Earth2Trump Travel Log, Part II
Follow the Earth2Trump Roadshow of Resistance tours as they roll into Washington D.C. for the Trump Inauguration
This Earth2Trump: Cross-Country Roadshow of Resistance travel log, written by Taylor McKinnon from the Central Tour and Brytnee Miller on the Southern Tour, will be updated regularly. It is continued from this post.
Day 16
NORFOLK-WASHINGTON DC, Jan. 18 — Twelve hours in a car had made the Earth2Trump southern tour crew eager with anticipation for final leg of this national tour, some rest and, of course, our penultimate roadshow in Norfolk. After arriving in Virginia, we had time to experience the Chesapeake Bay in all of its glory — on a sailboat with Center for Biological Diversity attorney Catherine Kilduff. Strategy for the night was discussed over the whipping of sails.
The venue was 37th and Zen, a dance bar in Norfolk. There were several different rooms to hang out in and a good-sized stage. Our well-traveled globe sat above the room, on the second floor of the bar, giving room to stand in the already full seating area.
“So, now what? Haven’t heard the answer to this question. I’m taking my time to stand on this stage to ask you what are you going to do now,” said Tuere East-Brown of Virginia Organizing. My Center colleague, Blake Kopcho, responded with a roar, “Stand up! Fight back!”
Of the 200 people who filled up 37th and Zen, many of them left the event repeating the same hopeful sentiments that we’ve heard at every event thus far, “I feel inspired to take action now.”
About 4,000 miles since we started this tour in Oakland on Jan. 2, the van is just getting to the Capitale in DC for the final event of the tour. We couldn’t be more excited for a strong finish to this incredible journey. (BM)
Day 15
CHICAGO, Jan 16 — Decades-old art and protest flyers greet visitors in the lobby of Chicago’s Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center. Founded in 1971, and named after Segundo Ruiz Belvis — the leader of a secret Puerto Rican abolitionist society that freed slave children under Spanish rule — it’s the oldest Latino cultural center in Chicago. It exudes culture and community — a perfect venue for an Earth2Trump stop.
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa also exudes culture and community. He was the first local speaker; he introduced himself as proudly Latino, young, queer, a product of Chicago public schools, and Alderman of the 35th Ward. On his way to the show, he’d wondered whether we’d fill this massive auditorium. Seeing it full affirmed what he’d hoped, and what he’d been hearing and we’ve been seeing all over the country — a broad intersectional movement rising to resist Trump’s dangerous agenda.
“Individually, we’re like fingers, easily broken,” he said. “But together we’re like a fist — a fist that will say no to Trump’s agenda and say yes to putting people and the planet first.”
The theme of people power continued with Vince Emanuele. An Iraq war veteran, activist, environmentalist, and Progressive Radio Network host, Emanuele pointed to the unprecedented subversion of public interest and American democracy by corporations — a problem that Trump’s crony capitalism threatens to worsen.
“The same oil companies and corporations that poisoned black communities in East Chicago and brown communities in Oaxaca, Mexico, are the same oil companies and corporations who sent me and my friends to kill innocent Iraqis, Afghans, Libyans and Syrians,” he said.
He too said powerful social movements are critical to overthrowing that massive corruption, citing East Chicago activists’ recent victories against pet coke pollution and the slow-down of the Dakota Access pipeline by water protectors in North Dakota.
David Bender of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was the third speaker. He put the gravity of the threats posed by the Trump administration in the context of the struggles they’d faced under the vastly more sympathetic Obama administration. He made clear that all of the fight thus far, which has been a brutal one, has been on Obama’s watch.
The Chicago Earth2Trump event highlighted the magnitude of the fight ahead and the ways that that fight can be won, setting the perfect tone for the tour as it moves to its final destination: Washington D.C. and the Trump inauguration. (TWM)
Day 14
ST. PETERSBURG-ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., Jan. 15 — After a wild trip through St. Petersburg, where hundreds of people gathered to stand in solidarity with the Earth, the southern Earth2Trump crew made it to beautiful St. Augustine for an incredible show.
Held in the well-known St. Augustine Amphitheatre, the LED sign off the freeway advertised the event in big red letters: Earth2Trump Roadshow of Resistance tonight! It was exciting to see our show up there inter-changing with Willie Nelson, who is playing there in a few weeks, among other big name acts.
By 12:30pm, the parking lot exploded with cars and people anxiously awaiting the event. We were ready and excited to welcome the group of what ended up being more than 1,200 people to the show.
There were so many people ready to resist that we ran out of both sign-in sheets and pledges of resistance, and had to get creative with creating new ones. Two high school girls came up to the pledge table wearing handmade Earth2Trump T-shirts and explained that they saw someone share the post on Facebook. The next generations came out in full force: babies in feminist shirts and young girls sporting the phrase “future president.”
This female power was strengthened by Lyla June’s message of female empowerment: “We need to put women at the center.” The men were in full support, saying it’s time for a change and it’s time to heal. During Casey Neill’s set, Lyla came up to perform a duet.
The end of the speakers and musicians didn’t signal the end of the event, as attendees filled out more pledges and mingled with each other and the local organizations that were surrounding the stage.
It was a time for allies and education. We were tired, but overjoyed to see so many empowered and ready to resist. Tomorrow morning, we’re off to Norfolk, Va. for yet another incredible event on the already successful southern leg of the Earth2Trump Roadshow of Resistance. (BM)
Day 13
OMAHA, Jan. 14 — Twelve hours late, our train from Denver got to Omaha with minutes to spare. With just enough time for Dana and Makana to set up, we arrived to our second-largest per-capita crowd to date. More than 300 beautiful people filled the First Unitarian Church to standing-room capacity; dozens more gathered in the basement where the show was broadcast by ceiling speakers.
Nebraska, arguably, is where the Keystone XL fight was won. With ranchers, land owners, indigenous and local leaders and climate activists united, the opposition coalition was too broad and too powerful for the Obama administration to ignore. At the heart of that coalition was the deft organizing of Bold Nebraska director and Bold Alliance president Jane Kleeb. We were grateful to have Jane speak last night.
She urged the same organizing to resist Trump’s agenda that won the Keystone campaign: boots-on-the-ground protests, engaging and publicly shaming elected officials, running for elected office, and meeting face-to-face with opponents. The critical power of unusual alliances rests on common values like clean air, clean water, and the well-being of future generations.
That was timely advice because, as we’ve seen across the country on the Earth2Trump tour, people are hungry to meet Trump’s agenda with loving resistance. I heard that from everyone I had the pleasure to chat with last night in Omaha, and it was the thrust of every local speech. It was shown in our hosts’ event preparation prior to our arrival, and in Gus Roenn’s careful emceeing. It was shown in the hundreds of personal pledges that were written, and the three shared with the crowd by local brave young people.
I’ve had some sleepless nights on the train since leaving Seattle nearly two weeks ago, causing accumulating exhaustion as the trip has worn on. Omaha’s energy — people’s hospitality, enthusiasm and kindness — coupled with a few nights of good sleep have righted that ship. We’re off to Chicago with renewed energy to build the loving resistance for civil rights and our planet. (TWM)
