Climate Justice, Y'all

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all This season, without planning it, maps a clear throughline from plantations to pollution, while spotlighting living in a new technological and political age. Tune in to hear the hosts discuss the overarching narrative of the season, their favorite episodes and topics, and what they hope for the future of the podcast and our planet. A heartfelt thank you to all of the incredible guests who shared their stories, insights, and expertise throughout this season. We’re also deeply grateful to our listeners for tuning in, engaging with these conversations, and supporting the podcast every step of the way. We can’t wait to bring you Season 7 next year with even more inspiring conversations. Until then, thank you for listening! The post S6E8: Season Finale: Changing Times and Southern Throughline appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all In this episode, we’re joined by Jaha Nailah Avery, host and reporter of The Corridor, a Threshold series about “history, pollution, and resistance on the front lines of America’s petrochemical industry” (thresholdpodcast.org/the-corridor). Jaha recounts her experiences with The Corridor, from developing the pitch, to hearing the personal stories, to recording the seven episode series. “Each season, Threshold takes listeners on a journey into the heart of a complex environmental story—about a species, a place, an idea, a controversy, or a question—that they think deserves attention. It’s a show as much about relationships as it is about the environment. And relationships are complicated. Threshold steps into that complexity, revealing the challenges and possibilities in our relationship with the planet” (thresholdpodcast.org/about). Jaha Nailah Avery is a writer and author whose work has appeared in Essence, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Architectural Digest, and Vanity Fair. Dedicated to preserving and celebrating Black stories and history, she is the author of Those Who Saw The Sun, a collection of interviews with Jim Crow survivors, and I Heard, an illustrated poem spanning more than 400 years of Black history. The post S6E7: Southern Journalism with Threshold’s Jaha Nailah Avery appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all Climate disasters are accelerating, but so are solutions. In this episode, we talk with Cat Hebson (Footprint Project) and Moira Haynes (Empowered by Light) about how climate-resilient tech is helping communities respond to extreme weather and failing infrastructure across the U.S. and the global south. Join us as we hear from these amazing women about action already happening on the ground. Catherine Hebson is the Program Manager, Appalachia of Footprint Project. She, and the Footprint Project, sees every disaster as an opportunity to build back cleaner and greener. Cat is originally from Maine, and has been based in Asheville, NC for the last five years, and is passionate about supporting her region build back more resiliently from Helene. She has a varied background in mechanical engineering, working with Climate Scientists in a remote solar-powered camp on the Greenland Ice Sheet, and community organizing.  Footprint Project aims to “help build back greener after climate disasters by mobilizing cleaner energy for communities in crisis. [Their] vision is to decarbonize disaster response and empower community resilience in the face of increasing extreme weather events. [They] work across the disaster management cycle to expand frontline access to climate technologies and reduce fossil fuel use in the field.” Moira Hanes is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Empowered by Light. Moira has over 10 years experience supporting philanthropic initiatives to increase energy access, displace diesel and build resiliency in vulnerable communities and regions. Moira has over 20 years of combined experience serving on the boards of nonprofit organizations. Prior to Empowered by Light, Moira worked more than a decade in corporate communications and government and community relations roles for a Fortune 500 company. Empowered by Light is on a mission to transform life through renewable energy systems. They are harnessing solar energy to power opportunity, protect ecosystems, and build resilience where it’s needed most. By partnering with local communities, their projects displace fossil fuels, strengthen essential services, and support people who safeguard some of the world’s most fragile environments. The post S6E6: Climate Resilience Tech with With Cat Hebson and Moira Hanes appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all In this episode, we talk with Chandra Taylor-Sawyer, Senior Attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center about Environmental Justice communities in the South, their ties to former plantation lands, and how strategic legal action can empower communities facing environmental harm. Southern Environmental Law Center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan legal team working across five Southern states to protect people and the environment. In addition to her position as Senior Attorney in which she specializing in water quality and environmental justice issues, Chandra Taylor-Sawyer also serves as leader of the Environmental Justice Initiative at SELC. A native of Kinston in eastern North Carolina, Taylor-Sawyer earned her undergraduate and law degree from the University of North Carolina, and she was a fellow with the Vermont Law School Environmental Justice Exchange Program between the U.S. and China. She has led work in North Carolina to force cleanups at contaminated industrial sites, stop water pollution threatening North Carolina communities, and shaped transit and landfill policies. The post S6E4: From Plantations to People-Powered Resistance: Environmental Justice with Chandra Taylor-Sawyer appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all Southerners experience some of the highest rates of energy burden in the country, meaning we spend the highest percentage of income on energy costs. Proper policy can reduce the costs of energy, implement efficiency measures, and discourage political corruption from monopoly energy companies. We’re here with one of the folks working on energy policy in Alabama, where he’ll outline the unique realities of the state’s energy regulatory landscape, potential for diversified energy, and what it means to work on creating change at the legislative level. John Dodd serves as Policy Manager for Energy Alabama. He previously served as a member of the operations team for the House Democratic Caucus under the leadership of Democratic Caucus Chairman, Rep. Hakeem Jefferies and Southwest Field Director for Stacey Abrams, and positions within the administrations of Mayor Randall Woodfin of Birmingham and Mayor Walt Maddox of Tuscaloosa. John graduated from the University of Alabama in 2022 with degrees in Political Science and Public Relations and attained his master’s in public administration in May 2024. The post S6E3: Southern Energy Politics with John Dodd appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all Louisiana is a classic example of fascinating culture and ecosystems at risk due to petrochemical pollution, climate change impacts, and land loss. Unfortunately, many people in the South, US, and world as a whole are having to grapple with the question of whether to move away or adapt to the dangerous environment in the communities they’ve called home for generations. In this episode, we bring in community organizer Jack Green with the RISE St. James organization, who fights for the health, dignity, and survival of Louisiana communities. Discussing everything (from Louisiana’s spongy soil, to infrastructure, to climate refugees), this is an episode that will hopefully bring some hope and remind people to have faith when fighting fascism. The post S6E2: Surviving Land Loss and Climate Change with Jack Green appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all Welcome to Season 6 of Climate Justice Y’all, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and EJ movement in the south. In this season, we’ll cover hot topics such as “surviving land loss and finding joy”, “climate adaptation tech”, “corporate sustainability”, and more! In our first episode, we’ll be excitedly introducing our fresh additional co-hosts for the podcast, Madison Naves with GASP and Yuri Owens with SCEN. Get to know them as they tell their stories before we dive deep into climate solutions in the South. Madison Naves serves as Storyteller at GASP. Learn more about GASP here! Maréshah Malcom serves as Program Manager at People’s Justice Council. Learn more about the People’s Justice Council here! Yuri Owens serves as Programs Coordinator alongside colleague Abigail Franks who serves as Membership and Policy Manager at SCEN. Learn more about the Southeast Climate and Energy Network here! The post S6E1: Allow Us to (Re) Introduce Ourselves- Welcome to Season 6 with Madison and Yuri appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

