A week ago thousands of Power Shift-ers stormed Capitol Hill and demanded bold action to secure our future. We showed congress what “democracy looks like” and demonstrated how our organizing is working to create a 100% clean and equitable energy economy.

A week later we are back home and so is Congress. Our elected officials will be in our home districts until this Friday so we have a great opportunity to continue to organize and demand that our elected officials follow our lead. This couldn’t come at a more critical time.

Youth unemployment rates rival that of the Great Depression, and it’s particularly pronounced for communities of color. Our generation is ready to get to work in the new green economy and we’re launching into a new wave of grassroots action to get us there.

So far over 25 Power Shift teams have already signed up to visit their elected officials’ offices this Wednesday, April 27th as part of the Briefcase Brigades. We’ll be showing up to say, “Where are the jobs? Stop giving handouts to Big Polluters making record profits and shift that money into clean energy jobs for our generation.”

See the Briefcase Brigades in action at Power Shift 2011 in this video:

Today marks one year since the BP Drilling Disaster began — BP still hasn’t cleaned up its mess, the Gulf is suffering, and BP continues to get away with tax dodging.

At Power Shift we heard from Cherri Foytlin, a Gulf Coast resident that just completed an incredible walk from Louisiana to DC to call attention to the Gulf. Coming out of Power Shift we have incredible momentum, and hundreds have signed up to stand in solidarity. Read Cherri’s call to action below and join them.

Hey Power Shift,

This week, I came to Power Shift 2011 from 1,243 miles away. I know the exact number of miles, because I walked them.

I walked to DC to send a message to President Obama and Congress: it’s time to make BP pay and fully restore the Gulf Coast.

Today, the BP oil disaster has been going on for one full year. Oil continues to show up on our shores, families are still out of work, wildlife is still washing up dead, and we are facing a growing health crisis.

On Monday, I was one of 5,000 people who demanded that BP stops lying, stop dodging taxes, and pay what they owe to clean up and restore the Gulf Coast.

Please join me and spread this action nationwide with flashmobs today at BP stations across the country — just like the one that took over a Washington, DC BP station this Sunday.