Before the Streetlights Come On: Black America’s Urgent Call for Climate Solutions

Toney, the vice president for community engagement at the Environmental Defense Fund, argues in this inspired call to action that climate issues are inextricably tied to the pursuit of social justice. According to Toney, Black communities are more likely to be “impacted by hurricanes, tornadoes and floods”; to be located near petrochemical complexes and abandoned toxic sites; and to lack grocery stores that sell fresh fruits and vegetables. Impoverished Black children are also more likely to suffer from lead poisoning than their white and Latino counterparts, and young Black men in redlined neighborhoods are especially vulnerable to the upticks in violence that occur during warmer months. It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Noting that “Black Americans and Latinos are more concerned about climate impacts than any other demographic,” Toney calls on readers to normalize climate change conversations, identify nearby pollution sources, and “vote for community-led, community-driven policing initiatives,” among other concrete actions. Throughout, Toney lightens the mood with amusing anecdotes about watching R-rated horror movies as teenager (“for some crazy reason, white people ran towards the conflict”), finding overpriced collard greens in a “health food-based grocery store,” and more. The result is a persuasive case for why Black activists should be at the forefront of the environmental movement. (Apr.)