Rallying Cry for Environmental Awareness

In North Carolina, students from historically Black colleges and universities protested against the permitting of a landfill in a Black community, demonstrating a long-standing tradition of activism against environmental injustice. This tradition is rooted in the rich history of African-Americans resisting oppression and advocating for justice, from the Underground Railroad and abolition efforts to the civil rights movement's fight for equal rights [1][3].

The climate movement can learn from this legacy by listening deeply to African-American communities' knowledge and recognizing the disproportionate impacts of environmental harms they face. For instance, urban heat island effects and limited access to green spaces are common challenges in Black communities [1].

Incorporating empathetic narratives and minoritized identities into climate discourse, such as those shared at international platforms like COP28, helps demand more equitable policies and acknowledges the complex intersections of race, class, and global inequalities [2]. This approach foregrounds voices of Black activists and communities as critical stakeholders rather than marginal actors.

Placing African-American leadership at the center of climate justice efforts means supporting community-driven solutions that blend environmental resilience with social justice and economic empowerment. Partnerships with youth and civil society organizations, as seen in African-led climate movements, demonstrate the importance of inclusive, multi-level governance that actively involves those most affected [1][3].

In practical terms, climate organizations can: - Highlight African-American perspectives through storytelling, education, and leadership roles. - Prioritize investment in historically Black neighborhoods suffering disproportionate climate impacts. - Collaborate with Black-led advocacy groups to shape climate policy that addresses both environmental and racial injustices. - Recognize and build upon historical campaigns that connect civil rights and environmental justice.

The coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected Black and brown communities, with them suffering the highest percentage of infection and death. The author's ancestors' resilience during the transatlantic slave trade and warmer years that made the journey harder underscores their ability to handle the climate crisis [1].

Enslaved Africans brought skills they learned to apply to the land they tended in the US, highlighting the value of Black people's role in the climate movement. For example, enslaved Africans became invaluable assets due to their expertise in agriculture, particularly in the plantations of South Carolina [3]. Songs like "Wade in the Water" and "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" were used as escape routes, embracing nature and freedom as one and the same [3].

The 1890 land-grant institution program established state-affiliated Black colleges and universities that focused on research mainly in the areas of agriculture, forestry, and food. Many of these institutions, like the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), founded in North Carolina, became forces of advocacy for social justice issues including environmental racism [3].

Today, Black communities are disproportionately impacted by the social impacts of climate change, such as hurricanes, floods, and vector-borne diseases. Environmental factors and climate fluctuations dating back to 1730 showed a correlation between profit, temperature, and mortality of the slave trade [3].

Black environmental experts like Dr. Robert Bullard, Dr. Mildred McClain, Dr. Beverly Wright, and many others are crucial in finding solutions to climate change and environmental justice. Heather McTeer Toney is an environmental leader who continues this tradition [1].

By centering African-American wisdom and experiences in these ways, the climate movement advances a more just, effective response to environmental challenges that respects heritage, addresses structural racism, and empowers frontline communities [1][2][3][4]. The author uses the phrase "Your mama didn't raise no fool" to illustrate how Black people address climate and environmental injustice.

The protest by North Carolina students from historically Black colleges and universities against a landfill in a Black community underscores the tradition of advocating for environmental justice, a legacy rooted in African-American resistance against oppression since the Underground Railroad and abolition efforts.
To learn from this legacy, the climate movement should prioritize listening to African-American communities' knowledge and acknowledging the disproportionate impacts of environmental harms they face, such as urban heat island effects and limited access to green spaces.
Incorporating empathetic narratives and minoritized identities into climate discourse, such as those shared at international platforms like COP28, can help demand more equitable policies and acknowledge the complex intersections of race, class, and global inequalities.
Climate organizations can support community-driven solutions by highlighting African-American perspectives through storytelling, education, and leadership roles, investing in historically Black neighborhoods suffering disproportionate climate impacts, collaborating with Black-led advocacy groups, and recognizing historical campaigns that connect civil rights and environmental justice.
Today, Black communities are disproportionately affected by the social impacts of climate change, such as hurricanes, floods, and vector-borne diseases, with environmental factors and climate fluctuations correlating with profit and mortality in the slave trade as far back as 1730.
Black environmental experts like Dr. Robert Bullard, Dr. Mildred McClain, Dr. Beverly Wright, Heather McTeer Toney, and many others are crucial in finding solutions to climate change and environmental justice, advancing a more just, effective response to environmental challenges that respects heritage, addresses structural racism, and empowers frontline communities.