Graphic Design for Sunrise Providence

Graphic Design for Sunrise Providence

Check out our instagram here.

For over a year I have been the Communications Lead for Sunrise Providence, a local youth-led environmental movement.

Rapid Response + Action Graphic Design

This past year I have created graphics, copywriting and published posts for events and actions, increasing our Instagram and Twitter follows by 100%.

Given the sheer amount of information audiences are bombarded with, effective graphic design is an important tool to help connect viewers with your message, and stand out when you have only seconds to grab their attention.

Graphic Design for Sunrise Providence Orientation Training Graphic
Graphic Design for Sunrise Providence
Graphic Design for Sunrise Providence Bernie and Biden graphic
Graphic Design for Sunrise Providence field program
Graphic Design for Sunrise Providence hub meeting graphic
Graphic Design Shekarchi Vote 1
A Better World is Possible Graphic with people holding up the earth, and windmill sin the background.
What are environmental justice and Environmental Racism Graphic
Bernie "Not me. Us." graphic

Graphic Design and Information Accessibility

Educational and informational content creation allows for us to break down complex ideas.

Graphic design is the perfect tool to spread information, as it allows us to capture our audience’s attention and sustain visual interest, as to not lose a reader in the sheer weight of information being delivered to them.

Graphic Design Shekarchi Vote 1
Graphic Design Shekarchi Vote 2
Graphic Design Shekarchi Vote 3
Graphic Design Shekarchi Vote 4
Graphic Design Shekarchi Vote 5
Graphic Design Shekarchi Vote 6
Graphic Design Shekarchi Vote 7
Graphic Design Shekarchi Vote 8

Green New Deal in RI - Graphic Design and Storytelling

This social media series consisted of 3 posts adapted from our training teams’ educational sessions of the same name. This was a collaborative effort between myself and the communications team of volunteers and was a challenge for myself taking on a creative direction role, working with my team to create cohesion between the work.

What is Environmental Justice & Environmental Racism?

What are environmental justice and Environmental Racism Graphic
Graphic reads: The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, regarding development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment
Graphic Reads: This refers to situations where communities of color are forced to suffer the effects of high levels of pollution in their neighborhoods. This has historically been present in decisions for zoning regulations Urban planning (like the placement of highways through neighborhoods of color) And the placement of landfills and hazardous waste sites. This can be a lot to process, so let’s look at a real-life example.
Graphic Reads: This past year an application was submitted to the Providence City Planning Commission and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to build a garbage depot. Depots like this bring noise, odors, air and water pollution in the South Providence and Washington Park neighborhoods. This community is mostly working-class people of color, already burdened by the effects of pollution from other industrial facilities in the port of Providence and the I-95 highway that runs through them. They also face some of the highest asthma rates and blood lead levels in Rhode Island. The garbage depot would only add to the already existing contamination of the community’s air, land, and water. This is an example of Environmental Racism, a community of color that already faces health risks due to zoning for industrial plants built in their neighborhood is not involved in the decision before building hazardous waste sites. Let’s look at how the community fought for Environmental Justice.
Graphic reads: In response, people in the community fought back and were joined in opposition by local and state leaders, businesses, and community organizations such as No LNG in PVD and Sunrise Providence. After months of sustained actions including showing up at Providence City Planning Commission meetings, as well as a staff report which concluded that the garbage depot would violate the Providence Zoning Ordinance, the developer withdrew their application for the garbage depot. It was an important victory for the community but also the latest in a series of proposals that would endanger local residents’ health and continue a pattern of Environmental Racism.

What is the Green New Deal?

