As summer approaches with record-breaking temperatures, Black communities across the nation are mobilizing to address the severe impact of extreme heat, which has disproportionately affected them. This urgent response follows a spate of triple-digit temperatures in May and the first heat advisory of the season in New Orleans.
On June 1, a group of primarily Black elders gathered in the Upper Ninth Ward to learn about the “urban heat island” effect and share strategies for coping with the increasingly oppressive heat.
Facilitator Jordan Mychal explained the urban heat island effect, where urban areas experience higher temperatures due to air pollution, dense infrastructure, and reduced tree coverage. This phenomenon exacerbates the heat in cities like New Orleans, where summers are becoming longer and hotter. Mychal’s audience, reflecting on past experiences, noted that traditional methods of beating the heat are no longer sufficient.
New Orleans is projected to experience the nation’s fourth-largest increase in heat waves over the next 30 years, a problem mirrored nationwide. Since the 1960s, the frequency of heat waves has more than tripled, leading to a 900% increase in heat-related deaths, particularly among Indigenous and Black populations.
Last month, the federal Health and Human Services Department declared heat deaths as the greatest health threat posed by climate change, yet national efforts to address these disparities have fallen short.
In response to the growing threat, Black communities are taking matters into their own hands. Across the country, neighborhood associations, community land co-ops, and nonprofit organizations have organized workshops, distributed resources like water and fans, and created disaster networks prioritizing the most vulnerable. These grassroots efforts are crucial as federal and state protections remain inadequate.
Jesse Perkins, a 63-year-old resident says, “I’m concerned because it feels like we are too late for solutions. Now it’s all about adaptability.” Perkins lives in the predominantly Black Gordon Plaza housing complex, which is built on a toxic landfill.
Perkins added: “We can’t wait for the possibility that the people who are responsible for a lot of what’s going on or the people in power are going to take action.” He advocates for community action, stressing that reliance on governmental intervention is often misplaced.
In Chicago, where a record heat index of 120 degrees was recorded last August, cooling centers in Black neighborhoods remained underutilized. This highlights the lack of resources and infrastructure to support vulnerable populations as extreme heat rises.
However, community members have stepped in, offering cold water and checking on elderly neighbors. These actions echo the response to Chicago’s deadly heat wave nearly 30 years ago, which claimed 739 lives, predominantly Black elders.
Marshall Shepherd, director of the University of Georgia’s Atmospheric Sciences Program, pointed out that climate warming is increasingly straining everyday activities. “Because of climate warming, heat is starting to become a significant stressor on things that people take for granted — our ability to go to work or take classes in a properly cooled school,” Shepherd said.
In the Ninth Ward, Mychal and his neighbors have formed the Small and Mighty Land Co-op, aiming to increase communal land ownership and build climate resilience. During their recent heat wave workshop, participants shared practical tips, such as spending time in libraries or cooling centers during the hottest parts of the day to save on electricity bills. They also discussed ways to cool homes without air conditioning and how to access local tools to manage utility bill debt.
The group’s next initiative involves creating a neighborhood shuttle system to transport residents to and from the community center, which also serves as a cooling center, and essential locations like grocery stores.
Mychal emphasized the importance of community collaboration, stating, “You get yourself out there thinking of others and how we can work together to do this for us and ourselves, instead of waiting on the [governmental] support that has been denied to us over and over and over again.”
As the summer heat intensifies, Black communities continue to demonstrate resilience and solidarity, taking proactive steps to protect their well-being and adapt to a changing climate.
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