Like many things in American culture, to find a representation of yourself as a non-white person can be challenging. The nuclear field sadly is no exception. A quick Google search of terms and images common in this field will showcase an abundance of nuclear plants and white faces — mostly white male faces. 

I did not see a place for myself in nuclear activism and I didn’t want to be the only Black person who cared about these issues. Fortunately, I’m not. There is a rich history of Black people advocating for nuclear policy, disinvestment from the military, peace, nuclear disarmament, and more. I just had to find them. Here are a few. 

Coretta Scott King

A devoted pacifist, civil rights leader, and activist, Coretta influenced her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s, views on nuclear weapons and war. She worked closely with groups like Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), the National Committee for Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE), and Women Strike for Peace (WSP). Reported on May 21st, 1962 in the Chicago Defender, Mrs. King said, “It is of vital importance that we solve world tensions and bring about understanding between nations. If we fail in this, then the world is lost and our efforts in race relations will have been in vain… We are on the brink of destroying ourselves through nuclear warfare.” She explained that her statement was the reason she attended the 17-nation Disarmament Conference in Geneva in 1962. 

Lorraine Hansberry

A personal favorite of mine, Lorraine Hansberry was a playwright who used her skills to vocalize her disdain for nuclear bombs and their use as weapons of mass destruction. Throughout her life, she linked freedom to anti-colonialism, nuclear disarmament, and antiracism. Her last two bodies of work were plays that focused on antinuclear topics, What Use Are Flowers?, and anti-colonialism, Les Blancs. She is truly an inspiration in how our art can be political. 

Erna Harris

A member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Erna Harris’s life was spent championing for equality. In 1964, she was among twelve women selected from the U.S. to participate in the Soviet-American Women’s Conference in Moscow which focused on universal nuclear disarmament, relaxing international tensions, and the role of the United Nations. Harris’s life was dedicated to working with peace and civil rights organizations. 

Martin Luther King Jr. 

World renowned activist and minister Martin Luther King Jr. was most famous for his involvement with the civil rights movement and his “I Have A Dream” speech. His work, however, did incorporate nuclear injustice. In 1961, King told a journalist, “I am a strong believer in disarmament and suspension of nuclear weapons.” Standing behind these values, he became involved with the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE) in March of 1958. Founded by pacifists and anti-nuclear activists, the organization quickly became a leader in the struggle for nuclear disarmament. Showing his support, Dr. King signed many letters, petitions, advertisements, and brochures from the group.  

Walter White

Leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) from 1929-1955, Walter White was vocal about his opposition to nuclear weapons. In the September 8th, 1945 issue of the Chicago Defender he wrote, “the most terrible weapon of them all, the atomic bomb” and “the occidental western world may have loosed a mechanistic genii from the bottle which it may soon wish it could reimprison to save itself from destruction”.  

Walter White was recruited to the National Committee for Civil Control of Atomic Energy and was invited to a meeting with the National Committee on Atomic Information. Under his leadership, the NAACP protested atomic bombings. 

These are just a few examples of Black people who used their voices and dedicated their lives to nuclear disarmament and peace. The nuclear field may be one that is overflowing with white faces and I might not see a surplus of people who look like me plastered over the related Google images, but we are here and always have been.

Nuclear issues disproportionately impact people of marginalized communities. Our voices are needed if we want to best protect ourselves. Our interests and survival cannot be left in the hands of those who do not look like us and understand our communities’ particular needs. Black people have cared about these issues and will continue to lead in advocating for nuclear disarmament, demilitarization, decolonization, and peace. I am proud to stand behind the rich history of my ancestors and call for an end to all nuclear weapons.

Let’s imagine you are living in a home that has been passed down in your family for countless generations. It is the only place you have called home, and the only place you want to call home. One day, a stranger comes to that home, kicks you out, burns the home down, and proceeds to plant harmful carcinogens in it. Your home is so badly destroyed that you cannot return for decades without getting fatally ill. Why do I bring this up? Because this is what the United States has done and continues to do to the Marshallese people.

Let’s continue this story. The only other home you can find is three blocks down, so once you move in, you can still kind of see your old home. However, this new home is far from perfect. This new home has a sinkhole in the back that keeps swallowing up more and more land. You watch the sinkhole get bigger every day, and you fear that it will swallow everything you have left. You want to take the thief to court to demand justice, or at least a big sum of money so you can move somewhere safe. Sadly, the person who ruined your house refuses to go to court, and you don’t have the means to force them there. At the same time, they are also being praised by the neighborhood for their ‘show of strength’ when they kicked you out, and still do not compensate you at all. 

