The Climate Justice Movement is inherently intersectional with all other social justice movements, because we recognize that social justice problems stem from the inequitable systems in our country. The Climate Justice Movement organizes intersectionally with all other social justice issues towards collective liberation, understanding that without racial justice, there will be no climate justice and that without climate justice, there will be no racial justice. Climate justice is so much more than just being about saving the climate; climate justice calls for radical change and equality in our world. Climate justice is social justice. With that said, as the national conversation turns toward the Black Lives Matter movement, we in the climate justice movement too, turn our focus towards racial justice. For a review in which the ways the climate justice movement is intersectional with other social justice issues make sure to check out this slideshow presentation from our New England Region Pr-Earth Day Workshop Series.
This week for Legacy I focused my work on racial justice. There have always been many resources available to help the fight for racial justice, but in particular over the last week, there has been an outpouring of such resources readily available to be used. Change starts at the most individual level. As a white person it is imperative that I recognize the role that I play, whether I intend to or not, in upholding institutions of white supremacy and racism. In being a functioning part of our society, which is rooted in white supremacy, I too contribute to these unjust systems of oppression. Therefore, it is my job to actively use my privilege to fight against these systems in order to dismantle white supremacy. There are many ways in which this can be done, all are valid, but you have to do something. Doing nothing only continues to uphold the systems of oppression that we (particularly as white people) both participate in and benefit from. A great way to begin is by educating yourself on how to be actively anti-racist and how white supremacy and white fragility dominate our society. A fantastic book to begin this with, which I read (for the third time) this week, is "White Fragility" by Robin DiAngelo. This compelling book explores the concept of white fragility and how white people uphold racism in their everyday lives by their actions, reactions, and words. The book brings an awareness about how to begin to be actively anti-racist in your daily life, a necessary first step in beginning to understand how we all can dismantle racism in our society. This week, I also spent time signing petitions, using social media to amplify the voices of Black people, continuing to educate myself, and sharing resources to help those who need it. I will share several of the many resources that I used down below. There are tons of ways to get involved and to be productive during these challenging times. There are several database style resources here, here, and here. These resources have links to petitions to sign, ways to donate, groups and individuals to send emails to or to call, and education resources. For a database of resources specifically on being anti-racist for beginners, you can click here. Another great resource to check out is the White Supremacy in the Age of Trump course syllabus by Professor Loretta J. Ross of Smith College which you can check out here. Beyond these resources there are so many other resources being compiled online for use right now, it just takes a little bit of research. You can also read this great article here about ways to get involved as a white person in America. Finally, another way to get involved is by watching this YouTube video without skipping the ads to raise money in support of organizations supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. You can even have the video playing in the background of your browser and muted if you need to focus on something else. Another great way to further educate yourself is by watching documentaries, videos, movies, and listening to podcasts about racial inequality, the broken criminal justice system in America, and white supremacy. Although I have yet to watch it (which will likely happen within the next few days), I have been told that the documentary 13th on Netflix is a great discussion of the criminal justice system in America. Whatever you choose to do, do something.
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Overview of My InquiryFor my US Youth Climate Strike (USYCS) Inquiry I hope to learn what it means to work at the national level in order to organize and create change in our country. I will work with the National Outreach Team in order to develop partnerships around the country for the chapters of USYCS to be able to gain support from. I will work with my team in order to find partners and develop lasting relationships with them. Climate justice will not happen if we do not work with other organizations. The partnerships will help each state’s chapter to further develop themselves and create more of an impact on the state’s government leaders.
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