There is no specific way to organize people to shape policy, though there are many lessons we can gather from indigenous organizing and leadership. Today we’re joined by a powerhouse in the environmental justice and indigenous rights movement- Jacob Johns. His activism involves policy, art, storytelling, and community advocacy – using creative methods to advocate for resistance and resilience. Jacob is a grassroots organizer committed to building Indigenous power on a global scale, traveling around the world to elevate Indigenous voices and movements. His leadership has been central at major international climate summits, including COP28—where he led the Indigenous Wisdom Keepers delegation—and COP29. Blending activism with artistry, Jacob uses creative expression as a powerful tool to illuminate both the struggles and resilience of Indigenous communities. "Indigenous- most people would say we are activists but it's’ our moral obligation to protect the earth. Born to protect the earth. If we don't do it, it won’t be done." - Jacob Johns

Indigenous advocates have been at the frontlines of environmental protection and climate action for hundreds of years in the face of colonization and continue to face violence today. Despite indigenous people comprising just over 6% of the global population, they steward and protect a vast majority of the planet’s biodiversity and critical water sources. Whether it’s the way we extract resources, the way we teach history, or the way we treat each others- we need to think about how to center indigenous knowledge in a post-colonized society. In this episode we outline what it means to support indigenous knowledge, organizing, and leadership in the climate fight through a candid discussion with Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck, a cyber-security and intelligence analyst turned water protector and co-founder of 7 Directions of Service. “When you ask people to care about the environment, you’re asking them to extend care for people other than yourself and family. It’s your cousin, it's your neighbor. It’s future generations.” - Dr. Crystal Cavalier-Keck

The US is not necessarily in good standing on the international stage, and many young people feel that domestic and global climate policy do not represent their interests. There’s a need for leaders to take courageous action to address these challenges. A frequently asked question by politicians and leaders is “how can youth get involved in the climate and environmental justice movement”. In this episode we bring Youth Climate Policy Council founders Analyah Schlaeger dos Santos and Ren Martin to discuss centering youth in policy advocacy, not just in the US South, but globally.  “When we say the “youth is our future”, we are not only in the future but we are in the present. We deserve decision making power now."

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all The Global South (AKA the global majority or folks typically south of the equator) and the US South have more in common than people think. Today, we’ll examine how extraction, suffering, and the powerful elite have shaped our warming planet, and dig into what grassroot advocates are pushing for to secure a fair and livable future—from demands for “loss and damages” to global climate equity campaigns like ShiftUS. We’ll also reflect on what it means to keep fighting for climate justice under a new administration hostile to climate action. Hear Alex Easdale, Executive Director of the Southeast Climate and Energy Network, Reverend Michael Malcolm, Executive Director of the People’s Justice Council, Susannah Tuttle, Director of Eco-Justice Connection with the North Carolina Council of Churches, and Natalie Lucas with the US Climate Action Network as they discuss some of these pressing challenges and what folks are doing to combat them. The post S5E6: Southern Solidarity Across Borders (Part I) with Alex Easdale, Michael Malcolm, Susannah Tuttle, & Natalie Lucas appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

