Environmental activism and environmental racism are not new to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The consequences of climate change generate heat islands in urban areas, air pollution, severe storms, and flooding—all which disproportionately harm communities of color. However, efforts to advance a clean energy future have historically excluded diverse voices. Studies have also shown that BIPOC-led nonprofit organizations receive only a fraction of the philanthropic investment that white-led organizations receive.
What if there was an opportunity to invest in efforts across Ohio that sit at the intersection of racial equity, democracy and climate? This very idea has blossomed into a new and exciting initiative that launched last month: The Ohio Climate Justice Fund.
The primary goal of this effort is to help build a diverse coalition of advocates that will have the power to influence policy change that leads to a just and inclusive clean energy economy for Ohio.
Rachael Belz
Executive Director, Ohio Citizen Action
Tanner Yess
Executive Director, Groundwork Ohio River Valley
Leah Hudnall
Director, Ohio Climate Justice Fund
Margaret Bernstein
Director of Advocacy and Community Initiatives, WKYC
Dan Moulthrop
CEO, The City Club of Cleveland
