It’s time for a Red, Black and Green New Deal

KFTC is a member of the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA). The following excerpts are reprinted with permission from a press release from the Black Caucus of CJA posted on April 23, 2021 at wwww.climatejusticealliance.org/ thereisnoclimatejusticewithoutabolition/

...we cannot celebrate “Earth Day” without centering Black freedom and liberation. Black communities are disproportionately vulnerable to climate hazards, living closer to toxic waste sites, as well as impacts from hurricanes and flooding. It is not only policing and prisons but a climate crisis that attempts to cut Black life short. Justice for Black Lives and Communities is a key pillar for building a regenerative and sustainable future.

Today, we ask you to join Climate Justice Alliance member group Gulf Coast Center for Law and Policy and Movement for Black Lives in a call for a Red, Black & Green New Deal. The Red, Black & Green New Deal is a strategic agenda for holistically empowering the lives of Black people while addressing the root causes of the global climate disaster. Visit redblackgreennewdeal.org and follow the hashtag #RBGND for more information and updates.

Our communities face interlocking crises, including record-breaking climate disasters, systemic and sustained racial injustice, and gross economic inequality.

The climate crisis, like each of the others, affects every aspect of our lives. And Kentuckians know that while some people grow wealthy from the activities that destroy our environment, many more of us pay the price, with Black, Indigenous, people of color and working class and poor communities hit the hardest. We also know that these are the folks who hold the solutions and can lead the way through a Just Transition.

Black communities, in Kentucky and across the county, believe all people have a right to clean water, clean, safe and community controlled energy, and healthy, climate-ready communities. The Movement For Black Lives (M4BL) launched the Red, Black & Green New Deal (RBGND) Initiative to win a sustainable future in defense of Black lives. The RBGND National Black Climate Agenda focuses on justice across six key pillars: Water, Energy, Land, Labor, Economy, and Democracy.

Water: “We have a human right to safe water and an equal right to its access. It is fundamental to a thriving community. We want our water to be safe, uncontaminated and we want our communities to be protected from the harms of water dictated by climate change.”

Energy: “We want reliable, renewable energy that does not damage the environment or produce harmful impacts on marginalized communities. We want to divest from dirty energy that harms Black Communities and an investment in affordable and reliable systems that are insulated against climate disasters and can ensure the Earth grows healthy for seven generations and more.”

Land: “We want to be able to purchase and pass down land to our children. We want fair treatment in the mortgage process. We want to live in areas with access to reliable, affordable services. We do not want to be concerned about floods, the safety of our children’s food, and public parks.” Labor: “Working and earning a wage is how most of the world acquires the necessities that support our families and our lifestyles. Black people want to be able to provide for our families by earning a fair wage and working in a dignified, safe environment...We deserve to be valued for our labor – past, present and future.”

Economy: “The roots of the climate crisis lie in an extractive economy. We need to end extractive economies in order to develop a sustainable future. We want stability in our communities and a safety net from the things we cannot control. We want truth, fairness and accountability in our system of utility.”

Democracy: “We want a fair system that prioritizes our civil rights, including the ability to vote in a free and fair election. We want to be able to make decisions that are representative of our communities and laws enacted that protect our civil liberties and rights to choose.“

The Movement For Black Lives (M4BL) launched the Red, Black & Green New Deal (RBGND) Initiative to win a sustainable future in defense of Black lives. You can read more about the RBGND, find a social media toolkit for sharing the word, and donate to the Movement For Black Lives at redblackgreennewdeal.org