Black History Month and the Environmental Justice Movement

Happy Black History Month, climate family! Black History Month is coming to a close, and I’m still fired up to talk about the incredible impact Black leaders have had on the environmental justice movement. Let’s dive into this crucial intersection of racial justice and climate action! 

Black History Month is a time for reflection, remembrance, and celebration of the incredible contributions that Black people and communities have made to shaping our world. It’s also a time to critically engage with the struggles that continue to impact Black people, especially as they intersect with issues of environmental justice and climate change.

Environmental justice is not just about protecting the land; it’s about protecting people. Communities of color—especially Black communities—have long been on the frontlines of environmental harm. From toxic waste sites to polluted air and water, environmental burdens are disproportionately placed on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. This is the ugly truth of environmental racism, and it’s something we cannot ignore.

But here’s the thing: the fight for environmental justice is also a fight for liberation. It’s a fight against systemic oppression that harms the planet and its people. The negative impacts of climate change are often most acutely felt at the local level—where marginalized communities live, work, and fight for survival. That’s why we need to recognize the contributions of Black leaders in local climate justice movements and take action to support them.

The Roots of Environmental Justice

The environmental justice movement is deeply rooted in Black American history. It all kicked off in 1982 when the brave residents of Warren County, North Carolina, stood up against a toxic waste dump in their predominantly Black community. North Carolina had chosen to build a landfill for toxic waste in a community already facing economic challenges. The decision to place the dump there was approved despite the fact that the area had no history of industrial activity and was largely residential, with many families relying on farming and agriculture. This was not an isolated case but part of a larger pattern of environmental hazards being disproportionately placed in low-income, Black neighborhoods across the U.S.

NC Highways Historical Marker for PCB landfill protests in Afton, North Carolina

The people of Warren County, led by local activists, such as Dr. Robert Bullard and Ben Chavis, refused to passively accept this decision. They organized protests, rallies, and demonstrations to resist the construction of the toxic waste site. For weeks, starting in September 1982, activists, community leaders, and residents engaged in acts of civil disobedience, including blocking trucks from delivering toxic waste to the site. Protesters were arrested, and many were subjected to police brutality, but their efforts drew national attention to the broader issue of environmental racism.

The Warren County protests highlighted how communities of color bear the brunt of our country’s pollution, and this fight signaled that marginalized communities would no longer silently endure this exploitation. Although the landfill was ultimately built in Warren County, the protests sparked a national movement that led to critical developments in environmental policy and advocacy. In 1987, the landmark report by the United Church of Christ’s Commission for Racial Justice highlighted the disproportionate number of hazardous wastes sites in Black and low-income communities. 

But the fight didn’t start or end there. Black communities have been battling environmental injustices for generations, from toxic dumping to air pollution. These struggles laid the groundwork for what we now call the environmental justice movement.

Environmental Justice and the Climate Crisis

The global climate crisis is here—and its impacts are catastrophic. From rising sea levels to extreme weather patterns, vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of environmental destruction. However, the solution to this crisis lies in the same principles that have guided the fight for environmental justice for decades: respect for the land, equity, and the empowerment of frontline communities.

In the United States, Black communities are disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation. Consider the history of environmental racism in places like Flint, Michigan, where lead-tainted water poisoned an entire city, or the continued struggles of communities living near industrial waste sites in places like Cancer Alley, Louisiana, where the risk of cancer is 95% higher than most of the country. The climate crisis amplifies these issues, making it clear that the environmental movement must center those who have been historically marginalized.

How You Can Help: Environmental Justice Organizations Serving Black Communities in the DMV Area

As we reflect on Black History Month, let’s also honor the environmental organizations serving Black communities and doing vital work on the ground. The following organizations are showing us that climate justice is about more than just reducing emissions – it’s about creating a fair and sustainable world for everyone. Support for these organizations is crucial, not just during Black History Month, but year-round. 

