Baltimore’s Creative Minds Go to Work for the People’s Climate March
The Peoples Climate March is almost here — and Baltimore is ready! Over the past few months, CCAN and other organizations in Baltimore have been gearing up to make the most out of the upcoming mobilization in Washington D.C. by forming the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement. We want to make sure we bring Baltimore’s message to the march, and come back home with renewed hope and inspiration to make our city a cleaner, greener, more equitable place to live. Mark our words, the resistance will be beautiful! We have hosted a series of art builds and created an art guidebased on conversations with community members and local organizations. Over the past few weeks, local artists, community members, and activists have brought the ideas and drawings in the guide to life! Scroll down to see what’s in store for art at the Peoples Climate March. And if you’re a Baltimorean, please join up with the Baltimore contingent at the march! We’ll be meeting at 4th St NW and Madison Drive this Saturday, April 29th at 11 a.m.Join us! Drawing of the Baltimore contingent by Valeska Populoh, an artist and cultural organizer in Baltimore and co-leader of the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement art cluster. Our themes, which came out of conversations with community members and local organizations, focus on ‘People Power’ (investing in youth, leadership development, and social justice), ‘Energy, Environment and the Economy’ (a just transition, jobs with dignity, clean energy jobs, zero waste solutions, and renewable energy) and ‘Fair Development’ (community-driven development, community land trusts, permanently affordable housing, and transit equity). High school students from Baltimore Beyond Plastic making a banner for their group, which is working to get the city to ban styrene and plastics. Valeska Populoh, Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement art cluster co-leader, lending a hand to Billy as he makes a crab sign. Finn looks on as his mom paints a cloud sign that reads “Build Schools Not Jails,” as he works on a sun sign that reads, “Don’t Keep Out My Light.” Wyl Tucker, a steady contributor to our art builds, working on a row house sign that reads, “Failed Development Harms Our Communities.” A group of local organizers and artists painting signs at a satellite art build we hosted at Maryland Environmental Health Network’s event “Fired Up and Ready to Go!” at the 2640 space. As more people joined the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement, we learned about ongoing campaigns and movements across the city. This knowledge motivated us to make signs that speak specifically to these issue areas so that the signs and banners can have a useful life after the march. Samuel Jordan from the Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition joined a table meeting and educated us about the movement to build the red line in Baltimore, leading to the creation of this banner. The Peoples Climate March is an opportunity to spotlight local issues and existing campaigns on a national stage. This sign draws attention to Baltimore’s extremely high air pollution death rate. Taylor Smith-Hams, CCAN’s Baltimore organizer and art cluster co-leader, painting a banner for the Baltimore contingent, which reads, “Baltimore United for A Just, Clean Energy & Economic Future.” Photo by Valeska Populoh. Rebecca Mark, an organizer with Maryland Working Families and member of the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement, painting a cloud that reads, “Close Prisons, Open Schools.” We held our last pre-march table meeting at Black Cherry Puppet Theater this week. Members of the Baltimore Peoples Climate Movement posed for a group photo and practiced chants that Nabeehah Aziz with Communities United wrote. One chant goes, “Climate change is so outrageous! Less than $15 is poverty wages!” These art builds would not have been possible without the generosity of Black Cherry Puppet Theater. Thank you for allowing us to use your wonderful space.
