African American Leaders at Forefront of “Earth Day Live,” A Digital Mobilization to Demand Action on COVID and Climate
Guests Include Stacey Abrams, Rev. William J. Barber II, Sharon Carpenter and Mustafa Santiago Ali
Nationwide, online — This Earth Day, a generation of young people will come together online, via live stream, to call for a just recovery from COVID-19 in line with science and justice. Leaders of the youth climate movement will share their vision of how we can move through this time of upheaval and emerge better prepared to make the massive economic, social and policy changes needed to recover from COVID-19 and confront climate destruction.
African American youth and climate activists are at the forefront of this innovative action, planned after shelter-in-place orders forced the US Youth Climate Strike movement to change their plans for a massive national direct action on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.
Earth Day Live is a three day livestream and online mobilization that aims to engage people across the U.S. in collective action to protect their climate and communities. From April 22 to April 24, the livestream will include trainings, performances, and appearances to keep people engaged, informed, and inspired. Speakers from the African American community will include:
Stacey Abrams
Rev. William J. Barber II
Sharon Carpenter
Mustafa Santiago Ali
Questlove
Talib Kweli
Beverly Bond
Angela Rye
Patrisse Cullors
Angélique Kidjo
Ilyasah Shabazz
Maimouna Youssef aka Mumu Fresh
Ndaba Mandela.
A number of sessions will focus on issues impacting African American communities and solutions brought forward by those communities, including:
April 22, 1:30 PM EST: A story sharing session on barriers that young people of color face to entering the climate movement, led by young people of color.
April 22, 3:05 PM EST: Hip Hop performance from Frontline Detroit and Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition
April 24th, 8:35 AM EST: Two of the largest youth movements turning out voters are March for Our Lives and the Future Coalition. This panel will explore the intersection between the movement for gun violence prevention and climate justice with Thandiwe Abdullah of Black Lives Matter LA.
April 23, 7:00 PM EST: Remembering and Uplifting What Our People Have Known For Centuries, for Young Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. People of the Global South (Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific Islands) are on the frontlines of the climate crisis. This interactive workshop will create space for young people of color to come together and support each other to heal from the ways the climate crisis is impacting us and our people back home. RSVP/Registration is required.
To record or join a session, visit earthdaylive2020.org to registe
About Post Author
