Youth organizers at the Seattle Zero Hour March, one of the many events where Reconnect Earth had a presence this summer.

Reconnect Earth’s first summer is drawing to a close, and it was a season full of community outreach and building ties with people and organizations throughout northwest Washington and beyond. In particular, Reconnect Earth has prioritized contributing to and having a presence at events organized by people at the frontlines of confronting social and environmental injustice. Here are a few of the events where Reconnect Earth made an appearance over the last few months:

Bellingham Juneteenth Celebration, June 16th. Organized by Bellingham Black Lives Matter, this event was the city’s first-ever official community celebration of Juneteenth, a commemoration of the end of legal slavery after the U.S. Civil War. Bellingham’s Juneteenth event brought together organizations from throughout the community who are working on social justice, human rights, and environmental issues for a celebration of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Reconnect Earth was honored to have an informational table at this important gathering.

Lummi Nation Stommish, June 23rd. First celebrated in 1946 to welcome returning Lummi veterans home from World War II, the Stommish Water Festival is an annual celebration of Lummi culture and heroism held on Lummi tribal lands. Reconnect Earth received permission to set up a table at this event, giving us a chance to talk with the hundreds of people who came to participate in Stommish. The Lummi and other Indigenous peoples have cared for the land and water in what is now Whatcom County since time immemorial, and it was truly a privilege to have a presence at this event.

Families Belong Together Rally, June 30th. Reconnect Earth joined many tens of thousands of people across the country to protest the Trump administration’s heartless separation of children and families in immigrant detention centers. Hundreds of people attended the local Families Belong Together rally in Bellingham, which was part of a nationwide mobilization held on June 30th.

Bellingham Pride, July 15th. No list of fun-filled, inspiring summer events in Bellingham would be complete without the local Pride festival. Thousand of participants in this year’s Pride came to attend a parade, organization fair, and other activities celebrating the LGBTQ community. Reconnect Earth had our table alongside dozens of other nonprofits, businesses, and community groups at Pride 2018, and we couldn’t be prouder to have joined hands in support of this event.

Zero Hour March, July 21st. When high school students from around the country announced the first-ever youth of color-led national climate mobilization, Reconnect Earth immediately realized supporting this event in whatever way we could fit right in with our mission and goals. Reconnect Earth and 350 Bellingham organized a carpool to attend the Zero Hour March in Seattle, on the same day as a huge youth-led march in DC and other, similar events throughout the country. The leadership and organizational prowess of the youth at the helm of Zero Hour should give hope to anyone concerned about the fate of our planet. It was an immense privilege to march alongside them in support of swift, equitable action to curb climate change.

Prior to participating in each of these events, Reconnect Earth first communicated with the organizers to make sure our presence there would be helpful and welcome. As our organization grows and continues our work, we’ll be doing our best to support movements like these through our work to foster and grow a network of empowered young leaders who will sustain grassroots social movements for years to come.