NDSA 2022: Climate Justice
The Listening, Inc continues to speak on social issues during the National Day of Social Action in Lynchburg, VA as a part of the CDF Freedom Schools movement
What: On July 20, 2022, The Listening will join over 150 Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools sites in 75 cities and 26 states across the United States for a National Day of Social Action to spread awareness and contribute to the goal of seeking Climate Justice. Climate Justice significantly impacts most communities across America, but low-income communities are affected by this issue in critical ways. Davion Washington, Site Coordinator for The Listening’s Freedom School program, points out how nonprofits with youth programming, like The Listening, can be a catalyst for change towards issues like Climate Justice. ”When you think about climate change, we want to help bring attention to the many intentional factors that go into harming communities of color, while also recognizing that community organizations are also intentional in the work they do to uplift underrepresented communities impacted by environmental racism.”
The purpose of the National Day of Social Action is to give Freedom School scholars the opportunity to take part in a collective action to constructively use their voices and creativity to express their own desire for change and justice. This year’s goals are to help scholars understand the intersectionality of climate, social, and racial justice and their impact on the community, amplify issues related to environmental justice to their community to persuade others to do their part, and encourage communities to support elected officials who prioritize climate justice because of its direct tie to children’s futures. Nicholas George, founding Executive Director of The Listening states, “Environmental racism and climate justice use a different kind of empathy than our past observances of Social Action. We hope to bring more attention to this issue and focus on the voices of our community’s youth.”
Children and community members will march along Rivermont Avenue to Riverside Park to bring awareness to the impact that Climate Justice has on our community. Claudio Otero, Site Assistant for The Listening’s Freedom School program says, “Even though our community may not realize this, climate justice is important to Lynchburg due to our Black and Latinx communities being gathered in areas that experience more heat due to discriminatory housing.” Research from Princeton University defines environmental racism as “the unequal access to a clean environment and basic environmental resources based on race”. Environmental justice is defined as “a social justice movement that seeks to dismantle the flawed environmental policies that have long harmed low-income communities and communities of color, and instead pursue policies and development that work to create a sustainable, cooperative, and equitable future for the environment” Further research reveals the following:
exposure to poor air quality can cause numerous health problems such as asthma. Approximately 13.4% of African American children suffer from asthma as compared to only 7.3% of White children
although African Americans make up 13 percent of the US population, a startling 68 percent live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant, compared to 56 percent of Whites. (1)
Three out of five African Americans live in communities with uncontrolled toxic waste sites. (2)
Following this demonstration, which was voted on by Freedom School scholars, program participants, community volunteers and supporters will participate in a park clean-up throughout Riverside Park. Beginning with the daily Harambee celebration, the group will continue to take action by participating in the Children’s Defense Fund’s Nationwide Virtual Rally. Scholars will capture various moments from the day’s events to submit to a compilation video that will include submissions from all participating CDF Freedom School sites. Freedom School Site Assistant Maliyah Harris states, “Having a rally as an option for the scholars to choose for their type of social action is important because it allows them to learn the work that is really behind marching and protests that are for the purpose of visibility.” Harris adds, “There is a lot of research and planning that comes before that and it teaches them how to rally safely and effectively.”
This youth justice awareness and action effort is part of CDF Freedom Schools. The CDF Freedom Schools program provides summer enrichment that helps children fall in love with reading and empowers them to believe in their ability to make a difference. The Listening has hosted a local Freedom School program since 2019, suspending the program in 2020 as a direct impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and returning in 2021. The National Day of Social Action is the cornerstone of the civic engagement component of the CDF Freedom Schools program that encourages community service and social justice advocacy. The Listening is a local nonprofit organization with the mission to engage, change and save lives with the performing arts. Since starting in 2013, The Listening has actively contributed to Lynchburg’s creative community with public events, collaborative projects and youth programming.