In a radical act of civil disobedience, 21-year-old Kashmere Ketterman, a fierce community leader from Kansas City, was arrested alongside 18 other Gen Z activists from the Sunrise Movement.
They boldly occupied the office of right-wing extremist, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, sending a powerful message that young, Black, and working-class lives won’t be sacrificed at the altar of governmental incompetence and willful ignorance.
Their placards loudly proclaimed, “The GOP Hates Gen Z” and “McCarthy: Aren’t you ashamed?”
The action served as a powerful rebuke to a system that fuels environmental racism and class inequity, all while jeopardizing the planet that sustains us all.
Climate Catastrophe as a Weapon of Mass Discrimination
As the shadow of a government shutdown looms, we must understand that its impact isn’t just political—it’s existential. From Kansas City to the farthest corners of the Earth, climate change is not a distant horror but a present catastrophe.
July scorched the record books, becoming the hottest month ever in both Kansas City and global documented history.
Meanwhile, Maui was incinerated in disastrous fires, claiming nearly 100 lives. In a statement to The Defender, Sunrise KC wrote that “Because of the impending shutdown, FEMA has already begun rationing millions of dollars in aid for disaster recovery in case that disaster strikes amidst the shutdown. A shutdown would also halt millions in food assistance, as well as a new initiative to provide 3,000 high-needs school districts with free breakfast and lunch.”
We should not overlook that climate change disproportionately victimizes communities of color and the economically marginalized. When the world burns, it’s Black and poor folks who feel the heat first. We are the ones who can’t just pick up and move when disaster strikes. We are the ones dependent on public services that get cut first in a government shutdown.
A Local Battle with Global Implications
Just a week before this historic action, Ketterman spearheaded the launch of a local initiative, “Better Buses for KC,” demanding a complete overhaul of Kansas City’s public transit system. Community members say the call-to-action isn’t merely about upgrading bus services; it’s a necessary step to liberate communities from fossil fuel dependency, the leading source of emissions in Kansas City.
The demands for a fast, frequent, reliable, free, electrified, unionized, and accessible bus service are about fundamentally reshaping public transit, says Sunrise KC, to serve the people while also honoring the planet. And it is Gen Z, the generation most likely to inherit the devastating impacts of climate change, leading the charge.
In the final analysis, when activists say “We won’t back down until we win the future we deserve,” they’re not merely speaking for themselves or their fellow activists. They’re voicing the sentiment of an entire generation that refuses to be passive bystanders in the face of climate catastrophe and social injustice.
The young activists of Kansas City and beyond are not waiting for permission to change the world; they’re already doing it, one occupied office at a time.