If you’re in the DC, Maryland, or Virginia area, there are powerful organizations that need your support:

  • Empower DC: Empower DC is elevating the cause of environmental justice to bring about improvements at the community and systemic levels. They are focused on DC neighborhoods most impacted by air quality issues.
  • WE ACT for Environmental Justice (DC Chapter): Through advocacy, planning, and research, WE ACT is able to mobilize low-income communities of color to make environmental change.
    Friends of Chesterfield for the 2025 Gas Plant Campaign Kick-Off  Thursday, Feb 27, at the Central Library.
  • Labor Network For Sustainability(LNS) DC: LNS hopes to create a ‘just transition’ for workers and communities negatively affected by climate change and by industry transitions to renewable energy.
  • Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice & Health (CEEJH) MD:  CEEJH works to INpower fenceline, frontline, and underserved communities to resist ongoing environmental, climate, energy, and health injustices so everyone can thrive in just, equitable, and sustainable futures.
  • CASA (Maryland & Virginia): CASA is a national powerhouse organization building power and improving the quality of life in working-class: Black, Latinx, Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities.
  • Friends of Chesterfield: Friends of Chesterfield is a community-based group in Chesterfield County bringing residents together in opposition to Dominion Energy’s proposed gas-fired plant in an environmental justice community.
  • RVA Southside ReLeaf:  Southside Releaf is working to tackle environmental injustice through hands-on projects, education, and advocacy in the Richmond Metro area.
  • Virginia Interfaith Power & Light (VAIPL): VAIPL collaborates among people of faith and conscience to grow healthy communities by advancing climate and environmental justice.

These groups are fighting for cleaner air, safer neighborhoods, and a healthier planet. They are standing up against environmental injustices, advocating for policy changes, and empowering their communities to take action.

The Future Is Now

Black History Month is a time to reflect on how far we’ve come, but also to recognize how much work remains. The environmental justice movement reminds us that the fight for a healthy planet is inseparable from the fight for racial justice. In the words of the great environmentalist and activist Dr. Robert Bullard: “Environmental justice is a civil rights issue.” It’s time to honor the legacy of Black leaders who have been fighting for justice on all fronts and take action to support those leading the charge today.

Now, more than ever, the future of our planet—and our communities—depends on the power of collective action. Let’s ensure that Black voices and environmental justice communities are not only heard but supported in meaningful ways. Let’s commit to amplifying Black voices in the climate movement and working towards a just and sustainable future for all.

Indie Folk Musician and DC Climate Activist Vienna Teng Performs at the 20th Annual CCAN Polar Bear Plunge

As Threats to Climate Progress Intensify, Hundreds of Activists Were Freezin’ for a Reason: Raise Funds for Critical Climate Campaigns

Takoma Park, MD – On Saturday, February 15, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) celebrated its 20th Annual CCAN Polar Bear Plunge to “Keep Winter Cold!” Hundreds of climate activists across the DMV region and beyond took icy plunges in backyards, local waterways, and even ice buckets, raising funds for urgently needed climate action in 2025 and sharing their experiences online. 

Photos and videos of CCAN’s 2025 Polar Bear Plungers can be found here: https://app.kululu.com/welcome/fzikog.

“Back in 2005, not many people had heard about climate change and we certainly weren’t feeling the impacts like we are today. In 2005 we were talking about future impacts from climate change. We hadn’t seen it as much as we do now,” said Anne Havemann, Deputy Director and General Counsel of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, reflecting on the first CCAN Polar Bear Plunge for the Climate. “In 2025, we see climate change impacts all over the globe, in our backyards, and people understand what it is. We hope to make sure that people know that there are still solutions, all is not lost, and we’ll keep working to fight climate change.” 

Internationally acclaimed indie folk musician and DC climate activist Vienna Teng headlined the event with a stirring performance. Teng, known for her passionate and original musical style, lent her voice to this powerful cause emphasizing the need to act now. 

“Chesapeake Climate Action Network is near and dear to my heart because I spent 10 years working on climate and clean energy and sustainability professionally, and I got to see firsthand how important local groups like this are to implementing climate solutions all over the world,” said Vienna Teng, a D.C. based pianist, singer-songwriter, and climate activist. “There are just so many things that help to move everything forward, on a systemic level, that local groups like CCAN make possible.” 

The 20th CCAN Polar Bear Plunge comes at a critical time when global temperatures continue to rise, with 2024 being the warmest year on record. The World Meteorological Organization warns that record-breaking heat is likely to continue in 2025, further accelerating climate change. This event represented a powerful statement of community commitment to climate resilience.

