholland The Green New Deal and the Sunrise Movement: A MAHB Dialogue with Sunrise Activist Leader, Marcela Mulholland Geoffrey Holland Sharing our World | Photo courtesy of the author Marcela Mulholland talks about the grassroots efforts behind the Green New Deal and how policy can impact systems transformation. “Hopefully the Green New Deal will just be the starting point for a more healthy, ethical relationship with our environment moving forward.” GH – The Sunrise Movement is young people actively engaged in encouraging a Green New Deal for planet Earth. What is the Green New Deal? MM – So, the Green New Deal is a massive social, political and economic mobilization to stop climate change. The Green New Deal includes three central tenets. First, it would get us to 100% clean energy by 2030. Secondly, the Green New Deal would create millions of jobs across the country ensuring that anyone who wants to work on helping to address the climate crisis is guaranteed a good job with a livable wage. Thirdly it calls for a just transition, which would ensure that communities on the front lines of poverty and pollution are supported through the transition to a green economy. What makes the Green New Deal different? Why am I excited by it? It's the only proposal on the table that actually meets the scale of the climate crisis and the urgent timeframe set by the United Nations’ latest IPCC report. 1 MAHBDialogues_March_Mulholland GH - Why is it so important to be assertive in our actions to moderate greenhouse gases? How can we motivate our government be assertive in its climate policy? MM- We have an emergency.
    [Show full text]
  • Sunrise Movement Hubs Boston and Tufts Endorse Erika Uyterhoeven for State Representative
    Somerville, MA June 9, 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sunrise Movement Hubs Boston and Tufts Endorse Erika Uyterhoeven for State Representative BOSTON: Sunrise Movement Boston and Sunrise Movement Tufts endorse Erika Uyterhoeven, candidate for Massachusetts State Representative for the 27th Middlesex District in Somerville. The Sunrise Movement is a youth-led political movement to stop the climate crisis. “Erika has been a powerful ally to Sunrise since well before she announced her candidacy, working with us extensively to pressure the Massachusetts State House to pass legislation on the scale required to stop the climate crisis,” said Adam T Cook, an organizer with Sunrise Movement Boston. “We know that we can trust her as a public servant to fight for a healthy planet by bringing together the communities and workers who are most affected by the climate crisis.” “I am thrilled and honored to have received the endorsements of Sunrise Movement Boston and Sunrise Movement Tufts. The urgency of the climate crisis is tremendous, but the solutions are clear. Action is demanded and Sunrise Movement is leading the charge on building a critical mass of supporters to fight the climate crisis,” Uyterhoeven said. “My campaign is centered on standing up for our planet by fighting for a Massachusetts Green New Deal, committing to a complete transition to renewable energy by 2030, fully funding the MBTA, and protecting the communities that have suffered the most from the climate crisis. I am excited to work with the Sunrise Movement to bring the message of my campaign to the State House.” The Sunrise Movement is dedicated to stopping the climate crisis and creating millions of good jobs in the process.
    [Show full text]
  • Dia Portray Climate Change As a Feature of Political Identities R
    1 Polarisation vs consensus-building: How US and German news me- dia portray climate change as a feature of political identities Robin Tschötschela aAmsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Nieuwe Achtergracht 166 1018 WV Amsterdam The Netherlands ORCID: 0000-0002-5469-324X E-mail address: [email protected] [email protected] Funding and Disclosure Statement: This research was conducted without the use of ex- ternal funding and the researcher reports no conflicting interests due to affiliations with pub- lic, political, or commercial organisations. 2 Polarisation vs consensus-building: How US and German news me- dia portray climate change as a feature of political identities Abstract Perceptions of climate politics often align with individual political lean- ing and associated media consumption patterns, pointing to a need for a fine- grained understanding of how the media integrate climate change with political identities. This study presents an in-depth qualitative analysis of political identity portrayals from 229 articles published in six German and US news outlets dur- ing May-July 2019. The results show that the outlets consumed by left- and right-leaning audiences emphasise oppositional identity portrayals, portraying fea- tures that are likely to trigger a negative response towards political identities typ- ically opposed by their recipients. The outlets with a more balanced or centrist audience offer a wider array of identity portrayals and emphasise policy ques- tions over fundamental beliefs. Observed patterns differ considerably between Germany and the US, reflecting political and media system differences. The re- sults add to understanding how the media contribute to political polarisation and consensus-building regarding climate change.
    [Show full text]
  • Organizing for the International Green New Deal
    wwww PROGRESSIVE INTERNATIONAL SUNRISE Organizing for the International Green New Deal Sunrise Movement Contents PAGE SECTION 3 Introduction 5 The Sunrise Movement and the Meaning of Internationalism 8 Why Sunrise is Fighting for a Green New Deal 11 How Sunrise is Winning a Green New Deal 2 Introduction Fossil fuel industries are driving us into climate catastrophe — and the world’s working class will be forced to pay for their greed. This toolkit helps you organize your community to fight for a Green New Deal and a just transition around the world. Our future has been held hostage by a handful of oil and gas executives. For decades, they have lied to the public about the dangers of fossil fuel extraction, and bought off politicians to repeat their message. They are internationally organized, infiltrating institutions at both national and international levels to advance their agenda of extraction. Their incredible wealth means their families will be fine, but the rest of us won’t. Young people around the world are organizing to take back their future — and in the United States, Sunrise is leading the way. Sunrise is a movement of young people working to combat the climate crisis and create millions of good jobs in the process. In just a few years, Sunrise has organized national strikes and direct actions in cities across the United States that have inspired millions to join the fight for a ‘Green New Deal.’ 3 This toolkit answers questions like: • What is ‘Green New Deal,’ and why should we fight for it? • How can we organize around the Green New Deal to build people power? • And how can we use this people power to expand our political power and create a ‘people’s alignment’? The Progressive International is committed to building a climate movement that is as internationally organized as its opponents in the fossil fuel industry.
