Festival Year: 2023
John Paul Mejia
Roles: Panelist
Born and raised by a single immigrant mom in the frontline community of Miami, Florida, Mejia’s commitment to climate justice began after witnessing the government’s response to Hurricane Irma leave his community members behind. Propelled into action, Mejia has since organized for climate justice at institutional, local, and federal levels, engaging students, community members, unions, and elected officials along the way. Today, his devotion to movement-building continues in his work as the national spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement and a campaign manager for the Green New Deal for American University campaign. As a Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar at American University and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences’ commission on Accelerating Climate Action, he centers a value-driven and critical approach in his scholarship as he does in his activism.
2023 Program(s):
Closing Night Event: To The End
Festival Year: 2023