Join us in the streets tonight.
[[link removed]]

Dear John,

We are at a crucial point in history for racial justice. There are no neutral
actors here: Silence itself is a dangerous act.

So I'm asking you to raise your voice for a world where Black Lives Matter. Not
just because Black and Latinx Americans care most about climate change. Not just
because the climate fight would be nothing without a diverse movement. Not just
because we need every community to join us in our fight for climate solutions
for it to succeed. Not just because we need to be able to protest without entire
populations fearing for their lives.

But because the fight for a safe climate future is a fight to save lives. And
millions of Americans are fighting for their lives right now.

Please do what you can to join the p ro tests safely. At 5:00pm, join the 16th Street Vigil Against Racism
[[link removed]] , then at 6:00pm, protest at Freedom Plaza with Black Lives Matter DC.
[[link removed]]

Here at CCAN, we know that the fight for climate justice and racial justice is
inextricably linked. Read this Washington Post op-ed
[[link removed]] about how people of color disproportionately bear the impacts of climate
change, from extreme storms to flooding from sea level rise to heat waves to air
pollution. It’s also no coincidence that fossil-fueled power plants and
refineries are disproportionately located in black neighborhoods, leading to
poor air quality and putting people at higher risk for coronavirus. The forces
behind the climate crisis are the same forces behind racial inequality. As
meteorologist Eric Holthaus put it,
[[link removed]] climate change is “what happens when the lives of marginalised people and
non-human species are viewed as expendable.”

Systemic racism continues to permeate every aspect of our society — from brutal
killings, to the fact that the coronavirus, which has now taken over 100,000
lives, is disproportionately killing black people, to the fact that people of
color are disproportionately affected by runaway climate change. We have to work
together for permanent and durable solutions that protect every single person of
every single race — particularly the most vulnerable — now and in the future.

That’s why we will continue to join forces with justice advocacy groups to shine
light on police brutality and work for solutions everywhere to this ongoing
tragedy. And we ask you to do the same. Please do what you can to use your voice
to demand justice, accountability, and reform.

Protest safely. At 5:00pm, join the 16th Street Vigil Against Racism
[[link removed]] , then at 6:00pm, protest at Freedom Plaza with Black Lives Matter DC.
[[link removed]]

Remember to wear a mask and stay six feet away from others at all times. Read more tips on what to bring and what to do to stay safe.
[[link removed]]

The fight for justice will be a long one, but it becomes more crucial every day.
We’re glad to be fighting with you.

In solidarity,

Denise Robbins
Communications Director
Chesapeake Climate Action Network

--

Further reading:

Climate Activists: Here’s Why Your Work Depends on Ending Police Violence
[[link removed]] - by Dany Sigwalt

I’m a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet
[[link removed]] - by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

The climate crisis is racist. The answer is anti-racism
[[link removed]] - by Eric Holthaus

[[link removed]] [[link removed]]

Want to support our work? Click here to make a one-time or monthly donation.
[[link removed]]

Did you receive this email from a friend? Click to sign up for updates.
[[link removed]]

View this email in your web browser [[link removed]]

CCAN Action Fund is the grassroots arm of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
The mission of the CCAN Action Fund is to effect change in public policy at
local, state and national levels to directly address the threat of global
warming. Through voter education, lobbying and participation in the electoral
process, we seek to move our country into a leadership position on the most
urgent global issue of our time — the climate crisis.
www.ccanactionfund.org [[link removed]]

Update your contact information
[[link removed]] | Update your email subscriptions
[[link removed]]

You can also unsubscribe at any time
[[link removed]] .