As we begin to round out Black History Month and ClimatePlan’s series of personal essays on identity and climate (here are Moiz’s and Nicole’s), I’ve been reflecting on why transportation justice is so important to me. I came to ClimatePlan, after years of organizing around various environmental justice issues. Early in my organizing career, I learned the difference between environmentalism and environmental justice the hard way. Once, I sat through a meeting where people named trees by their scientific names but asked me for a nickname because ‘Nailah’ was too difficult. I heard predominantly white communities advocate to preserve land for birds but were silent about waste treatment centers sited next to me and my BIPOC neighbors. What always floored me was these two different worlds were often separated by a road. 

As a network of dozens of organizations across California, ClimatePlan’s work is both statewide and regional. Aside from working to affect state policy and agencies, ClimatePlan works with our on-the-ground partners in each region to ensure we’re informed on what’s happening locally by the advocates engaged in their own communities every day. While our audience is broader than any one region, we think it’s important to share with our network what we’re up to and what we’re noticing across the state.

Aside from being California’s state capital and workplace of the state government, Sacramento is also a city, county, and region with its own local context. While Sacramento’s community has long been engaged in efforts to address climate change, this blog will focus on a few current developments that ClimatePlan has been following.

SACRAMENTO, CA- Today Governor Newsom released his budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. We urge that the Governor and state leaders stay committed to equitable and sustainable climate and transportation investments.

 As a team of people of color in the climate movement, the ClimatePlan team is conscious of how race and ethnicity impact our work. Often, during team meetings, we find ourselves discussing how to handle microaggressions or how it feels to be the only POC in the room. After the recent comments from some LA City Council members, we felt obligated to say something but were exasperated that we had to. We settled on giving each team member space to share their personal experience about subtle and not-so-subtle ways our identities are challenged in the climate movement.  We invite you to read this series with an open mind and open heart

As a team of people of color in the climate movement, the ClimatePlan team is cognizant of the way that race and ethnicity impacts our work. Oftentimes, during team meetings, we are discussing how to handle microaggressions, how it feels to be the only POC in the room. After the recent comment from some LA City Councilmembers, we felt obligated to say something, but exasperated that we had to. We settled on giving each team member space to share their personal experience about subtle and not so subtle ways our identities are challenged in the climate movement.  We invite you to read this series with an open mind and open heart.