The United States’ first act of violence towards the Marshallese people was testing nuclear weapons on their land. Between the years 1946 and 1958, the U.S. conducted a total of 67 nuclear tests on the Marshall Islands. If those tests were combined evenly over 12 years, they would equal 1.6 Hiroshima-sized explosions every day. The nuclear tests the United States conducted left behind nuclear waste and radiation, making the testing grounds impossible to live on. 

Sadly, the violence did not end with nuclear tests. The United States has continuously denied the impact of climate change and  has been a leader in CO2 emissions around the world.  The U.S. has also been steadily withdrawing from climate negotiations and treaties that would force them to take steps to reduce those emissions. As one of the richest countries in the world, the United States’ refusal to deal with climate change harms Marshallese people. As our climate changes, sea levels rise, which impacts the nuclear waste holding chasm, called The Tomb, in the Marshallese islands. This tomb, covered in a concrete dome that has begun to crack, was built by the U.S. to contain nuclear waste, but is being threatened by the rising sea level, which could cause the waste to seep out into potable water. 

A rise in sea levels has caused increased contaminiation levels of fresh water supplies and destroyed crops. Even the smallest amount of salt water is undrinkable for people, and with rising sea levels contaminating groundwater aquifers, already at risk for radiation contamination, water shortages increase every year for the Marshallese. 

The issues of climate change that the Marshallese are facing, further aggravated by climate change, are creating increased numbers of Marshallese refugees. And, the U.S. is not stepping up to the plate to make amends for the harm they have caused. In 1986, the U.S. gave a final cash settlement to the Marshallese of $150 million, which was meant to cover all the damage they had caused the island due to nuclear testing and destruction. The Marshallese were also meant to receive aid from the U.S. in the form of health care, though that was cut short through a loophole in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Today, funding for the Marshallese is set to run out in 2022, and America does not seem closer to offering real, long-term help or solutions. 

The United States has a duty to protect those it has harmed with its careless systemic violence. Marshallese refugees are not receiving funding to move to America and build new homes and a new life, even though the original ‘sins’ lie within actions from western countries, especially the U.S. The United States has taken advantage of a defenseless people and country because it knew it could and assumed there would be little to no retaliation. In continuing its violence towards the Marshallese, the United States is actively accelerating climate change. 

The United States has a duty to protect those it has harmed with its careless systemic violence.

If this is the leader of the free world, what kind of free world are we really living in? If we do not protect those who have been oppressed and severely harmed by the leader of the West, we will be turning our backs on members of our human community. 

Your power is important. Write to your representatives to demand they support the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in order to provide health care protection to the Marshallese people. Donate to refugee orgs, such as the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, or HIAS to protect others who will be harmed in similar ways by nuclear weapons and climate change. Push your representatives on their climate disaster platform – what are they willing to give up to protect us? Raise awareness by talking about these truths – this story is one which has not been heard by many people and public awareness of it must increase in order to obtain justice for the Marshallese. Know that your voice will be strengthening that of those not being heard, that are being brushed aside in the chaos of the moment. Never stop dreaming of the change that can come from the strength of your voice. 

Nexplanon, Nuvaring, and Nuclear Weapons

While two of these are forms of birth control and one is a planet-altering weapon, all three have a lot more in common than one would initially think. Just consider the similarities between who it is making the decisions and who is directly affected by them.

Who makes the decision on birth control and to what extent?
In the United States, it’s the state and federal governments that make the decisions on policies regarding birth control. Historically, our government has been male dominated — and the Trump administration is no different, with men holding 18 of the 22 cabinet seats. The current administration has a reputation of favoring conservative policy, so it wasn’t shocking when they rolled back women’s access to contraceptives covered by their insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare). The administration has gone so far as to petition the Supreme Court to review the ACA’s contraceptive coverage requirement as of 2019. On top of that, they also launched a final rule last November that would allow nongovernmental employers to request a moral or religious exemption from providing contraceptives.