In a world impacted by climate change and uncontrolled growth and extraction, actions and careers that deal with moving money, building businesses, and expanding nonprofits, at first glance, feels counterintuitive to acting on climate change. However, there are many people, especially those representing marginalized groups, whose entrepreneurship is dedicated to building up communities and stewarding quote, “an ecosystem of opportunity”. In this episode, we hear from Tamara Toles O'Laughlin, President and CEO of the Environmental Grantmakers Association as she talks about what it means to be an environmental entrepreneur in today's climate. “Lets build things that outlast us, and communities are the best invention we’ve got" - Tamara Toles O'Laughlin

When we talk about climate change, a lot of people picture melting ice caps, heat waves, or rising sea levels. But one major piece of the puzzle often gets overlooked—our health. The same pollution that’s driving climate change is also impacting our bodies in ways we might not even realize. From lung disease to learning disabilities, from asthma attacks to mental health. In this episode we’re talking with Dr. Anne Mellinger Birdsong, Health Advisor with Mothers & Others for Clean Air, about how pollution is affecting public health, why the South is particularly vulnerable, and what we can do to protect ourselves and push for change. “The same greenhouse gases that impact the climate include dirty air and pollution. Air pollution affects people of all ages, and causes health effects such as learning disabilities, lung/asthma problems… and even mental health problems.” - Dr. Anne Mellinger Birdsong

In a climate changed world, we must address that challenges that AI data centers bring and support local organizations like Tennessee’s Protect Our Aquifer that are fighting for our communities. In this episode, we hear from Protect Our Aquifer's Executive Director, Sarah Houston, about some of the challenges they're facing related to AI data centers. NPR states that the average AI data center consumes 300,000 gallons of water a day, and there aren’t clear regulations to stop mega companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, or Elon Musk’s xAI from draining our water resources.  “Working in coalitions and in community means that we get to see everybody’s strengths, and this [AI fight] is the perfect opportunity to show the skills off” - Sarah Houston

In this episode, we’re bringing in Memphis Community Against Pollution director KeShaun Pearson to reflect on the renewable source of people power against injustice. Artificial Intelligence, or AI, requires massive data centers, and the data centers require massive amounts of energy and water to function. AI data centers are popping up all over the US, including Virginia, Texas, and Tennessee, and there’s little existing regulation that holds them accountable to the communities they occupy.  “The only way to take down giants is through community. And the only way to engage with the community is that you have to show up.” - KeShaun Pearson

Welcome back to Climate Justice, Y'all! In this episode we're kicking off season 5 with a conversation with William Barber III from the Rural Beacon Initiative and Katie Thomas from the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center as they talk about climate justice and federal funding. Federal efforts are illegally disrupting promised financing to everyone from the Department of Education and FEMA, to local community organizations. In this episode, we will bring in two experts to discuss the impact of federal funding and “direct pay” credits for climate adaptation projects, outline the current landscape we're dealing with from a top-level, and suggest avenues we can take to continue our work and accomplish our goals. William Barber III is the founder and CEO of the Rural Beacon Initiative, a North Carolina-based social enterprise that offers private and public consultancy, strategic convening, and deployment of models for practical, scalable community based solutions in order to help businesses address the triple bottom line. Katie Thomas is the Director of Energy and Environment Programs at the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center. The Congressional Progressive Caucus Center (CPC Center) works to ensure that frontline communities have the strategic insight and tools to shape public policy and they utilize policy and process knowledge in order to educate partners, foster cross-movement solidarity, and demystify government.

Welcome to the season finale!  In this episode, we’re highlighting the incredible work of Democracy Green, an Afro-Indigenous-led conservation organization based in Western North Carolina. Hurricane Helene devastated Appalachia months ago, and while many are still rebuilding, Democracy Green’s dynamic duo, Mama Sanja Whittington and her daughter La’Meshia Whittington remind us that neighbors and networks are the first responders in times of crisis. Their approach is rooted in relationship-building, cultural understanding, and a commitment to healing both the people and the land by way of climate consciousness.   We will explore their innovative model of mutual aid, powerful stories from the frontlines, and their vision for a world where corporations are held accountable, and communities are equipped to thrive amid climate change and disasters. La'Meshia Whittington- Cofounder and Board of Green Democracy  Sanja Whittington- Executive Director of Green Democracy  For more, check out season 1 episode 8 "When Disaster Strikes Part I with Michael Esealuka" and season 1 episode 9 "When Disaster Strikes Part II with N. Teresa Ramos."

Abigail and Marésha sit down and talk with Nina Morgan, former climate and environmental justice organizer for GASP. Nina is a graduate of UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) where she studied Anthropology and Sociology. Nina mapped over 3,000 trees on campus using GIS and served as a decathelete in the 2017 DOE Solar Decathlon competition. Nina is also a co-founder of the Magic City Youth Initiative, where she works to uplift and support a youth-led movement for social justice in the Greater-Birmingham area. As a Black, Southern, working-class person, Nina is committed to creating a world in which people and planet are cherished, protected and liberated. Sit back and enjoy the conversation!

