As Hillary Clinton and her supporters awaited her assumed presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Philadelphia, thousands of American voters had other ideas and took to the streets to spread their message. Throughout the streets of Philadelphia, environmentalists, social justice advocates and Bernie Sanders supporters found ways to publicly spread their message. The protesters weren't limited to Philadelphia residents, among the out-of-town protesters were 20 Bay Area college students who decided to share their thoughts at the DNC. The college students teamed up with well-known actress Shailene Woodley and road tripped from the west coast with a caravan of like-minded voters to tell the DNC that “enough is enough.”
The caravan made its way across America, but not without stopping to gather and meet with indigenous and local communities, marginalized groups and environmental advocates; the caravan met with people from all walks of life to share stories and to discuss the struggles each group faces. The caravan team of concerned voters, environmentalists, musicians and actors wished to bring attention to those who have been ignored throughout the United States’ history as well as during this election.
Upon arrival in Philadelphia, the caravan team and Woodley hosted an environmentally focused rally in a Philly park. While at the park rally, Woodley was accompanied by Susan Sarandon, Rosario Dawson, Danny Glover, Kendrick Sampson and Nahko Bear. While at the rally, I was able to hear Woodley, Sarandon, Nahko and many other concerned voters and politicians share their passionate thoughts and fears about our world’s insufficient response to global warming, social injustice as well as their worries about the upcoming election and how we can work to improve. After the others spoke, Nahko Bear performed his own original music to voice his concern for the environment as well as social injustice. Check out a few of Nahko's songs here:
The evening rally and concert brought together hundreds of people from various walks of life who all wished to accomplish a common goal; it was awesome to witness as well as to participate.
While the caravan may have started as a group of 20 college students, they brought together a group of around 2,000 American voters who traveled from all across the nation. Attending the environmental rally reminded me that every voice matters and that we all need to stand up for what we believe in. If 20 college students had not wished to speak out about Native American affairs and to hear the stories of others, thousands of people may have missed the opportunity to come together, share their personal stories and peacefully protest. At times, we may all feel that our own individual voice may not matter, but always remember to stand up and get involved with the causes that matter to you. Especially during an election season, it’s important to keep in mind how much your individual voice matters.
