Residents Across New Hampshire Rally to Demand a Bold Economic Plan to Put Millions Back to Work
NH Organizers call on Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Senator Maggie Hassan, Rep. Chris Pappas, and Rep. Annie Kuster to Support a THRIVE Agenda in Congress
Manchester, NH; Dover, NH; Portsmouth, NH; Nashua, NH, and Keene, NH -- In a national THRIVE day of action, organizers and community members from across New Hampshire gathered across the state (and virtually) for a rally calling on our Congressional Delegation to support the THRIVE agenda - a resolution in Congress calling for bold plans to address climate, economic, and racial justice.
“I am terrified of a future where we did not take bold action to stop the climate crisis. So here I am, at Jeanne Shaheen’s office to demand that she support the THRIVE Act so that my generation can have a livable future. One with green energy and well-paying jobs. One where basic human needs are met. One where Black, Indigenous, and people of color’s communities can thrive. We are here to demand that Jeanne Shaheen support a future where we can all thrive” - Jordan King, High School Organizer for NH Youth Movement
The THRIVE (Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy) Agenda is a road map to a just recovery. It outlines policies to build a more just society from the ashes of today’s crises — one that enables dignified work, healthy communities, a stable climate, and racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice. Right now, we have a window of opportunity to create real, lasting change and we are prepared to make calls, send messages, and show up at the offices of our congress members until they stand with us and support THRIVE.
“Environmental injustice has yet to be addressed, has yet to be answered for in any way,” said Sarah Tupper, 350NH Youth Organizer from Amherst, NH, “and if we expect to bring ourselves into the future that we were all promised, we have to bring everyone into the future - not just the wealthy or the white, but everyone.”
Organizers in each location stood outside of Congressional offices, gathered with speakers and signs that read “15 Million Jobs,” “Pass the THRIVE Act,” and “Climate, Care, Jobs, Justice.” They gathered in community, listened to speakers, and left messages behind for our Congressional Delegation to urge them to support THRIVE.
“Senator Maggie Hassan recently voted against Bernie Sanders’ amendment to include a $15 minimum wage for all in the American Rescue Plan. This flawed public dis-service must be called out in the daylight,” said Duaa Zahra, Rights & Democracy member from Dover, “We must make a massive shift and re-orient ourselves from an extractive economy to a regenerative one, an economy that invests in millions of new jobs and breaks our national addiction to fossil fuels, an addiction that led to the devastation of my home country Iraq.”
This action was organized by a powerful coalition of people from Rights & Democracy NH, New Hampshire Youth Movement, and 350 New Hampshire. We will continue to pressure our Congressional representatives to support the THRIVE Act and fight for economic, racial, and climate justice.