Welcome four the fourth season of Climate Justice, Ya'll! We're revisiting the conversation with Nina Morgan from season 1 episode 7 "Nina Morgan on Climate & Environmental Justice in Alabama" After listening to this episode, go listen to the first part of the conversation. Whether you're a new listener, or have been with us for a while, it's a great conversation to revisit. Environmental justice (EJ) is the principle that everyone deserves clean air, water, and land no matter their background, location, or income. Environmental injustice refers to a set of actions, intentional or otherwise, that places the burden of pollution on marginalized communities. Birmingham, Alabama, like many communities across the south and the nation, is negatively impacted by environmental pollution. In this episode, co-hosts Mareshah Malcom and Abigail Franks catch-up with local organizer Nina Morgan, where they revisit past lessons from their previous conversation and integrate new wisdom about the intersectionality of environmental justice, social justice, and a livable climate future for southerners and international citizens.

On this episode of Climate Justice, Y’all, we are joined by Jeannie Economos of the Farmworker Association of Florida. Jeannie’s title is Pesticide Safety and Environmental Health Project Coordinator. She’s been with the Farmworker Association for more than 20 years. She focuses on issues related to farmworkers’ exposure to pesticides. She is also coordinator of the Lake Apopka Farmworker Memorial Quilt Project, which memorializes the former farm workers on Lake Apopka who were exposed to toxic pesticides on the vegetable fields of Florida’s most contaminated large lake. In this wide-ranging, at-times emotional interview with host Abigail Franks, Jeannie shares experiences working with farmers and farmworkers in the South.

Welcome to the fourth season of Climate Justice, Ya’ll! We’re revisiting the conversation with Jeannie Economos of the Farmworker Association of Florida, from season 1 episode 4 "Talking Labor with Jeannie Economos.” After listening to this episode, go listen to the first part of the conversation. Whether you’re a new listener or have been with us for a while, it’s a great conversation to revisit. In this episode, co-hosts Mareshah Malcom and Abigail Franks speak with Domonique O'Connor and Jeannie Economos to discuss how, amidst climate change and disaster, we can help protect farm workers' rights and support those on the ground doing so. Tune in to hear wise words and a critical conversation about the importance of protecting farm workers' rights (from 2024 to 2021) and fighting for a healthy and just society.

Justin J. Pearson is the fourth son of five boys born to teenage parents in Memphis, Tennessee. Justin J. graduated from Mitchell High School as Valedictorian and Bowdoin College in 2017 majoring in both Government & Legal Studies and Education Studies. Justin J. is also a leader of Memphis Community Against Pollution and co-founder of Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP) which is a Black-led environmental justice organization that successfully defeated a multi-billion dollar company's crude oil pipeline project. He is the Co-Lead and the Strategic Advisor for the Mid South Mobilization Committee of the Poor People's Campaign: National Call for Moral Revival. Justin currently lives in Memphis and also works at the headquarters of Year Up in Boston, Massachusetts. He is focused on social, racial, and economic justice as Special Assistant to the CEO of Year Up - a national program helping 18 - 24-year-olds gain training and entry-level jobs. Justin J. Pearson has an unwavering commitment to justice and dedicates his life to this endless pursuit.

Welcome four the fourth season of Climate Justice, Ya'll! We're revisiting the conversation with Justin J. Pearson, now known as Representative Pearson, from season 2 episode 14 "The Kids Are Alright (Part I)." After listening to this episode, go listen to the first part of the conversation. Whether you're a new listener, or have been with us for a while, it's a great conversation to revisit. In this episode co-hosts Mareshah Malcom and Abigail Franks speak with Tennessee House Representative Justin J. Pearson. Things have changed since the last time they spoke, including a historic event in the state house regarding the "Tennessee Three", new environmental justice fights, and new political landscapes. Tune in to hear Representative Pearson share some wisdom and a critical conversation about the importance of youth-led movements (from 2024 and 2021) and fighting for a healthy and just society.

Wrap up the third season with hosts Abigail and Maréshah as they discuss one of the foundational solutions to the climate crisis: community organizing. Listen to experienced community organizers Lindsay Harper and Celida Soto talk about how to effectively work with communities towards grassroots solutions.    “Community organizing is knowing when to listen to lived experiences, when to step back, and when to step forward.” Celido Soto works with many organizations such as Margins: Women Helping Black Women, Yellow Hammer Fund, S.W.E.E.T Alabama, Faith & Works. Celida's organizing work covers many different areas, but all are rooted in her community. Lindsay Harper is the National Coordinator for Arm in Arm. Arm in Arm works to end the climate crisis by centering racial and economic justice.

In this special episode, hosts Maréshah and Abigail listen to Queen Quet, the Chieftess and Head-of-State of the Gullah Geechee Nation, explain how they are utilizing indigenous scientific knowledge to protect and adapt their Sea Islands from modern colonization and climate change. The Gullah/Geechee Nation exists from Jacksonville, NC, to Jacksonville, FL. It encompasses the Sea Islands and thirty to thirty-five miles inland to the St. John’s River. On these islands, people from numerous African ethnic groups linked with indigenous Americans and created the unique Gullah language and traditions from which later came “Geechee.” The Gullah/Geechee people have been considered “a nation within a nation” from the time of chattel enslavement in the United States until they officially became an internationally recognized nation on July 2, 2000. At the time of their declaration as a nation, they confirmed the election of their first “head pun de boddee”-head of state and official spokesperson and queen mother. They elected Queen Quet, Chieftess, and Head-of-State for the Gullah/Geechee Nation.

