A One Stone learner’s perspective on taking the mic and finding a passion at the podium.
By Liam N., One Stone
Author Liam N. addresses the crowd at the Boise Climate Strike on September 20, 2019. The event on the steps of the Idaho Capitol Building was one of 4,500 strikes held around the world, calling for immediate action on climate change legislation.
March 15, 2019. Anxiously pacing back and forth, I checked the time. 10:30 am. Time to start. Finally, the moment I had spent every waking minute of the past month planning was here. I nervously walked to the podium, took a deep breath, and began. “Hello, my name is Liam Neupert, I’m 16 years old, and I am the Idaho State lead for the U.S. Youth Climate Strike.” I heard the mighty roar of 300 people who had come to protest an administration failing to address the climate crisis.
As I spoke, the podium speaker gave out, so I looked into the crowd and screamed my words with all the power in my body. “There are so many reasons that I find myself in the position I’m in today, but the biggest reason I am here is that my future and your futures are being stolen from us as I speak!”
I began to feel a sensation in my body like nothing I had ever felt before. Starting in my hands and toes, it worked its way through my whole being. It grew stronger. I felt it everywhere: my head, my heart, and my soul. Was it nerves? Yes. Was it fear? Most definitely. But there was something else there, something greater than nerves or fear. Then it hit me. I was feeling true and deep passion for the environmental justice movement and my commitment to continuing the fight of the many before me. Standing in front of people and screaming my fears, anger, and hope amplified for me that the climate crisis had become central to my life. In all I do, I feel the weight of this crisis on my shoulders. Knowing that I can help guide this fight has given me a direction to channel my passion.
March 15, 2019 wasn’t the end — it was just the beginning. Since then, I told my story in an article in the Washington Post, where I was featured alongside eight other youth climate activists from around the country. I also received The Advocate magazine’s Champions of Pride award, an honor presented to activists who work to advance equality for LGBTQ+ and intersectional groups, while inspiring others to do the same. I was also one of the few award recipients featured in an individual article.
Though the opportunity to share the story of my work meant so much, the experience I hold with the highest pride and love is my work on the film The Undercurrent, a creation of UK artist Rory Pilgrim. The film explored how youth connect with the climate crisis knowing that it is our future. For three months, I worked with Rory and a team of ten youth to engage in group workshops, film shoots, and individual conversations. We worked together to build a beautiful film that won the Prix de Rome Visual Arts 2019 award and is currently part of the Prix De Rome Exhibit at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. To be a part of something so creative while talking about the climate crisis was an amazing experience.
Towards the end of the summer, the Climate Strike group reconvened to plan the September 20, 2019 strike. After working for a month, we created an event much more powerful than I could have ever imagined. We more than tripled the attendee numbers of the March 2019 strike, inspiring almost a thousand people of all ages and identities. After hearing from many Boise leaders, we went inside the Capitol building to sing, demanding that our leaders fight for our future. This record-setting strike showed that people are listening, and this movement is just beginning.
This work has shaped the way I move through the world. These experiences have created so much growth in my personal life and work. I have found the things that break my heart and how I fit into the world to help change them.
