UPROSE uses sunflowers to shine light on climate change
The giant sunflower could be seen from helicopters above the crowd of over 400,000 people who came from all over New York City and the world to participate in the People’s Climate March in Midtown on Sunday, September 21. Its message: “We Are The Roots That Will Weather The Storm.”
Painted by dozens of volunteers from UPROSE, an environmental advocacy group based in Sunset Park, the sunflower tarp joined a line of painted cardboard sunflowers and sunflower-emblazoned banners that were held aloft by local youth and families of all ages, who traveled by bus to be a part of what was the world’s largest march in support of climate justice and climate change awareness.
“We made art for the march – giant sunflowers – because we want to bring the community narrative to the world and let them know we’re on the frontline of climate change and we will define it, we have the solutions and we are the experts,” explained Elizabeth Yeampierre, UPROSE executive director, at one of the group’s climate change art parties held in the weeks before.