Memorial Day is when we honor those men & women who died defending the U.S. Constitution while serving in the military.
But did you know that the first Memorial Day was called Decoration Day and originated in the years following the U.S. Civil War? And that it only became an official federal holiday in 1971? https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history
The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries.
Some records show that one of the earliest Memorial Day commemorations was organized by a group of formerly enslaved people in Charleston, South Carolina – less than a month after the Confederacy surrendered.
Why is this important to know today?
The nation (and world) is in the midst of massive racial, economic, and environmental evolution. In addition to attacks on democracy and the sacred right to vote, we are struggling with the existential threat to our civilization – and all human life on earth.
Clean energy is at the center of these issues. We fight wars to maintain our oil supplies from the middle east. Our valiant soldiers die in convoys moving fuel from one base to another. Fossil fuels pollute our air, water, and ground.
And, communities with people of color have the highest rates of childhood asthma and respiratory illnesses due to the pollution caused by burning fossil fuels for heat, electricity, and transportation.
The best way we can honor those who have defended our way of life is to create a clean, just, and sustainable clean energy future – for everyone, everywhere.
Take your next clean energy step today – and give our children a brighter tomorrow.