Who is impacted by the birth control discussion?
The burden of birth control falls mostly on the shoulders of women. Even though there was an injectable male form of birth control in the works, the testing was halted due to “unhealthy” side effects — which happen to be the same side effects you see listed on the FDA approved packaging of birth control taken by so many women across the globe. Yet, many women suffer through these side effects because of the significant benefits birth control has on their lives; a study by Planned Parenthood shows that since the daily oral pill became available in the 1960s, women’s enrollment in college and entrance into skilled careers skyrocketed. Outside of preventing pregnancy, birth control is used to treat  things like acne and chronic health issues. Birth control can also be a life-saving medication for LGBTQ folks!

Women also have to deal with a male-dominant administration implementing policies that make it more difficult for them to get birth control. Even under the ACA, some still have to pay. Insurance companies are not required to cover any brand name options, and low-cost insurance isn’t technically required to cover anything at all. Many women are forced to pay for birth control themselves, often daunting or altogether impossible, or they just go without. Easy access to birth control can also be critical to women living in domestic violence situations. Lots of reasons to let women make their own decisions about their bodies, huh?

Who makes the decision about nuclear weapons and to what extent?
In the United States, the president has sole authority to launch a nuclear strike, meaning no one stands in their way. Most discussions about nuclear weapons take place in the upper levels of the military, a space once inaccessible to women. But, women and other marginalized groups have historically led the charge for peace and they should be included in decisions concerning our nuclear arsenal. Angela Davis, who’s made a heroin of herself by fighting for world peace, pushed for the abolition of nuclear weapons during speeches given in the 1960s and 70s in which she also paid homage to other grassroots groups doing this work. In 1980, she released the timeless essays “Women Culture Politics,” a series that condemns nuclear weapons. Furthermore, some of the earliest and strongest protests against nuclear weapons were organized by a group called “African Americans Against the Bomb,” one of many groups to come out of the Black Freedom movement.

Who is impacted by the decisions made about nuclear weapons?
Nuclear weapons release a dangerous combination of short-term, immediate destruction and insidious long-term hazards. Demographic factors, like sex, largely influence a subpopulation’s radiosensitivity. For instance, studies have shown that the female body faces more severe consequences to radiation than the male body. The harsher side effects are due to women’s naturally smaller frames and organs, so the same amount of radiation would impact a woman more than a man. And because their reproductive organs are inside of the body near vital organs, the spread of radiation to those organs occurs more easily.

Another consequence of nuclear war comes after the stratosphere has been polluted: famine. Studies have shown that women and girls face the largest burdens associated with famine. Since 2017, the high rates of starvation in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and Nigeria have caused the UN to declare conditions in these countries the largest humanitarian crisis since World War II. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to famine because they hold the least amount of power and status. In situations of extreme crisis, like nuclear war, their basic needs are only pushed lower on the list of priorities; this, of course, includes their sexual health and reproductive rights that are already at risk.

Looking at the intersection of women’s sexual health, reproductive rights, and nuclear weapons policy, women are the most heavily affected population — yet have the smallest voice in decision-making. In all of these, the public is being stripped of its bodily autonomy.

With sole authority in place in the U.S., everyone on the planet is forced to live under one person’s choice to launch a nuclear weapon. There’s no autonomy in that. The implementation of the No First Use bill is a sound first step to begin to fixing this inherent inequity, and we encourage you to check out some of the other amazing groups doing work to protect contraception access below:

• Advocates for Youth
• National Women’s Law Center
• Planned Parenthood
• Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE)

The threat of nuclear war is ever-present, but not on the forefront of the average American’s thoughts. The ultra-wealthy elite, on the other hand, are well aware of this threat. They have created demand for a luxury survival industry to keep up with their contingency plans for potential global devastation, like that of nuclear war. The cornerstone of these plans? Luxury doomsday bunkers.

These bunkers are nothing like the cold, concrete, and metal bunkers of the past. Instead, they  come with all the amenities of their above-ground domiciles, ranging from essential needs like water and sewage systems to luxuries like entertainment systems, simulated sunlight, and even gyms and spas. They even have the capability to sustain human life for a minimum of a year underground. Indoor greenhouses outfitted with growing lamps will offer the capability to grow fresh fruits and vegetables to sustain nutrition and supplement the food rations. One of the most common features of these luxury bunkers is an Nuclear Biological Chemical (NBC) air filtration system, which takes the contaminated air, and filters and pressurizes it for the bunkers’ occupants. These NBC systems can cost more than $10,000 USD and are already being used to filter out the COVID-19 virus. 

