Theme: Organizing

Organizing
A rally in New York for Earth Day, 1970.

April 22, 1970: First Earth Day

In April 1970, millions of people gathered around the country in one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history to celebrate the first Earth Day and demand action be taken on a variety of environmental issues.
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An “Earth ball” at a rally in Istanbul, Turkey, with the figure 350 — signifying the safe upper limit in parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Oct. 24, 2009: International Climate Day of Action

In the lead-up to an international conference on climate change in Copenhagen, climate activists organized a “day of action,” where millions of people gathered at thousands of events all over the world, demanding that governments and corporations work to slash CO2 emissions and enforce environmental protections.
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A giant puppet of a sea goddess made entirely of recycled materials walked through Glasgow during the COP26 climate change summit.

Nov. 6, 2021: Climate Justice Protesters Demand Reparations

An Indigenous-led rally at the site of the United Nations Climate Change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, drew more than 100,000 protesters to demand reparations for Indigenous communities and the Global South, investments in renewable energy instead of fossil fuels, and worker-led transitions to systems that would reduce poverty and injustice.
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The 21 plaintiffs filing suit against the U.S. government.

Aug. 12, 2015: Filing of Juliana v. United States

The constitutional climate case Juliana v. United States was filed by 21 youth against the U.S. government. The defendants said that the government's policies are causing catastrophic climate change and constitute a violation of their constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property.
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book cover showing women protesting during the March on Washington.

More Than a Dream: The Radical March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

Book — Non-fiction. By Yohuru Williams and Michael G. Long. 2023. 272 pages.
A look at the March on Washington through a wider lens, using Black newspaper reports as a primary resource, recognizing the overlooked work of socialist organizers and Black women protesters, and repositioning this momentous day as radical in its roots, methods, demands, and results.
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Protestors at the Fridays 4 Future protest inside COP 25 in 2019 holding a sign reading "Indigenous Justice is Climate Justice."

April 24, 2009: Indigenous Peoples’ Global Summit

Indigenous representatives from around the world met in Anchorage, Alaska, in April 2009, to share experiences and strategies for confronting environmental degradation. They issued a declaration that details their observations and demands from the front lines of the climate crisis.
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A sepia photograph of seven members of the Gainesville 8 and their attorneys.

Aug. 31, 1973: Gainesville 8 Acquitted

Members of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) were arrested and erroneously charged with inciting violence at the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami. They were all later acquitted after a lengthy and much publicized trial.
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Feb. 27, 1960: McKenney Library Sit-in

In attempting to end segregation at the William R. McKenney Central Library in Petersburg, Virginia, a large group of African American students, clergy, and protesters ultimately ended segregation at all lunch counters, the public library, and numerous other spaces in the city by year’s end.
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