Graphic that reads: What is the Green New Deal? with illustration of city in the background and construction worker up front
The Green New Deal is not a single bill or even just a resolution. It is a new political common sense, in which the government cares for the common good. It does not only care about putting up new solar panels, it touches issues across the political spectrum — and speaks directly to people who have been lost by past efforts to take on climate change.
The Green New Deal is similar to the New Deal President Roosevelt got the New Deal passed in response to the Great Depression in 1933. The New Deal policies were designed to support people after the collapse of the economy. Social Security The Fair Labor Standards Act (which set maximum hours and minimum wages) Glass Steagall (banking regulations to protect the money of regular people) Unemployment Insurance Jobs programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and the Public Works Administration (PWA) Though these policies were so popular, the New Deal was a deeply flawed piece of legislation. Many of the benefits it set up often explicitly excluded people of color. Discrimination and segregation were present in these programs to which many Black Leaders called the New Deal the “Raw Deal.”
Similar to the New Deal, the Green New Deal represents a new political alignment. But it is also different from anything we’ve seen before, it's not about just building more solar panels, but about making sure that the most vulnerable in society/frontline communities aren't left behind in the process. It’s about addressing the climate crisis at the scale that science and justice demand. The Green New Deal has Three Main Pillars Stop the Climate Crisis Create Millions of New Jobs Establish a Second Bill of Rights
Through a large-scale, 10-year mobilization campaign meant to address the entire country. This mobilization campaign is fighting for 3 key things to address climate change. achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Meet our power demands in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources as much as technically possible. Upgrade all existing buildings and build new buildings to achieve maximum energy efficiency, water efficiency, safety, affordability, comfort, and durability
Collaborate with farmers and ranchers to remove pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector by supporting family farming Build resilience against climate change-related disasters. (really important in places like Newport and Portsmouth, before COVID-19 some reps were having open meetings about these very issues) More recently there has been a push in Providence to reduce electricity bills by moving away from natural gas to renewable energy (PVD Community Center Plan).
The GND calls for a Jobs Guarantee that will give people a fair wage. The transition to an economy based on renewable energy is going to require a lot of infrastructures to be built, which means there’s going to be a lot of work to be done. Millions of good, high-wage jobs will be created to support and execute this mission. To ensure economic prosperity for all, the GND demands that all we invest in our communities and make sure the money we spend doesn’t uphold existing power structures and inequalities. This means addressing the concerns of marginalized communities who have traditionally been excluded from economic opportunity. It also means finding ways of addressing the concerns of people working with fossil fuels as well as people who.
Ensure that the dignity and value of people are maintained, even during a transition to a green economy. There several things we believe should be treated as rights instead of privileges. Safe and adequate housing and electricity Economic security through family-sustaining wages, adequate family and medical leave, paid vacations, and retirement security Clean water, clean air, healthy and affordable food, and access to nature. Accessible and Affordable Healthcare (Medicare for All)

Rhode Island Green New Deal Policy

Jobs Guarantee, Housing, Healthcare, Energy, Transportation
Our newly elected Green New Deal Champions are preparing to fight for progressive legislation that centers the unique needs of Rhode Island and the many frontline communities in our state. Our Sunrise Endorsed candidates have a jobs and justice focused plan to decarbonize Rhode Island and build an economy that works for all of us. Let’s look at who is behind this legislation.
The coordinating organization has been Renew New England. “A growing coalition of more than fifty labor, environmental, social justice and youth organizations dedicated to building collective grassroots power and electing governing majorities in all six New England states in 2020, in order to implement an ambitious, unified, Green New Deal for each of our states and for the region as a whole.” - Renew New England Mission Statement This is so exciting for our movement, hundreds, maybe thousands of people across all of New England have been working to make our vision a reality.
Renew New England has been recruiting candidates across New England with the goal of winning legislative majorities in all of these states and implementing region-wide Green New Deal policy in 2020. All of our Sunrise candidates are also Renew New England candidates. Renew New England has created a real, concrete vision for our future, and is acting to put together the coalitional to make this vision a reality!
Jobs Guarantee, Housing, Healthcare, Energy, Transportation Everyone who wants a job will have one. This jobs initiative will ensure that we work so that all people’s basic needs are met: housing, healthcare, food, energy, transportation, and clean air and water. Regional coordination is essential to make sure jobs don’t flee to the state with the lowest labor and environmental standards.
Rhode Island has an affordable housing crisis. A RI Green New Deal will build energy efficient affordable housing units in Rhode Island and work to renovate old units. 42,000 Rhode Islanders have no health insurance. The cost of health insurance is rising faster than wages. We can build community health centers and work towards region wide universal healthcare.
Energy is responsible for 26 percent of Rhode Island greenhouse gas emissions. A RI Green New Deal will rebuild our energy structure and prohibit fossil fuel infrastructure while imposing a cap on utility bills. 36% of Rhode Island carbon emissions comes from transportation. By reforming transportation in our state, across the region, and making good, safe, clean, and pleasant public transportation available to everyone.
Place more pressure on federal government to provide funding for a GND Regional coordination on raising state taxes on the 1 percent End mass incarceration, over policing, and militarization of law enforcement. This will free up money to reinvest in our communities Collect more tax revenue via the economic boost from a GND Keep more money in New England with a GND! Our energy will be here, we will grow more food here, and we will create new green industries here, growing the amount of wealth that can be taxed Put out huge, region-wide, state bonds to help fund the projects we need for a GND Establish a public green bank for each state. This bank will attract investment that we can use to create a green economy
We know this was. alot to take in, luckily we'll have the opportunity on January 12th to join Renew New England as they roll out a policy platform that covers these important problems.

Video + Motion Graphics

Motion graphics have been an effective tool for our social media outreach, they allow us to retain our audiences attention, visual display information, and enhance video performance. This role has given be the ability to increase my motion graphics and video editing skills, as well as work with other volunteers to teach them the basics of video editing.

Overall my experience as the Communications Director for Sunrise Providence has allowed me to gain real world experience into the importance of effective graphic design, executing creative vision, working with social media and press to expand our organizations outreach.  This role has allowed me to grow as a designer, project manager and leader, and help other volunteers grow as well, while working towards environmental justice.

Let's Build Connection Through Design.​

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