The Oppidum will be the largest billionaire bunker compound in the world. According to The Mirror, this luxury compound will be located on a 323,000 square foot property in the mountains in an undisclosed location in the Czech Republic. When completed, this underground bi-level compound will boast 77,500 square feet, along with 13 feet ceilings, one large 6,750 square foot apartment, and six 1,720 square feet individual apartment homes. The average apartment size in the U.S.? 914 feet. 

“Survival condos” in Kansas City, Kansas can cost anywhere from $500,000 USD to $2.5 million USD based on the floor plan. Built in a former missile silo which was constructed during the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960s during John F. Kennedy’s presidency, these “modern condo-bunkers” can be decorated to each owner’s taste. They contain 12 units, 90 feet underground, complete with decontaminating station, jail-cell, gun range, movie room, bar, water filtration system, a five year supply of canned and prepared food, library, classrooms, gym sauna, game room, laundry rooms, and even wi-fi internet capabilities and a pool equipped with water-slides. These bunkers are so luxurious that many of the owners will visit for week-long stays as an escape from the outside world and the rigors of daily life.

The inequity of the elite’s ability to replicate the comforts of their everyday lives while not challenging the existence of these mass killing weapons truly illuminates the economic injustice of a capitalist society and the grim truth that the wealthy will be more likely to survive a nuclear apocalypse.

Bill Gates is among the many Silicon Valley billionaires who have spent millions of dollars in cash on several underground survival bunkers. In private Facebook groups, these wealthy survivalists swap tips on their respective bunkers. One member of a Facebook group told the New York Times, “I keep a helicopter gassed up all the time, and I have an underground bunker with an air-filtration system.” In addition to their bunker, many have purchased long-range armored vehicles, helicopters, and motorcycles to swiftly transport them to their safe haven.

NASA psychologists have consulted in the design of these shelters to ensure the survivability and psychological stability of living in a bunker for an extended time period. The features they recommended included nine-foot high ceilings and televisions with live feed of the outside world to give the appearance of windows. The residents can also choose views of a specific cityscape or arial vantage which gives the illusion of living above ground anywhere in the world. Fancy!

But, what about the average person who wishes to survive a nuclear strike? A makeshift fallout shelter can be constructed in your home using common materials like bricks, wood, and dirt. It is the depth and width of the material which will limit the exposure to the radiation. The basement concrete block shelter is a great option for those of us without the access and resources to build a luxurious underground bunker. According to The Family Fallout Shelter manual, this is the easiest option to construct without hiring a contractor.  Don’t worry, you can take care of business with a bucket fashioned into a makeshift toilet until the risk of fallout has subsided. This is indeed a stark contrast from the more luxe counterparts.

The inequity of the elite’s ability to replicate the comforts of their everyday lives while not challenging the existence of these mass killing weapons truly illuminates the economic injustice of a capitalist society and the grim truth that the wealthy will be more likely to survive a nuclear apocalypse. The ability and access for private wealthy citizens to purchase decommissioned military silos and bases for their personal use and survival without making them available for all highlights our society’s flaws and class stratification, supported by the political elite and the military industrial complex.

This begs the question: What should our focus be? How can celebrities and average citizens alike use their voices to help prevent nuclear war? Celebrities’ influence would be greatly suited to the promotion of anti-nuclear war policies like the No First Use Act. This policy would prevent the United States from ever launching a first strike against an adversary, thereby starting a nuclear war. Everyday citizens can contact their Senators and Representatives to let them know they support No First Use. This legislation makes a progressive statement and sets an example to other nations that nuclear war is not a viable solution to any political conflict.

Picture #1: Nuclear Bunker by Scott Wylie, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Cover photo: Bill Gates MSC 2017 by Kuhlmann/MSC, licensed under CC BY 3.0 DE.

Paul Tibbets, pilot of the Enola Gay (right)

“I didn’t think about what was going on down on the ground — you need to be objective about this,” is what Col. Paul Tibbets, the pilot and commander of the aircraft that dropped the Little Boy uranium bomb over Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945, said about the “very sobering event.” While thousands of people were instantly killed, American soldiers were simply completing a mission and heading on their way. While they were preparing to release this destructive weapon with the ease and objectivity of pressing a button, what was really going on, down on the ground? So far away from the thoughts of Tibbets and the other men on the aircraft, people no different from you and I were simply going to work, school, the store, or sitting at home.

