Donation

I’m pleased to announce that the winner of the Spring 2022 Donation Poll is Hip Hop Caucus!

I’ve made a $25 donation to Hip Hop Caucus in support of their good work. I also encourage my readers, listeners, and followers to support this organization in whatever ways they can. This includes spreading the word online and by word of mouth, asking them about volunteer opportunities, and donating to Hip Hop Caucus and its projects.

Here’s a brief overview of the work of Hip Hop Caucus from their website:

Hip Hop Caucus is a national, non-profit and non-partisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process to build power and create positive change.
Our Focus Areas: Strengthening Democracy, Climate Change and Environmental Justice, Civil and Human Rights, and Economic Justice.

I don’t remember where I first heard about Hip Hop Caucus, but I’ve been listening to their podcast on and off for years. The Coolest Show is a podcast about connecting the audience to brilliant leadership from Black, Indigenous, and Brown people, where they discuss the root causes of climate change and how we can right wrongs by solving the dual existential crises of climate and racism together. The podcast is a project of Hip Hop Caucus’ Think 100%, an award-winning climate justice communications and activism platform with four divisions: podcasts, music, film, and activism.

The Coolest Show is the first place I heard about some of the other Black-led climate justice groups that I considered for this donation. It’s also where I consistently hear powerful Black, Indigenous, and Brown voices speaking about the intersection of the climate crisis and racism, with an emphasis on the many ways the speakers are working for climate justice. Hip Hop Caucus also does a lot of other great work, including their Respect My Vote campaign which works with Hip Hop artists and influencers to register and educate voters and help them get to the polls. They’ve reached tens of millions of voters with information and affirmative messages about voting.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Spring 2022 Donation Poll. And thank you to Hip Hop Caucus, Think 100%, and The Coolest Show for the work that you do for climate justice!

As part of my Real-Life Superhero mission, I donate at least 10% of the proceeds from all writing-related income to nonprofit organizations. This includes (but is not limited to) a seasonal (quarterly) donation to a nonprofit organization based directly on how much writing income I had in the previous quarter.

I’ll be making my next donation on Spring Equinox 2022 — and you can help decide where I donate!

The theme I’ve chosen for this spring’s poll is climate justice organizations that are Black-led and/or have a mission that focuses on Black communities.

Communities of color face some of the worst air pollution in the United States. In spite of this fact, the “Green Ceiling” has created an absurd and unjust situation where people of color are underrepresented in the leadership of environmental groups. This means that far less funding and organizational support is going toward organizers who are facing some of the worst consequences of extractive systems and doing all that they can to challenge those systems. This needs to change.

I chose to focus on Black-led organizations in honor of the good work that The Coolest Show podcast and the Hip Hop Caucus are doing to break through the Green Ceiling by raising up organizers and organizations that are working for environmental and climate justice. I’m a long-time listener and want to do what I can to act on and share the knowledge that I’ve gained by listening to the podcast. This seems like a good start.

This time around, the winner of the poll will receive $25. If you want to help decide who receives this donation, please vote in the poll.

Here are the six potential recipients in no particular order:

Hip Hop Caucus. “Hip Hop Caucus is the political arm of Hip Hop fighting for racial, climate & economic justice. … Our mission is to use the power of our cultural expression to empower communities who are first and worst impacted by injustice. Our vision is racial justice, healthy communities, and a healthy planet.”
The Coolest Show. “The Coolest Show is about connecting you, the audience, to brilliant leadership from Black, Indigenous, and Brown people, where we discuss the root causes of climate change and how we can right wrongs by solving the dual existential crises of climate and racism together.”
Generation Green. “Generation Green is an ecosystem that strives to foster an intergenerational network, community, and platform that fortifies the leadership of young people in the environmental liberation movement throughout the Afrikan Diaspora. We envision a world where Afrikan people are liberated through collective power building and collaborative ideation. This work connects a plethora of environmental and social justice movements that strive to reimagine a regenerative and abundant world. … Generation Green is 100% Black youth and womxn-led. Our founding team is composed of students and alumni of Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Much of our staff has origins and heritage from much of the Afrikan diaspora such as Haiti, Southern United States, Panama, and Ethiopia.”
Intersectional Environmentalist. “Intersectional Environmentalist (IE) is a climate justice community and resource hub centering BIPOC and historically under-amplified voices in the environmental space. We curate accessible educational resources + experiences while serving as an incubator to spark ideas, promote collaboration + connect our community with grassroots environmental justice efforts. We seek to empower our audience to create change in their local communities and to root their environmental practice in equity and inclusion. We believe climate justice is social justice, that everyone can play a role in the environmental movement and that protecting the planet means amplifying the voices of those often unheard.”
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. “The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families harmed by pollution and vulnerable to climate change in the Gulf Coast Region through research, education, community and student engagement for policy change, as well as health and safety training for environmental careers. … Dr. Beverly L. Wright and Dr. Robert Bullard spearheaded the development of the HBCU Climate Change Consortium, which currently comprises dedicated faculty members and students at 31 HBCUs in 16 states. Since 2011, the Consortium has convened the Annual HBCU Climate Change Conference which brings together noted scholars, climate experts, community leaders and HBCU students and faculty for a three-day program of intensive workshops, lectures, exhibits, and demonstration projects on climate change impacts and solutions.”
Black Girl Environmentalist. “Black Girl Environmentalist was established in late 2020 by founder and environmental justice advocate Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru. Motivated to help cultivate intentional community for and by Black non-men, Black Girl Environmentalist was created to serve as a vital space for underrepresented voices in the mainstream environmental movement to be centered, rather than sidelined. Now led by a team of four dynamic Black Girl Environmentalists – Wawa Gatheru, Samantha Miller, Celine Isimbi and Mikalah Bailey – BGE exists as an an intergenerational community of Black girls, women and non-binary environmentalists. Grounded by the values of environmental justice, BGE believes that there is no such thing as a just climate future that doesn’t center our unique lived experiences and knowledge systems. Whether we gather in-person or connect online, BGE is a one-of-a-kind affirming space for our community to build collective power and engage in discourse with one another.”

If you have any other suggestions that fit the theme, please use the “Other” option to suggest them. I may even add your suggestion to the poll if I have a chance to review it before the poll ends.

One of the main reasons why I’m doing these seasonal donations is to invite my readers and followers to learn more about these organizations and support them in whatever ways they can. There are many ways to show your support including voting in the poll, spreading the word, volunteering, and donating.

Whatever form your support may take, that support is much appreciated. These groups are all doing far more serious and impactful work than I am. If my creative writing skills and superhero antics inspire more people to show support for these groups, then it’s all worth it.

Thank you for your interest and support! As always, if you have any questions or other feedback, please contact me. I look forward to tallying your votes and donating to an organization doing good work for indigenous climate justice.