Climate Change Is Not Just an Environmental Issue

Climate change affects us all, but not equally. Black communities—especially those in urban, low-income, and historically marginalized areas—are disproportionately impacted by its consequences. This isn’t accidental. It’s the result of systemic injustice.

How Climate Change Hits Black Communities Harder:

• Extreme Heat & Poor Air Quality:
  Many Black neighborhoods lack tree cover and green spaces, making them heat islands. Combined with proximity to highways and industrial zones, this leads to higher rates of asthma, heart disease, and heat-related illness.
• Flooding & Infrastructure Failures:
  Poor drainage systems, aging housing, and underinvestment make Black communities more vulnerable to flooding, mold, and displacement during storms and hurricanes.
• Food Insecurity:
  Climate disruptions affect crop yields and supply chains, driving up food prices. In areas already facing food deserts, this deepens hunger and malnutrition.
• Limited Access to Recovery Resources:
  After climate disasters, Black families often receive less aid, slower recovery support, and face greater barriers to rebuilding—due to discriminatory policies and economic disparities.

Why This Matters Spiritually & Systemically:

• Creation Care Is a Moral Mandate:
  Scripture calls us to steward the earth and protect the vulnerable. Climate justice is a form of loving our neighbor.
• Environmental Racism Must Be Confronted:
  From toxic waste sites to polluted water, Black communities have long been targeted for environmental harm. Climate change magnifies these injustices.
• Resilience Is in Our Roots:
  Black communities have always led with innovation, resistance, and restoration. From urban gardens to grassroots organizing, we are reclaiming our power and protecting our future.

Climate justice is racial justice.
It’s time to center Black voices in climate solutions, invest in community resilience, and demand policies that protect those most at risk.

Let’s rise with the land—and fight for a future where everyone can breathe, grow, and thrive.