When we learn about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the only two instances of offensive atomic bomb detonation, we imagine them to be far-away lands from a far-away time where things that don’t happen today happened. In fact, the threat of a nuclear attack is the highest today since World War II, with world leaders constantly threatening each other with these devastating weapons. Unfortunately, our reality is not so far off from the reality of the people who were alive then, and the people who survived those abhorrent attacks.

It’s a typical Tuesday morning. You wake up the way you usually do, carry out your morning routine, and start your day. Nothing special, nothing missing. So many days like this you take for granted and easily forget, your brain filing them away as perfectly mundane and ordinary. You don’t know yet that today will be different. Life is fragile, we all know that, and pop culture loves to reiterate this concept in many forms, including but not limited to “You’re not promised tomorrow,” and my personal favorite, “YOLO.” But, we don’t often think of how life could change drastically, and how many things currently pose a threat to the routine we create for ourselves. How often do we sit down and think, “Huh, I wonder when a nuclear weapon 80 times more powerful than those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki is going to plummet down and destroy everything near me?” Probably not that often — it would put a damper on our planning for the years ahead.

In any case, you are not thinking about everything in your vicinity being obliterated and life drastically changing. You’re probably thinking about what you’ll have for lunch. Sitting in your room miles away from the city, you’re gazing out of the window, day-dreaming. In a matter of seconds, everything is white and you feel the ground beneath your feet pulse. You were unlucky to be looking vaguely in the direction of the blast and now have flash blindness. You won’t be able to see for hours. Thankfully, you’re with someone who can help guide you and knows all the information to survive a nuclear attack — very lucky. For the next few hours, you sit huddled in the basement, sheltered by concrete, waiting for your sight to come back. Once it does, and the blast has subsided, the smoke cleared, you’ll still have to take cover from nuclear fallout coming in the form of black rain. You’ll be sheltering from radiation potent enough to kill you within days. And, for the rest of your life, you and everyone you know who happened to survive this will be running from it in the form of cancer and genetic mutations. 

Let’s say this is the case for you, and you happened to be one of the few people who were in the right place, right time, with the right person. Like many of the survivors of the attacks in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you’ll still have plenty to worry about. You’ll have made it through one of the most horrific events that the world has ever seen, knowing that there are thousands of people, some of whom you may have known, who weren’t so lucky. You’ll wake up and relive the event as the world talks about it on the news, dissecting every detail. You’ll wonder what you could’ve done differently, what it would be like if you’d been somewhere else. This survivor’s guilt, PTSD, depression, and anxiety will be a few of the things that would take over your new life. Having been through a day where everything you knew changed completely, you would wonder if anything you build for yourself in the future would also be taken from you once again.

We don’t often think of how life could change drastically, and how many things currently pose a threat to the routine we create for ourselves.

This doesn’t have to be our reality. As individuals, we cannot allow ourselves to have the control to build and have autonomy over our lives taken away from us. Nuclear weapons are frightfully immoral; not only do they threaten human life, they threaten our individual right to create and live a life of our own. In the U.S., one person — the president — has the power to make this our reality, to take away everything from everyone. Nuclear weapons will not discriminate, they will not look at your house, your skin, your political affiliation. The unique threat of nuclear weapons makes them far more evil than any weapon in existence today, and very easy to oppose. Join the fight to put more control in the hands of the people, and checks and balances on nuclear weapons. We can only do so much if it happens, so let’s make sure it never does. 

Take action! Tell Biden to keep nuclear weapons off the table in Putin’s war with Ukraine!

What are the hardships and altered conditions of those who escaped a fatal interaction with nuclear weapons, but did not truly escape because they did indeed lose a part of their lives to resulting illnesses? The answers to this question are likely to be infinite; the impacts of nuclear weapons on different marginalized groups of people are countless. Therefore, as a woman and an individual with a uterus, I was curious to see how nuclear weapons have particularly impacted similarly identifying people. This was especially a fitting topic to explore during Women’s History Month. It was disheartening (but not shocking) to discover the harm nuclear weapons have had on the minds, reproductive systems, and bodies as a whole of people with uteruses. 

One study explored the effects of radiation on survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. An important analysis to note is that this study found that the impacts of the bombs differed from gender to gender. The research showed that radiation exposure was more likely to detrimentally impact women as it was likely to lead to more sex-specific cancers such as breast cancer. As a whole, young women exposed to radiation were found to have double the likelihood of developing cancer than men. 

