Black communities in the U.S. breathe dirtier air than communities that are predominantly White. According to research aggregated by the American Lung Association, Black people face higher exposure to air pollutants, and suffer greater risk of premature death from particle pollution.
This episode of Follow the Data is the second of a two-part series that includes panels from Bloomberg’s 2022 Power of Difference Summit, held in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, which convened speakers from Bloomberg Philanthropies and other critical organizations to discuss how we’re tackling climate action in overburdened and underinvested Black communities. The Summit also highlighted The Black Wealth Data Center, conceived and funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative and incubated by Prosperity Now, a leading nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. focused on racial equity.
The Black Wealth Data Center’s Racial Wealth Equity Database gives policymakers – and the public – access to data by race at the local, regional and national level to empower them to take action to address racial wealth inequities that exist today.
On this episode, Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads the Greenwood Initiative, a national effort that aims to accelerate the pace of wealth accumulation for Black individuals and families and address systemic underinvestment in Black communities, is joined by two leading experts working to protect underserved communities from climate change and environmental injustice: Jacqueline Patterson, the Founder and Executive Director of The Chisholm Legacy Project: A Resource Hub for Black Frontline Climate Justice Leadership, and Mitchell J. Silver, the Principal of Urban Planning at McAdams – a land planning and design company.
Garnesha, Jacqueline and Mitchell discuss how historically marginalized populations are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change and environmental injustice. They also share examples of communities that are actively working to combat these challenges.
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For more from our 2022 Power of Difference Summit, we recommend: