MEET THE MAKERS
Where Art Meets
ACTIVISM BY SHIRA LAUCHAROEN | PHOTOS BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
S
omerville resident Nina Eichner participated in her first demonstration through the youth climate change movement Sunrise when she drove a 15-person van to Washington D.C. in December 2018. The group occupied the Capitol building and shared stories with lawmakers, urging them to back the select committee for the Green New Deal. Eichner currently works for 24 Meet the Makers | scoutsomerville.com
Sunrise Boston as an art lead and co-action lead, meaning that she is responsible for coordinating the visual strategy behind demonstrations. The Sunrise Movement, which started in 2017, advocates for political action on climate change. In particular, Sunrise is focused on lobbying for Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey’s Green New Deal—a
bill that aims to have the nation reach carbon neutrality by 2050, while also creating jobs. However, according to Eichner, climate change intersects with other social justice issues like classism and racism, as well. “It’s not just about renewable energy,” says Eichner. “It’s really about jobs, housing, and issues around equity. The idea is that we can’t actually make the transformation we need around
climate change without addressing those issues as well, because frontline communities … are already being affected in really significant ways.” She appreciates the positivity surrounding the group, she says, and is inspired by the spirit of the other activists involved. She is even preparing to take a role on the national level for the organization’s Philadelphia hub. “Sunrise is such a hopeful,