Given that the effects of radiation and nuclear bombs on human health was incomprehensible to the general public at the time, the survivors of the bombings also faced social discrimination and were denied human rights like housing, food, employment, and more. Women in particular were treated far worse than the rest of the surviving population because there was this idea that radiation exposure “contaminated” them (in reality they were just suffering the health effects of the exposure). With that misconception, they got heavily discriminated against and even shamed for the issues they were experiencing like sterility, birth defects, and leukemia. This widespread belief made it difficult for women to get married and start families. 

Uranium mining took place throughout communities in the United States to support the production of nuclear weapons. While some of the mines have been cleaned up, a large number have not and continue to harm communities. This poses adverse health effects to members of those communities due to proximity or previous employment in the mines (and the resulting transfer of radioactive materials from the workplace to home). In South Dakota, the indigenous community of the Ogala Lakota people has had their health tormented by the presence of uranium mines. The community has experienced higher rates of kidney disease, cancer and birth defects. Lakota women have experienced miscarriages and developed reproductive cancers as a result at a particularly high rate due to the radioactivity and direct metal toxicity brought on by these mines. 

The damage of nuclear weapons does not stop there. In fact, it goes far beyond what the eye can see. Research shows that women, in addition to being impacted physically, are also experiencing psychological conditions as a result of radiation contamination. The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research states that after the Chernobyl accident, European women were feeling more stress and experiencing more mental health issues due to fear of radiation and radiation spread than their male counterparts. At this time, people were forced to evacuate their homes; and displacement brought on a slew of emotional and mental health-related issues for women who faced a higher threat to their rights with the possibility of relocating to countries with harmful, discriminatory systems in place. Researchers also analyzed and detailed the impacts of the Marshall Islands nuclear tests on Marshallese women who have recounted feelings of shame and humiliation from the invasive examinations they were subjected to during the evacuation process.

In just about every area of the body, women and individuals with uteruses have experienced disproportionate trauma in the aftermath of exposure to nuclear weapons, waste, or accidents.

However, we cannot assume that our mostly male political representatives will inherently know what is best for us. We must make our voices heard and be involved with the discourse around the development, testing, and use of nuclear weapons. As a way to honor Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, join us in our fight to free the planet from nuclear violence. Take the first few steps today and tell your Representative to support No First Use, support the expansion of The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, and stop missile modernization.

For over a year, I’ve thrown myself into this particular issue. I grew up in Springdale, Arkansas, home to nearly 15,000 Marshallese people, who have had their entire way of life uprooted in the past 70 years by United States nuclear testing. I grew up surrounded by the ways in which nuclear weapons have radically altered people’s lives, and thus at an early age had an inkling into the reasons why community organizing, storytelling, and change-making around nuclear issues were still hugely important. It’s both an issue that I understand passively affects literally all seven billion of us on this crazy rock floating through space, and in very specific ways, my high school friends. As a result, this particular issue has captured both my mind and heart. It’s a place that has proved ripe to put my energy towards, both as a political community organizer and filmmaker.

I began as a Future First Fellow with Beyond the Bomb, over a year ago. Over the course of that time, I’ve found the nonproliferation space to be filled with a wonderful community of people, all approaching this issue for their own fascinating reasons. 

This job is about walking a tight rope between acknowledging that the end of life as we know on this Earth is a power that is harnessed by a couple of very powerful, very stale men AND believing that our geopolitical reality can and should be different. That domination isn’t necessary. That maybe, just maybe, violence isn’t the solution. Let me tell you, it’s not an easy dichotomy to exist in; to constantly wonder about. I find it’s easy for me to slip into hopeless, useless nihilism about that state of the world. As so eloquently put by my friend, the people who work in this space are thinking about the issues that nobody else wants to. So, I began to wonder, how does everyone else do it? And thus, a little project called Da’ Bomb was born. A project where I could ask people the questions that I too was grappling with, and maybe at the same time, have a little fun. 

I’m a documentary filmmaker at heart. People and their simultaneously microscopic and fantastical lives have and always will be my passion. So, I present in this series, my attempt to introduce you to some of the people whose stories have captured my imagination. The people interviewed across these five episodes decided to dedicate their everyday, normal lives to the simple idea that maybe the world would be a better place without the existential threat of a nuclear war. And these aren’t your generic stale-looking middle-aged white men, oh so common in the nuclear space. They are young, queer, and people of color who are redefining the terms of how nuclear issues are worked on. It was my pleasure to sit down with each of them, eat some very hot wings, and talk about how everyday normal people work to change the world.

