USM Tours with EcoFest - Tampa Bay

USM Member Scott Milinder delivers a presentation at EcoFest in Florida

Uhuru Solidarity Movement in St. Petersburg, Florida brought the message of "Social Change to Fight Climate Change" to two EcoFest events in April.

USM had an outreach booth distributing the USM Earth Day Mission Statement, promoting the Yoga with a Purpose events and signing up people in the crowd interested in getting involved! USM members Jesse Nevel from University of South Florida in St. Petersburg and Kelly Baron from New College in Sarasota, FL as well as Johann Bedingfield from St. Pete helped staff the booth!

USM Member, Scott Milinder led a workshop at both the EcoFest events, in Brandenton and Sarasota, FL. Scott talked about why it is critical to understand the issue of the environment within the context of justice for oppressed people around the globe and to unite with the just demands coming from oppressed people including an end to "climate debt". The same system that is responsible for the destruction of the planet is incapable of making real, lasting solutions.

Scott remarked about the experience, "This was the first time USM had attempted outreach at these eco festivals. The message of social change, informed by the analysis of Omali Yeshitela and the Uhuru Movement, really stood out from the self-indulgent 'green consumerist' perspectives of some vendors and the superficial eco-activism of other groups. The crowd reacted to USM's presence - we stirred the pot there and we signed up people who liked it stirred."