Issue: Principles & Processes

At the Lab, we believe that multiracial, cross-class (MRXC) coalition-building is essential if the climate movement is serious about tackling the climate crisis at the scale it demands. However, a historical lack of collaboration, trust, or healthy mechanisms to deal with conflict often impair these collective efforts. Our new Blueprint for a Multiracial, Cross-Class Climate Movement provides an analysis of the difficulties MRXC climate coalitions are likely to face and offers recommendations for a proposed path forward. Our intention is that these insights help advocates fighting for a livable climate and communities grounded in justice and shared prosperity.

Black August, a month dedicated to honoring the resilience and struggles of Black activists and revolutionaries, holds a significant connection to the ongoing fight for climate justice. The intersection between Black August and climate justice underscores the historical ties between environmental injustice and racial discrimination. I want to take this month to explore the relationship between Black August and climate justice, highlighting the impact of environmental issues on marginalized communities and the role of collective activism in creating a more equitable and sustainable future.

Last week I attended Netroots Nation and had the chance to connect with and learn alongside leaders across racial, social, economic, and climate justice movements, including many Lab members! This newsletter is inspired by one salient takeaway I heard across different panels and conversations at Netroots: building long term power to transform and govern means having a plan to win that includes strategies for both building grassroots power and electoral capacity. Leaders organizing in rural communities and multiracial communities shared how focusing on both makes it more possible to build the kind of durable power that can be flexed at the key moments shaping our political and social landscape, which include elections.