In this episode, Abigail and Maréshah have a two-part discussion with folks from Water Wise Gulf South: Dr. Angela Chalk and Jeff Supak. Chalk and Supak work together to adapt and mitigate water issues in Louisiana. They know that solutions to flooding and rising sea levels are most impactful when communities and government work together. “If we really want to live with water, we need to shift our relationship on how we view water in New Orleans and the region… (with flooding and worsening storms) we need to ask folks to view their communities as water-front properties, and to prepare for that.” - Angela Chalk Jeff Supak is the co-founder and Executive Director of Water Wise Gulf Coast, and Angela Chalk is the executive director of Healthy Community Services. Water Wise Gulf South empowers individuals and communities to manage stormwater to reduce flooding, among other benefits. Water Wise uses green infrastructure to improve water quality and filter and detain stormwater runoff.

Join hosts Maréshah and Abigail in this enriching conversation with Ankur Shah from Climate Engine about technological and economic strategies for climate adaptation, where we cover everything from circular economies to using maps to influence banks to climate financing. "The idea [at Climate Engine] is to 1. Let banks know how their assets are impacted by climate risks ...and 2. How their money is impacting the environment and climate change and 3. Tell banks what they can do ro mitigate and adapt." - Ankur Shah Ankur Shah is a geospatial data scientist at Climate Engine. He received his Bachelor’s in Physics and Earth Science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Ankur has a few years of experience in environmental education and video production and is passionate about environmental and social sustainability.

In this special episode, co-host Maréshah brings in a special guest co-host, her father, Reverend Michael Malcom, to talk about the effectiveness of community organizing with POWHR’s Russell Chisholm. "I do believe that as long and as exhausting as this struggle has been, the community resistance has gotten stronger, and we will be strong for the next fight." - Russell Chisholm  Russell Chisholm serves as Managing Director of the Protect Our Water, Heritage Rights coalition in the campaign to stop Mountain Valley Pipeline and dangerous fossil fuel expansion through Virginia and West Virginia.

In this episode, Abigail and Maréshah “get the dirt” from Cicada Calling Farm’s own Sierra Torres and Becks Hillard about the realities and joys of operating a sustainable farm in southeast Louisiana amidst climate change impacts. As the two young farmers discuss, dedicating labor and agricultural innovation in the Gulf South is an intentional decision to create alternative economies and food systems to nourish our communities. "Instead of thinking about what we are losing, we need to think about what we can gain. How can we sink our roots deep into this land and continue traditions that our ancestors did?” Cicada Calling is a 2-acre diversified vegetable and cut flower farm in Southeast, Louisiana run by Becks Hilliard & Sierra Torres. Find out more information about them through their website: https://cicadacallingfarm.com/

This week, join hosts Maréshah and Abigail in their transformative conversation with Knellee Bisram and Piero Falci from AHAM Education as they teach us about the practicality of mindfulness and our responsibility to care for ourselves and care for the world. “Mindfulness is a way of being in relationship with myself, others, and the world. We know from our own practice that once we allow ourselves to let go of the past and the future, we are not only training ourselves to be present, we are allowing ourselves to regulate. This is why when we talk about mindfulness, it isn’t just about healing ourselves, it's about approaching activism in a different way.” - Knellee Bisram Knellee Bisram is the NGO representative to the United Nations, as well as the founder and conscious executive officer (CEO) to AHAM Education. Knellee is also a certified mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) instructor. Piero Falci sits on the board of directors of AHAM Education, he has written several books on peace and mindfulness, and he is a certified mindfulness-based stress reduction instructor (MBSR). Check out the trailer for AHAM Education's upcoming film: https://youtu.be/HwoZRak0vmw?si=q2lCFkMdzxD_IzhM

In this week's episode, co-hosts Abigail and Maréshah have an honest conversation with Dr. Jairo Garcia about the need and obstacles of climate adaptation at the state and local levels. “The biggest challenge, here in the South, is that politicians and decision-makers are not taking climate change seriously…We need brave people who aren’t afraid to talk about it. If they don’t do it, how can we ask communities to do the same?” - Dr. Jairo Garcia Dr. Garcia is a professor at the Georgia Tech School of City & Regional Planning and the former Director of Climate Policy for the City of Atlanta, additionally, he served as the lead author of Atlanta's Climate Action Plan. He was awarded the National Individual Climate Leadership Award by the EPA in 2017 and the Climate Reality Green Ring Award in 2021.

Join us for a captivating discussion on "Climate Solutions: Indigenous Disaster Resilience" with Clarice Friloux of the United Houma Nation. “The Native American communities are on the frontlines from storms, and we are usually the last to receive assistance. Why don't we leave? This is in our DNA. This is our lives, in the Bayous. We know how to deal with the storms, we wait for the water to recede then rebuild-we don’t sit back and wait for someone to save us.” #ClimateJusticeYall #TheSouthGotSomethingToSay Find the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more! https://climatejusticeyall.com/

In this episode, Abigail and Maréshah bring in folks from Mississippi Rising Coalition to discuss mutual aid as a holistic tool to strengthen community resiliency against systemic inequalities and the disasters that exacerbate them. “Mutual aid is not a charity. It's a lot of things: we find ourselves meeting the needs of the people, whatever those needs are, and aid them in whatever course of action that they need.” -Lea Campbell  Climate Justice, Y’all. It’s real, it’s here, and it's about time we listen to leaders in the south.  Tune in now at climatejusticeyall.com or on your favorite podcast listening platform. #ClimateJusticeYall #MutualAid101 #ListenToTheSouthLeaders

Join the CJY hosts, Abigail and Mareshah, as they dive into the powerful concept of "wounded healers" and the essential practice of addressing our own triggers while doing transformative work. How do we nurture ourselves to better care for others? Combating burnout, especially in activism, is a topic close to our hearts. Discover the link between community support and self-care! Meet three inspiring women from the North Carolina Climate Justice Collective as they share their wisdom and experiences. Bevelyn Afor Ukah is an equity strategist and self-taught artist, developing her art practice as a form of inner resilience, hoping that her work inspires others to build their own self and community-love practices.  Bevelyn is the founding consultant of AFI Oak Consulting, consultant of the the NC Climate Justice Training Cooperative and  co-founding consultant of the Auralite Collective. She is also a part of the Black Women’s Art Collective of Public Art Practice. She is the Director of the Committee on Racial Equity, an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), focusing on building a community of practice around racial equity in our food system. Bevelyn received her Bachelors in International Studies, Sociology and Anthropology from Guilford College and completed her Masters in Intercultural Service, Leadership and Management (with a concentration on facilitation and social justice). Connie Leeper is a North Carolina based movement elder & cultural worker based in Durham. For the past 50 years she has worked at the intersections of various radical justice movements as an activist, organizer and anti-oppression trainer.  She is a founding co-executive director of the NC Climate Justice Collective. She also serves as the Senior Climate Justice Director at NC WARN and on the board of Southeast Climate & Energy Network (SCEN) as well as the advisory board of Durham People’s Solidarity Hub. Originally from Asheville, NC, Jodi Lasseter is an educator, facilitator, and cultural organizer. Drawing on her background in restorative justice and experiential education, Jodi has been engaged at all levels of the climate justice movement. In 2013, she co-founded the NC Climate Justice Collective (NCCJC) and now serves as the Co-Executive Director. Through her own consulting practice, Turn the Tide, Jodi leads popular education workshops and ecofeminist action circles. She is a co-founder of the Healing Our Movement Ecosystem Jam (HOME) and is a facilitator of the Work that Reconnects. She is on the steering committees of the Climate and Jobs Roundtable and Thrive NC coalition. Jodi has a BA in Women's Studies and Anthropology from UNC-Chapel Hill and earned her MA in International Development, Community and Environment from Clark university. She currently lives in Durham NC, where she delights in community song circles, playing frame drums, and exploring the best local swimming holes. "Personal healing and planetary healing are two sides of the same coin." - Jodi Lasseter

In this episode, we do something different and have Executive Directors Alex Easdale, Reverend Michael Malcom, and Michael Hansen from SCEN, GASP, and People's Justice Council interview our hosts Maréshah Malcom and Abigail Franks. We discuss the highlights of the second season, lessons learned in the movement, and look forward to the third season. While most of us know the realities of the issues we face in our region, the third season will spotlight solutions and the folks doing the work. Climate Justice Y'all- it's real, it's here, and it's about time we listen to what the hosts have to say. Alright! Let's get started with season 3.

Jasmine Butler (they/them) was born and raised in Memphis by way of deep Mississippi roots. They’re a Black queer writer, educator, and afrofuturist-abolitionist deeply committed to collective liberation through mutual care and education. Jasmine arrived to the climate movement after years of witnessing government neglect of communities impacted by disasters and toxicity, and they’re excited about organizing and learning alongside other young people for a liberated future. They hope to grow as a deeply principled and experienced movement trainer, educator, historian, and archivist. Outside of work, Jasmine can be found in the kitchen experimenting, at the park with their pup Birdie, reading (but mostly collecting) books, and playing music 25/8.

Libre X. Sankara is a Afro-Boricua poet(a), cultural worker, organizer, drummer, and popular educator. They currently live on Miccosukee, Seminole & Tequesta land (Miami, FL) and organize with Troika Kollective. They also started a program called Democracy For Youth (DeFY). Their work has led them to understand that poetry and organizing is theory in action, which leads to the systematic change we need. They work with youth to normalize radical imagination, help build alternatives outside capitalism and get commUNITY to realize that art is a tool of liberation and poetry is the voice of truth. Follow Libre on Instagram: @AfroAboriginal47

Justin J. Pearson is the fourth son of five boys born to teenage parents in Memphis, Tennessee. Justin J. graduated from Mitchell High School as Valedictorian and Bowdoin College in 2017 majoring in both Government & Legal Studies and Education Studies. Justin J. is also a leader of Memphis Community Against Pollution and co-founder of Memphis Community Against the Pipeline (MCAP) which is a Black-led environmental justice organization that successfully defeated a multi-billion dollar company's crude oil pipeline project. He is the Co-Lead and the Strategic Advisor for the Mid South Mobilization Committee of the Poor People's Campaign: National Call for Moral Revival. Justin currently lives in Memphis and also works at the headquarters of Year Up in Boston, Massachusetts. He is focused on social, racial, and economic justice as Special Assistant to the CEO of Year Up - a national program helping 18 - 24-year-olds gain training and entry-level jobs. Justin J. Pearson has an unwavering commitment to justice and dedicates his life to this endless pursuit.

Maya B. Henderson is a member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation of Oklahoma, and is also of Choctaw, German, and Welsh descent. Maya is a Ph.D. student in the Dept. of Geography at the University of Georgia. Her work is at the intersection of climate justice, settler-colonial cities, and Indigenous resistance and futures. She aims to understand how climate change and climate action are enrolled in reinforcing and/or contesting settler-colonial cities. She maintains that her work must also uplift Indigenous peoples and nations continuous efforts against settler-colonialism. Therefore, moving forward she aims for her work to be attentive to tribal sovereignty in the context of urban climate action because cities are Indigenous lands. Follow Maya on social media Twitter: @mayahenderson33 Instagram: maya__henderson Photo Credit: Seneca-Cayuga Nation via morescnation.com

This is Climate Justice, Y'all!, a podcast dedicated to lifting up and centering the climate and environmental justice movement in the South. Climate Justice, Y'all Dr. Tammy Greer – Tammy Greer, Ph. D, (United Houma Nation) is a faculty member in the School of Psychology and Firector of the Southern Miss Center for American Indian research and Studies. She is a faculty advisor to the Golden Eagle Intertribal Society – a Native focused student group who works with the Center to host a yearly powwow, school days and garden events. She is a member of the WECAN group, Okla Hina Ikhish Holo, who are building gardens and food forests along historical Southeastern trade routes to address food insecurity. Dr. Greer’s research interests involve the integration of Medicine Wheel teachings into contemporary approaches to health and healing. Her Okla Achukma project with Mississippi INBRE focuses on identifying barriers and facilitators of healthy diets and physical activity levels and developing culture-informed interventions that promote healthy ways. The post S2 E12: Indigenous Healing and Southern Native Plants (Part 1) with Dr. Tammy Greer appeared first on Climate Justice, Y'all.

This week we’re talking to Chauncey O’Dell and Adam Hughes about Appalachia, climate justice, and reimagining the present and future of the region. Chauncey and Adam are organizers with the Alliance for Appalachia, a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote a healthy, just Appalachia by supporting our member organizations in communities impacted by destructive resource extraction.

This week we’re talking to Chauncey O’Dell and Adam Hughes about Appalachia, climate justice, and reimagining the present and future of the region. Chauncey and Adam are organizers with the Alliance for Appalachia, a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote a healthy, just Appalachia by supporting our member organizations in communities impacted by destructive resource extraction.

N. Teresa is Regional Organizer for the Gulf South for a Green New Deal for Taproot Earth. They are a non-binary, afro-descendant person and single parent. They come to this work with experience as a popular educator and organizer in Puerto Rico, also as a birth and abortion doula, and activist for the freedom of their country. As part of their beliefs for the decolonization of her country, they studied agroecology, childbirth and became a community doula. Food sovereignty, climate justice, gender, anti-racism, healing, and reproductive rights are some of the issues they have worked with popular education. At the start with Universidad Sin Fronteras and Project South in 2016, and later on, co-founding a short-term project called Celestina Cordero Itinerant School; and SaNacer, a childbirth education project. N. Teresa was co-founder of El Hormiguero, a squatted and mutual aid space in Santurce. They also organized first responder doulas to aid pregnant persons after the 2020 earthquakes in her country. N. Teresa was part of efforts to organize with popular educators in La Habana, where they were greatly impacted by agroecology and the popular educators’ network back in 2017 and 2019. They have a bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico in Hispanic Studies where they worked with race, gender and sexual workers in the puertorican literature. They are also a singer, drum player, and dancer of bomba, a 400-year-old afro-descendant musical genre and cultural resistance movement in her country. They love the sea, rivers, and nature in her country. They are born and based in the archipelago of Puerto Rico, where they currently live in resistance to displacement in the westside of the big island with her son Ylang Amaru.

As Healthy Gulf’s Louisiana organizer, Michael works with frontline communities in the state’s traditional industrial corridor, which stretches along the Mississippi from East Baton Rouge down to Plaquemines Parish where the river opens up at the Gulf of Mexico. Her work is focused on fighting petrochemical buildout, advancing the Gulf South for a Green New Deal platform & vision for climate justice, and uplifting community struggles for clean air, water and land. She comes to Healthy Gulf with a half decade of experience as a community and labor organizer in South Louisiana. When not working she enjoys drawing, fishing, and spending time in her garden.