    [Show full text]
  • Our World Is Burning
    OUR WORLD IS BURNING John Scales Avery September 27, 2020 INTRODUCTION1 Two time scales The central problem which the world faces in its attempts to avoid catas- trophic climate change is a contrast of time scales. In order to save human civilization and the biosphere from the most catastrophic effects of climate change we need to act immediately, Fossil fuels must be left in the ground. Forests must be saved from destruction by beef or palm oil production. These vitally necessary actions are opposed by powerful economic inter- ests, by powerful fossil fuel corporations desperate to monetize their under- ground “assets”, and by corrupt politicians receiving money the beef or palm oil industries. However, although some disastrous effects climate change are already visible, the worst of these calamities lie in the distant future. Therefore it is difficult to mobilize the political will for quick action. We need to act immediately, because of the danger of passing tipping points beyond which climate change will become irreversible despite human efforts to control it. Tipping points are associated with feedback loops, such as the albedo effect and the methane hydrate feedback loop. The albedo effect is important in connection with whether the sunlight falling on polar seas is reflected or absorbed. While ice remains, most of the sunlight is reflected, but as areas of sea surface become ice-free, more sunlight is absorbed, leading to rising temperatures and further melting of sea ice, and so on, in a loop. The methane hydrate feedback loop involves vast quantities of the power- ful greenhouse gas methane, CH4, frozen in a crystalline form surrounded by water molecules.
    [Show full text]
  • Inclusion of Frontline Communities in the Sunrise Movement Senior Honors Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the School of Arts
    Inclusion of Frontline Communities in the Sunrise Movement Senior Honors Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Undergraduate Program in Environmental Studies Professor Brian Donahue, Advisor In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts by Phoebe Dolan April 2020 Copyright by Phoebe Dolan Committee Members Professor Brian Donahue Professor Sabine Von Mering Professor Gowri ViJayakumar Abstract Environmental activism and climate activism have a long history in the United States. Historically the membership of the environmental movement was white, old, educated and mostly male. This history led to the exclusion of communities of color, low income communities and indigenous communities from the mainstream climate movement. The Sunrise Movement is a youth climate movement, founded in 2017, fighting for the futures of young people in the face of the climate crisis. Sunrise has the unique angle of representing youth as a frontline to the future of the climate crisis, but as a movement how are they uplifting other frontline communities such as people of color, low income communities, island populations and beyond? How does the Sunrise Movement uplift and center frontline communities in their organizations, what are their tactics, where are they challenged and how are they succeeding? I interviewed 11 current leaders within the Sunrise movement and asked them if Sunrise succeeded at uplifting and centering frontline communities and where they were challenged. Common themes came up for many participants, Sunrise embraces storytelling as a form of narrative around climate justice, but they tend to tokenize frontline voices. Urgency is necessary for the Sunrise Movement to act on the climate crisis, but Sunrise must curb their speed in order to focus on inclusion as a movement goal.
    [Show full text]
  • Green New Deal Scorecard Retrospective
    GREEN NEW DEAL SCORECARD RETROSPECTIVE November 2019 OVERVIEW Since we launched our Green New Deal scorecard, Democratic candidates — moderates and progressives alike — have released plans that leverage more ambitious emissions targets, a broader array of federal policy tools, and more robust jobs and justice programs. From our first scorecard in June to now, we have seen: +97% +59% increase in median score, from 15.5 increase in average federal direct to 30.5 of 48 investment +8 11 candidates aligned with Data For current Democratic candidates reach Progress emissions targets Thorough or Very Thorough scores, up from 4 in the first scorecard How we scored the plans: Data For Progress devised a Green New Deal scorecard identifying 48 components of a Green New Deal. Candidates got half credit for Green New Deal concepts that they acknowledged, but did not lay out a clear policies or actions to address, and full credit for those that they had policy prescriptions for in their plan; however, these scores did not consider the merits of any particular policy mechanism. For instance, if one candidate asserted his or her intent to invest DOE funds into advanced nuclear research, while another outlined a plan to phase out existing nuclear entirely, both would receive full credit. Moreover, we could only assess qualitatively how the elements of plans worked together cohesively. These scores were tallied to give us a sense of the overall thoroughness of the plan: Very Incomplete = 0 - 12 Thorough = 24.5 - 36 Incomplete = 12.5 - 24 Very Thorough = 36.5 - 48 Green New Deal Scorecard Retrospective /// 1 BUILDING A GREEN NEW DEAL SCORECARD A Green New Deal posits that the next few years of decision-making in Washington will have dramatic consequences for the future of our nation, species and planet.
    [Show full text]