Huge shout out to Maria Diaz-Islas who originally conceptualized this project to be a handful of ZOOM interviews, which has now grown to this full-fledged production. My biggest gratitude to the crew: Diana Campos, Dror Margelit, Mwandeyi Kamwendo, and Yanai Perry, all wonderful and talented college students and friends who made such a technically impressive project. My assistant editors Matt Ryerse and Thomas Gray who sat with me for hours editing, helping me shape this episode. Also, our incredible producers Rachel Traczyk, Veronica Stewart-Frommer, Raeghn Draper, and Tristan Guyette who made spreadsheets, flew across the country, made social media posts, and proved to be amazing creative collaborators over the past seven months. I’m reminded time and time that everything takes a village, whether that be throwing together an awesome, kickass web show, or dismantling the nuclear weapons system in the United States. I hope you find something interesting and funny and hopeful in this first episode of Da’ Bomb hosted, directed, and edited by me, Calvin Ryerse, and featuring an interview with Yasmeen Silva. 

Watch Now!

Five years later, the band concluded their first headline tour in December. As Melt continues to grow, the band remains determined to use their platform to advocate for the causes that are important to them, like voting accessibility, environmental sustainability, and combating nuclear weapons. Today, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist announced their newest reading of the infamous Doomsday Clock, and Melt responded by releasing a first look at their newest song Walk to Midnight! 

Earlier, I sat down with the band to discuss their music, mission, and why the threat of nuclear war is one they’re passionate about!

For Stewart-Frommer, a songwriter and the lead singer of the band, activism, advocacy, and music all exist in the same plane. “That’s always where I do my best work, it’s like, when I’m on the ground, talking to people and connecting with people,” said Stewart-Frommer.

Activism has always existed in music, especially when it comes to advocating for social change, said Gabriel, the band’s keyboardist, singer and songwriter.

In the U.S., there are records of songs of activism and protests that are used to connect people around a centralized mission and can be traced back to the country’s founding, Vox reported. These songs provided insight into the experiences of marginalized communities on pressing issues like slavery, segregation, gun violence, and the Vietnam War. 

Any creative form requires brain muscles that are usually really empathetic, said Lucas Saur, Melt’s bassist. 

“You’re trying to represent your emotions in some way or connect with people in some way. I think that inherently is kind of the same thing [as advocating for social justice].” he added. 

Highly empathic people can have a more pleasurable experience listening to music and can better understand another person’s perspective and feelings, according to a study from Greater Good magazine, which is published by the University of California’s Greater Good Science. 

In their efforts, Melt partnered with HeadCount, a nonprofit that primarily registers voters at concerts and festivals. In their earlier gigs, the band also set up a donation box at one of their shows for the Yellowhammer Fund, a reproductive justice organization, and did a fundraiser for the Okra Project over the summer to donate to the organization’s goal of bringing home cooked meals to Black members of the transgender community. Additionally, Melt has partnered with Beyond the Bomb to give out thousands of “Make love, not war,”  condoms on their last tour.

“We all care about what’s going on in our communities,” Stewart-Frommer said, “and it’s always been really nice–no matter how small the platform has been in the past or continues to be– it’s always been a really great way to connect with our fans and also make our music feel like something that has something to say.”

“It’s ultimately like a silly thing that just makes us laugh, but I think in some ways, there is a nugget of truth to the whole idea of Melt nation. Because we are getting to create this community that has norms and a set moral code.”

The band has a bit at soundchecks and rehearsals that they call “Melt nation,” where they solo and freestyle during a song and discuss the benefits of a world they envision, which has systems like free parental leave and free child care.

“It’s ultimately like a silly thing that just makes us laugh, but I think in some ways, there is a nugget of truth to the whole idea of Melt nation. Because we are getting to create this community that has norms and a set moral code.” Stewart-Frommer said.

As Melt continues to grow and strengthen their fanbase, they’re determined to remain involved in their communities.

“I think as we grow, we’ll only get more vocal about issues we care about,” said Marlo Shank, Melt’s guitarist.

While the Doomsday Clock ticks closer to midnight, Stewart-Frommer and the rest of Melt will keep fighting to turn it back using music, Melt nation, and even TikTok.

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