Kelsey Wirth is the co-founder and chair of Mothers Out Front, and a women-led grassroots organization that’s creating an organized constituency of moms to fight for climate justice.
To be a good mom, you have to be a great organizer. Whether it’s fair or not, in most families, moms organize just about everything—transportation to school and sporting events, shopping, meals, medical appointments, and much more. That’s why we’re the best hope for Americans who are concerned about climate change. We’re already skilled organizers. Many of us are already successfully applying our organizing skills to the climate crisis.
Howe was by no means alone in recognizing the unique power of women—and particularly moms—coming together as an organized force for social change. Often these stories are left out of history textbooks that typically focus more on the individual heroism of charismatic leaders , but from civil rights to marriage equality to vital environmental protections, women and moms have been key players in advancing public good.
This time around, it’s not the horrors of war that unites us but the terrifying prospect of a world made inhospitable for children–and all life–by the ravages of our climate crisis. At Mothers Out Front, we’re carrying forward a vision of bold, women-led action in the tradition of what Howe exemplified and advocated. This time around, it’s not the horrors of war that unites us but the terrifying prospect of a world made inhospitable for children–and all life–by the ravages of our climate crisis.