CCAN’s NoVa New Leaf Action Team Plunge at a local creek. 

CCAN supporters, Kathy Ferger (left) and Lisa Keily (right) plunging to Keep Winter Cold!

“The current administration’s anti-climate stance makes people-powered climate action more crucial than ever. We’re deeply grateful that hundreds of individuals and groups continue to demonstrate their unwavering support for climate action through events like our Polar Bear Plunge. This grassroots momentum is essential to drive the changes we desperately need,” said Mike Tidwell, Executive Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. 

CCAN’s 2025 Polar Bear Plunge sponsors included: Beanetics Coffee Roasters, Climate Action Campaign, Motorkat, Zinnia, Takoma Bev Co., US Wind, MAREC Action, Evergreen Action, and EDF Renewables. 

The event, traditionally held at the Potomac River, pivoted to a virtual format following the recent plane crash. Participants observed a solemn moment of silence for the lives lost before commencing their chilly demonstrations of commitment to environmental protection.

This year’s plunge has so far raised more than $162,000 in funds that will be used to fight the harmful effects of climate change in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and across the United States. For more information, visit our site: www.keepwintercold.org. 

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Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.

The Greater Cost of Eliminating DEI in the Face of the Climate Crisis

Written by Kate Saylor, CCAN’S NoVa New Leaf Volunteer

The Trump administration has chosen to recklessly eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from the fabric of our federal government, and many businesses, large and small, are following suit. If only climate change would take a similar tactic and focus its efforts only on those with the means to respond to its devastating destruction, rather than taking a DEI approach by giving disadvantaged communities an equal (and often greater) taste of its wrath.

New Orleans, LA, August 30, 2005–Jocelyn Augustino/FEMA

With the elimination of DEI, the administration aims to achieve more “merit-based” hires, but I fear that, as has historically been the case, hiring committees (made up of predominantly affluent white men) will hire candidates that look, sound, and feel familiar, creating a government that doesn’t understand what it’s like to grow up without wealth or privilege or with skin pigmentation that betrays one as “other.” This will be so incredibly dangerous during a time when, again, climate change does not follow the memo to target only the rich and privileged. Of course, it would be lovely for climate change to focus its devastation only on those who have, say, another house they can retreat to. Perhaps though, we could settle for it to target only those who have comprehensive home insurance, a personal vehicle or two, and excellent health insurance to cover the detrimental effects of wildfire smoke and other pollutants, heat-related risks, and even the impacts on mental health that climate change brings.

But it won’t. Climate change will not reserve its wrath for those who can afford to face it. Instead, it harms the poor, who for example, are more likely to buy houses built in areas more prone to flooding, who can’t afford to evacuate, and who don’t have access to health care when they’re impacted.  Communities of color often face higher health risks from environmental hazards (e.g., air pollution, traffic, contaminated water) and are more vulnerable to climate-related health effects due to racial and socioeconomic disparities, including lack of access to quality housing, education, and food.

Turning our backs on DEI will mean not only fewer job opportunities for intelligent, creative, qualified members of the LGBTQIA+ community but also less access for people with physical or mental disabilities. Climate change, however, is not giving up on its DEI pursuits. Those who identify as queer can still expect a more difficult time recovering from climate disasters. This may be because recovery efforts are often powered by churches and other nonprofits that sometimes turn away the LGBTQIA+ community and other minorities. Perhaps it goes without saying, but climate change also has no intention to stop targeting our community members with limited abilities. From evacuation services to recovery to maintaining support services during emergencies to everyday struggles with air quality, the negative impacts of climate change disproportionately harm people with disabilities.

Asheville’s River Arts District Five Weeks After Helene

My sister was in the hospital this fall on a ventilator. She has Downs Syndrome, and, we discovered, a very rare autoimmune disease. Because she was fighting for her life, she didn’t have to fight for saline at the time, but many others did because saline was in short supply after Hurricane Helene hit a critical manufacturer in North Carolina. Last week however, as she received life-saving treatment for her autoimmune disease, we were told that the treatment should end with a saline drip, but saline is still in short supply, so she couldn’t get it.

