Today's guest is Jacqueline Patterson, Senior Director of Environmental and Climate Justice Program at the NAACP. The mission of the NAACP is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and wellbeing of all people. Environmental injustice has had a disproportionate impact on communities of color and low-income communities in the U.S. and around the world. The NAACP environmental and climate justice program was created to support community leadership in addressing this human and civil rights issue. Having led the program for over a decade, Jacqueline works to address the many practices that are harming communities of color nationwide. She works in both the public and commercial realms to support policies that foster sustainable, cooperative and regenerative communities. Environmental justice is an important topic that I’ve been seeking to educate myself on, so it was great to speak with Jacqueline and hear her experience and perspective. I hope you enjoy our discussion. Enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at info@myclimatejourney.co, where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• The NAACP, its history and mission
• Why climate is integral to promoting civil justice and equity
• Climate change’s disproportionate impact on communities of color
• Examples of how the NAACP is taking action from a climate perspective
• Jacqueline’s journey that led her to climate justice
• Her role at the NAACP in addressing climate issues that affect vulnerable groups
• The intersectionality of the issues posed by climate change
• NAACP’s climate priorities

Links to topics discussed in this episode:

• NAACP’s Environmental & Climate Justice Program: https://www.naacp.org/issues/environmental-justice/
• “Waxman Markey Bill”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Clean_Energy_and_Security_Act
• Cancer Alley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_Alley
• Democracy Initiative: http://www.democracyinitiative.org/
• Democracy Collaborative: https://democracycollaborative.org/
• Move To Amend: http://www.movetoamend.org/
• Citizens United: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_United_v._FEC

Get connected with MCJ: 

• Cody Simms X / LinkedIn
• MCJ Podcast / Collective / YouTube

*If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a review! You can also reach us via email at info@mcj.vc, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.