Ecological Crisis, Climate Activism and Racism (June 2021)

On 12 June 2021, in the framework of the festival “Dear White People – Let´s Break the Silence”, Cristina Espinosa moderated a discussion with three young climate activists: Angela Asomah, Leonie Baumgarten and Amanda Luna Tucunan. They shared their experiences and opinions from a positioning as black and indigenous activists on questions such as: What are the links between colonialism and the climate crisis? Are Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPoC) underrepresented in the climate movements? How can people engage critically against racism and for climate justice?

Source: zlev.de

The discussion departed from the assertion that since 2019 rapid alterations of climatic conditions that make life on Earth possible and their manifold implications have received increasing and renewed public attention. To an important extent, this has been achieved by climate movements initiated and enacted by young people which mobilize in different locations worldwide. They are tired of waiting for governments and economic actors to take actions that effectively tackle climate change. They employ different strategies such as street protests, “buycotts”, artistic performances and many others. In the centre of this manifold activism is the urgency with which action needs to be taken to keep the rising temperature levels under 2 degrees Celsius as pledged in the Paris Agreement. Climate activists engage in debates that are framed by science but also entangled with moral considerations. Indeed, issues of justice crisscross most aspects of climate change.

However, the climate movements, perhaps one of the most progressive contemporary social movements, are not free from injustices, discrimination and racism. These structural problems can be grasped, i.a. when looking at how climate debates are framed in terms that tend to silence the lived-experiences and priorities of BIPoC or which prescribe identities to them such as that of the “exemplary victim”. Likewise, the lack of mediatic attention given to BIPoC environmental activism contributes to the general view of the climate movement as a predominantly White, higher-middle class phenomenon. This gets reinforced by intersectional structural discrimination patterns. For example, racial profiling makes confrontational collective action forms (e.g. protests or blockades) in which activists alter social order and enter in direct contact with police authorities very risky for BIPoC and thus uninviting. Talking about these complex topics is a step towards forging notions of climate justice that consider social justice, are inclusive, fair and cognizant of the power asymmetries tied to historical and contemporary colonialism.

To watch the video of the discussion (in German), click here.

For more information about the festival “Dear White People – Let´s Break the Silence”, please click here.