Dear John,

Turning points in history are hard to recognize as we’re living them. I don’t know if this week will be remembered that way in textbooks, but I do know that for me personally, this moment – Friday, July 3 – feels like the end of an old era and the beginning of something new.

First, the bad shift: the concept of “climate crisis” is no longer an anxiety that keeps me up at night, but a terrifying reality. 

This year, a Big Oil-supercharged El Niño is killing thousands as deadly heat sweeps the globe, from India, to Europe, and now to my home in Minneapolis. I’ve never needed an air conditioner before, but this week, it feels dangerous to live without one.

As the U.S. prepares to celebrate our 250th anniversary tomorrow, towns across the Northeast are either shortening parade routes or canceling them altogether due to the heat. Tomorrow is projected to be the hottest July 4th on record in our nation’s capital: a (literally) brainmelting 100+ degrees that will feel more like 113° with DC’s humidity.

Meanwhile, our infrastructure is straining to keep up. The private corporation that controls NYC’s power grid – Con Edison – is already cutting off power to thousands, leaving them helpless against the heat. We need mass home retrofits and an upgraded public power grid urgently. We need a Green New Deal.

But this week, we’ve also experienced a second, monumental shift: young people have seized control of American politics. Our hard work is paying off.

I’ve been on the ground with a lot of Sunrisers the past couple weeks, and as we witness Sunrise Philly and Sunrise NYC and now Sunrise Denver support Green New Deal champions by holding corrupt politicians accountable, we’re all feeling something infectious: SWAGGER.

We’ve kept hope alive through some dark days, y’all. But suddenly, it’s hitting us that our strategy to reshape our government and win transformative climate policy is actually coming true. We’re taking over the Democratic Party. And we have what it takes to transform our entire political system.

If you haven’t yet watched Texas Sunrisers disrupt Cory Booker, I need you to watch it. Young people are the future of American politics, and Sunrise is showing the way:

Will you keep the momentum high by supporting our work?

We still have a hard road ahead. As you’re reading this, Sunrise hubs across the country are preparing to defend the midterms from Trump and his fascist administration. This takes a lot of resources: we need event spaces for trainings, art materials to make banners, stipends for organizers, and food for events. We’re confident in our plan to win, but to pull it off, we need your support.

Help young people win a better future by making a donation to Sunrise today.

DONATE TO SUNRISE 

Stay cool, and stay winning!

In Solidarity,
Aru