Fight Back Against Trump’s Climate Agenda by Giving to Anti-Racism Grassroots Orgs

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WE ACT for Environmental Justice

4 min readNov 29, 2016

With an impending Trump presidency, there are a lot of questions and concerns surrounding his policies on climate change and the environment. His denial of climate change, pledge to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement, and promise to severely limit the EPA have left many environmental advocacy groups ready to fight back and protect the advances we have already won.

But the truth is the imminent consequences of Trump and the GOP’s policies will not only roll back decades of hard work on environmental and climate regulation. These policies will hurt communities of color and low-income people more than anyone else.

Even today, things are not good.

Communities of color breathe in nearly 40 percent more polluted air than whites,
68 percent of all African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant,
In California alone, people of color make up nearly 92 percent of the 1.8 million people living within a mile of oil and gas development and in communities already heavily burdened by pollution,
Native people are fighting for sacred land and the health of drinking water in North Dakota through #NoDAPL protests, and
In New York City, Asian children are the most likely to be exposed to lead than others. Black and Latino children are at a higher risk than white children too.

This is what racism looks like.

If this election has taught us anything, it is that community mobilization is key to winning in the future, and grassroots environmental justice organizations need your support to rally at all levels of government, and to mobilize their own communities in the fight for environmental equality.

According to the Environmental Grantmakers Association’s 2015 Tracking the Field analysis, small to medium-size environmental organizations are receiving less funds for environmental justice work than large or extra-large organizations, but a greater percentage of small organizations’ funds go to advocacy, organizing and movement building. In short, the grassroots groups working directly with communities of color to protect their environments receive substantially less support than their larger counterparts.

Here is how you can help.

Since 2008, WE ACT for Environmental Justice (full disclosure, the organization I work for), has coordinated the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum on Climate Change, which is made up of over 40 environmental justice organizations working together to advance climate justice and impact policy to ensure the protection communities of color and low-income communities throughout the U.S. All organizations are run by people of color, and are working to mobilize communities nationwide to fight for environmental and climate justice.

Members of the EJ Forum on Climate Change meet in Charleston, South Carolina

If you are thinking about setting up a monthly donation, or like me, switching your friend and family holiday gifts this year to donations instead, please consider supporting grassroots organizations below who are doing critical work to end environmental racism nationwide.