The topic this month is on a newly formed Green New Deal coalition in Iowa called Buffalo Rebellion formed to protect the planet by demanding change from politicians and convincing the public that climate should be a priority. Buffalo Rebellion, is a coalition of grassroots, labor, and climate justice organizations growing a movement to pass local, state, and national policies that create millions of family-sustaining union jobs—ensuring racial and gender equity and taking action on climate at the scale and scope the crisis demands. It was formed in November 2021 and consists of:
- Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice
- Sierra Club Beyond Coal
- Great Plains Action Society
- DSM Black Liberation Movement
- Cedar Rapids Sunrise Movement
- Iowa CCI
Sikowis speaks with two organizers from Buffalo Rebellion who helped organize an Iowa-wide climate summit for 100 grassroots folks this past weekend in observance of Earth Day. She also interviews Moselle Singh, an activist artist that created original artwork for the event.
Emma Colman is a Sierra Club-Iowa Beyond Coal Organizer who studied anthropology and art at Knox College in Galesburg. She is originally from and currently based in Des Moines, but works statewide. ‘Beyond Coal’ has worked to retire nearly 400 dirty coal plants across the country and seeks justice for the affected people and environment. In Iowa, the campaign specifically targets MidAmerican Energy for its greenwashing and lack of retirement plans for its coal fleet. Emma represents Sierra Club in the Buffalo Rebellion Coalition.
Born and raised in Sioux City, IA, Alejandro Murguia-Ortiz is the son of immigrant meatpacking workers. Ale has been politically active for nearly their entire life. They are now a community organizer at Iowa Movement for Migrant Justice and an Iowa Senate candidate for District 17. Iowa MMJ is a member of the Buffalo Rebellion, which Alejandro represents.
Moselle Singh is a Punjabi-American artist currently based in Madison, WI. Her relationship with the land where she grew up in rural Iowa sparked a lifelong exploration of how human-nonhuman relationships are written in landscapes around the world. Moselle currently resides in Madison, Wisconsin. Moselle created the beautiful art that was used to represent the Buffalo Rebellion Climate Justice Summit.
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