John Paul Mejia
Sunrise Movement
John Paul Mejia is a climate activist, communicator, and developing scholar. His commitment to climate activism began during his sophomore year of high school, when Hurricane Irma threatened his hometown, Miami. In the aftermath of the storm, he saw how his community was treated as disposable and was propelled into action. Today, John Paul is a national spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement, a youth movement working to stop the climate crisis and create a just society in the process. As a Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar at American University, he centers social responsibility and justice in his scholarly work as he does in his activism.