Black Churches And The Fight For Climate Change

  (Photo by Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP) (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Black church has long played a key role in social justice movements like the Civil Rights Movement, but its impact on climate change may not be as widely recognized. In recent years, however, a growing number of Black churches across the U.S. have come together to advocate for climate action. 

The Black church’s involvement in climate change reportedly came into the spotlight around 2013, when hundreds of faith leaders gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to support President Obama’s Climate Change Plan as part of the larger “I Will #ActOnClimate” campaign, according to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. This plan, announced in June 2013, aimed to reduce energy waste, build a cleaner transportation sector, accelerate clean energy leadership, and significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions, especially from power plants.

For Black communities, the fight against climate change is critical, as environmental injustices disproportionately affect us. One example is “Cancer Alley” in Louisiana, a stretch along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, where industrial facilities and chemical plants contribute to dangerously high pollution levels. Residents face increased health risks, including higher cancer rates, due to exposure to air and water contamination. Another example is the Flint water crisis, where Black residents were exposed to lead-contaminated drinking water, leading to tragic health consequences and the loss of lives.

In response to these challenges, Black churches are taking action.

Mobilization efforts for legislative change were strong and clear, thanks to the leadership of Black church officials. In 2015, several prominent Black church leaders, including AMEZ Bishop George Battle and Rev. Samuel C. Tolbert Jr.,  President of the National Baptist Convention of America, co-authored a petition supporting President Obama’s Clean Power Plan. The petition, which claimed to be aligned with God’s call to preserve the environment, aimed to protect public health, and ensure the prosperity of communities.

Then, in July 2016, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, one of the largest and oldest Black denominations in the U.S., passed its first-ever climate change resolution in its 200-year history, the Religious Act Center (RAC) reported. The groundbreaking resolution aimed to shed light on climate change and pollution that disproportionately affects Black and low-income communities, both in the U.S. and globally. It also addressed the issue of environmental racism, where communities of color are more likely to be exposed to harmful toxins and pollutants, leading to serious health issues. 

As the movement for climate justice grows, Black churches continue to be at the forefront of advocating for meaningful change.

Climate Revival, a nonprofit led by Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Antonique Charmaine Smith and her best friend, Rev. Yearwood—a minister, activist, and climate champion recognized by former President Barack Obama—is dedicated to mobilizing people of color and people of faith in the fight for environmental justice, according to Smith’s October piece written for Atmos. Their mission focuses on securing the right to clean air, clean water, and a healthy climate. They aim to achieve this by communicating through the mediums that resonate most with church congregations—soulful singing and passionate spoken word.

The pair have set their sights on improving conditions in Cancer Alley, a cause Smith is committed to despite the overwhelming “despair” she feels. Her inspiration to involve Black churches in the climate change conversation came after witnessing the devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy in her home state of New Jersey. 

“Memories resurfaced of toppled bridges, buried neighborhoods, and New York City underwater. I looked around me, and my little sister was suffering from lung disease, my mother from lupus, and my father was a cancer survivor,” the self-proclaimed “artivist” penned. “For the first time, I realized that these deadly storms and diseases were far from random. With sea levels and temperatures ticking higher and higher, and pollution mucking up the air, earth, and water, perhaps they’re even expected.”

Smith and Yearwood have been busy taking action. The duo organized a nationwide tour, hosting climate justice conversations and gospel concerts in churches across the country throughout the month of October, according to her piece. The tour began in Cancer Alley in Louisiana and culminated at the Baptist church in Newark, New Jersey, where Smith found God at age 7. As Smith wrote, they are hosting “honest discussions about climate justice” throughout the journey.

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