Extinction Rebellion Speaks to Junior Civic Lab

The junior class recently welcomed a pair of speakers from Extinction Rebellion as the 14th Annual Thoreau Speakers.

As part of their Civic Lab program, juniors work in small groups throughout the year to explore themes of marginalization as they play out in Chicago. The goal is to promote active citizenship and civic engagement, providing space for building relationships and connections, transforming Parker’s mission into action, advocating for social justice and enriching understanding of how systems of marginalization shape institutions and structures of privilege, advantage and disadvantage throughout history and in present-day society.

Inspired by Henry David Thoreau and his thoughts on civil disobedience, the junior Civic Lab teachers search for a modern-day Thoreau to speak with the entire grade. Upper School History and Social Studies teacher Andrew Bigelow shared, “The criteria is simple: The person has to have been arrested for standing up for social reform and against injustice.” This year, Parker was fortunate to welcome Ellen McManus and Liam Sacino from Extinction Rebellion Chicago to share their story and more about their organization.

To begin, they explained, “Extinction Rebellion is a decentralized, international and politically non-partisan movement using non-violent direct action and civil disobedience to persuade governments to act justly on the climate and ecological emergency.” While they had different trajectories that brought them to Extinction Rebellion, they both grappled with the growing crisis of climate change and took action in their own ways. Sacino took part in blockading the White House to demand increased action to curb greenhouse gas emissions and was consequently arrested. While working as an English professor, McManus read the UN report on the climate and its determination that we have less than a dozen years to rectify the issue, which lit a fire in her that demanded action. Soon McManus found herself chaining the door closed at a fossil fuel investment conference and handcuffing herself to the door, which eventually led to her arrest.

Sacino and McManus spoke about the work of Extinction Rebellion and emphasized the importance of non-violent methods. In pushing for climate action, Extinction Rebellion developed three main demands—“Tell the Truth, Act Now and Go Beyond Politics”—and a special demand developed by the Chicago chapter: “Prioritize the most vulnerable communities.” They concluded by reemphasizing their defining principles before taking questions from the audience.

As the academic year progresses, students will take on self-developed action projects, such as gathering signatures, attending or organizing protests or consciousness-raising events, contacting legislators and decision makers or presenting their findings in community forums as a way of articulating their growing sense of civic engagement and active citizenship.

Speakers like McManus and Sacino from Extinction Rebellion are the embodiment of Parker’s mission, which encourages students to use their voice to fight for change and confront bad behaviors and toxic systems. This learning experience illustrates what it means to be an active citizen in our diverse democracy.

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