Prior to serving as Georgia Interfaith Power & Light’s Executive Director, Codi worked as GIPL’s Director of Programs and Policy for three years. As Executive Director, Codi continues to lead all policy, program, and outreach efforts, spending much of his spring at the Capitol during the legislative session. He also directs one of GIPL’s flagship programs, Solar Wise, bringing sustainable and energy alternatives to communities of faith. He manages the development and implementation of all GIPL educational programs. Codi has been involved with environmental justice campaigns and the philosophy of sustainability since college. After working as the Social Justice Coordinator for Samford University, Codi continued his environmental work with Oakleaf Mennonite Farm and Emory University’s Office of Sustainability. Codi remains interested in the intersectional relationships between environmental justice and faith as it relates to broader systems of injustice. In addition to this, Codi also brings to GIPL his experience working abroad in the field of international peacebuilding and conflict transformation, working with communities in Israel, Palestine, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, and examining the degree to which environmental degradation relates to international conflicts. Codi holds a Masters of Divinity (MDiv) from Candler School of Theology at Emory University with concentrations in Justice, Peacebuilding, and Conflict Transformation (JPCT), Theology and Ethics, and a Graduate Certificate in Human Rights. Also holding a BA in Religion from Samford University, Codi is interested in working at the intersection of religion, human rights, public policy, and the environment. He is excited to be working directly with congregations, inspiring and equipping them both through theological education and by providing pathways for practical faith-based environmental action. When he’s not leading GIPL programs, Codi plays the drums on Sundays with the worship team at Park Avenue Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA.

Rev. Dallas Conyers works as a Body Restoration Specialist: teaching yoga, foods for healing, and spiritual reestablishment to help people become ABLE to live out their creation purpose. She is a certified Sustainable Agriculturalist, Beekeeper, and Greenhouse Husbandman. She uses her micro-farm to practice and educate others on: eco-system restoration, soil regeneration, no-till square foot farming, and pollinator cultivation; for our world and for our survival. Dallas delightedly sits under the leadership of Rev. Dr. M. Keith McDaniel as an associate at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church.

Chris Woolery joined the Mountain Association’s Energy Team in 2011. As the Residential Energy Coordinator, Chris manages the residential energy program, How$martKY™, which partners with rural electric cooperatives to design, finance, and install home energy efficiency upgrades paid for directly out of energy savings. Previously, Chris was an ENERGY STAR® builder and energy services contractor for nearly two decades. In his career, Chris has helped deliver residential energy efficiency upgrades to over 800 households. As a member of KFTC’s New Energy and Transition Committee, Chris advocates for just and sustainable energy systems that lower costs, increase equity, create meaningful jobs, and foster healthier environments. Chris loves to hit any trail in Kentucky but he especially loves hiking in the Red River Gorge, and the view from Raven Rock.

Brent is a 1994 graduate of Mississippi State University in Agriculture and Biological Engineering. After graduation, Brent worked as an Environmental Consultant for two central Mississippi environmental engineering firms. In 1999, Brent went to the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation to become the organization’s Environmental Programs Coordinator and served in that capacity for over seven years. From October 2006 to December 2019, Brent has served as the State Activities Coordinator for the 25x’25 Alliance. Brent worked with stakeholders to mobilize support for and communicate to the public agriculture and forestry’s role in renewable energy, resource conservation and climate adaptation. In 2019, Brent was elected as Public Service Commissioner for Central Mississippi and began serving in that role in January 2020.

Marsha Jackson is the co-chair of Southern Sector Rising, a nonprofit environmental justice organization based in Dallas, TX. Founded to get rid of Shingle Mountain, an illegal dump in a southern Dallas community, SSR’s mission is to offer marginalized residents health equity by ending decades of racist zoning, forcing industrial polluters out of Black and Brown neighborhoods, and by more evenly distributing the pollution burdens of our city. Thanks to Marsha and SSR’s years of unrelenting advocacy, Single Mountain was eventually moved. But they’re just beginning the fight for environmental justice.

Alabama native Catherine Coleman-Flowers is an environmental and climate justice activist bringing attention to the largely invisible problem of inadequate waste and water sanitation infrastructure in rural communities in the United States. As the founding director of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice (formerly the Alabama Center for Rural Enterprise), Flowers builds partnerships — from close neighbors, to local elected officials and regional nonprofits, to federal lawmakers and global organizations — in order to identify and implement solutions to the intersecting challenges of water and sanitation infrastructure, public health and economic development. In addition to leading the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice, Flowers is also the rural development manager for the Equal Justice Initiative, a member of the board of directors of the Climate Reality Project and the Natural Resources Defense Council, and a senior fellow for the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary. Previously, Flowers has worked as a high school teacher in Detroit, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. She has published articles in Anglican Theological Review, Columbia Human Rights Law Review, and American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, among others, and her first book, Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret, came out in November 2020. Flowers was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship–commonly referred to as the “Genius Grant” — in 2020.