Eliminating DEI from the federal government eliminates the opportunity to cultivate a culture of listening to the voices of those most impacted by climate change. But here in our communities, we can still make a difference. By joining grassroots organizations like the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, we can amplify the voices of frontline communities, push for stronger policies, and advocate for a more just, sustainable future. Together, we can take concrete steps to reduce emissions, protect our environment, and ensure that those most affected by climate change have a seat at the table. Now is the time to act — our communities need us, and our planet depends on us. Get involved, stay informed, and help create real change!

Written by Kate Saylor, CCAN’S NoVa New Leaf Volunteer

Violation-Riddled MVP Developer Submits Request to Alter Southgate Pipeline

Lengths of pipe placed the ground along the under-construction Mountain Valley Pipeline near Elliston, Virginia, U.S. September 29, 2019. Picture taken September 29, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Mostoller (Newscom TagID: rtrleleven529716.jpg) [Photo via Newscom]

CCAN highlight:

“Mountain Valley Pipeline has spent decades trying to break and bend the rules to rush through unnecessary, dangerous methane gas pipelines that put communities and vulnerable ecosystems at risk,” said Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director for Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “It is incumbent upon regulators like FERC to ensure MVP Southgate is subject to the same rules as every other project and recognize the amendment for what it is: a completely new proposal.”

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, pipeline operator Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC submitted a new amendment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the methane gas pipeline “Southgate,” proposed for Virginia and North Carolina. Southgate would extend the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline, and has faced significant opposition since it was proposed in 2018.

MVP made an amendment request instead of a new application and asked that FERC issue an order by December 31, 2025. Project opponents contend a new application should be required because the route and impact of the project are distinct from the original 2020 Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity issued by FERC.

Just 10 days after receiving a three-year extension on their federal certificate, MVP announced it had radically altered its plans for Southgate, changing the route, length and pipe diameter. As described in the amendment, Southgate would include 31 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline in Virginia and North Carolina and had “entered into precedent agreements with Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (‘Duke’) and Public Service Company of North Carolina, Inc, d/b/a Enbridge Gas North Carolina (‘PSNC’), both as Foundation Shippers.” The similarly routed proposed Southeast Supply Enhancement Project from Williams Companies’ expansion of the Transco pipelines also claims Duke will be a major customer. The co-location of two high-pressure, large diameter pipelines is of significant concern for local residents.

MVP’s amendment request will trigger a public comment period.

“This new project proposed by Southgate developers, shielded in a FERC amendment, is unnecessary and dangerous to the communities, air, water and species along its intended route,” said Jessica Sims, Virginia Field Coordinator at Appalachian Voices. “We’ve seen the abject misery that Southgate’s developers inflicted with their Mountain Valley Pipeline, and that history should not be repeated—FERC should deny this amendment.

“For years MVP Southgate has never moved forward and has been denied multiple permits,” said Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, Co-Founder of 7 Directions of Service. “As a result, developers have abandoned their original plans, and proposed what can only be considered a totally new project. The route has been cut in half and the size of the pipe has increased significantly. Meanwhile, an additional high-pressure methane gas pipeline has just been proposed to run directly alongside it. Our regulators must reject Southgate’s attempts to downplay these developments as minor, and ensure the project follows procedures from square one, where community concerns can be fully heard.”

“When constructing the Mainline, Mountain Valley Pipeline consistently disregarded community concerns and environmental safeguards,” said Caroline Hansley, Campaign Organizing Strategist with the Sierra Club. “Now the company’s new proposal for the MVP-Southgate extension is drastically different from its original proposal, and FERC should treat it as such. A new application is the only way  to ensure transparency, accountability, and a meaningful opportunity for impacted communities to have their voices heard. We cannot allow yet another harmful pipeline to jeopardize our environment, public health, and climate progress.”

“Mountain Valley Pipeline has spent decades trying to break and bend the rules to rush through unnecessary, dangerous methane gas pipelines that put communities and vulnerable ecosystems at risk,” said Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director for Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “It is incumbent upon regulators like FERC to ensure MVP Southgate is subject to the same rules as every other project and recognize the amendment for what it is: a completely new proposal.”

 

CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, (540) 798-6683, dan@appvoices.org