Dear John,

A lot has changed since the last Temp Check. It's 2021. The world watched as white supremacists tried to overturn a democratic election. The Simpsons predicted even more things that came true. But we're seeing some glimmers of hope. Deb Haaland is the first Indigenous person to head the Department of Interior. T**** is the first person to be impeached after leaving office. Despite fervent attempts from rural outposts to the oval office–and 100% because of the hard work of BIPOC communities–Joe Biden was inaugurated as president. But we know that even with a new administration in office, the threat of violence is still very much real in our communities. That is because white supremacy isn't just the thing that fuels extremist hate groups and their memes on the internet. It's part of the fabric that has woven this country together since its founding. 

When something tragic or blatantly wrong happens, we've grown accustomed to mainstream culture shouting "this horrible thing happened... in 2021?!?" as if somehow the calendar year should have finally, magically embued us with a moral superiority over our forebears. That's why we were shocked we didn't hear more outrage when a study came out late last year that found not even half of white adults were aware that Latinx and Black communities face more pollution than the general population. "In addition, 60% of respondents across the U.S. who identified as Black said they were very concerned about air pollution exposure in their community versus 32% of white adult respondents." That is what we mean when we say that our communities are still at risk. While the new government considers market-based schemes to try and solve the climate crisis that ultimately encourage pollution to continue, our communities are still experiencing violence from a white supremacist system that has systematically and institutionally created the circumstances in which they are more likely to be inhaling toxic pollution every day, more likely to deal with extremist violence, and are 2-3 times more likely to die from COVID. That is why we are going to continue making sure the frontlines have the resources and support they need.

CJA Calls on Biden to Implement Measures from the Frontlines

As we welcome in the new Biden/Harris administration and find the announcements to jointly address the racial, economic and climate crises exciting and desperately needed, it is clear that their project is largely one that will continue to propose far too many market-based models in line with big industry over the interests of frontline communities. Nevertheless, exciting opportunities exist to build grassroots power and collaborate at all levels of government for comprehensive and transformational policies. For more information, read CJA's recent statement - The Frontlines Showed Up for Biden, Now He Must Show Up for Us - laying out what the President can do within the first 100 days and what executive actions need to be taken to truly build back justly for our communities. The THRIVE Agenda is another important vehicle - guided in part by CJA and our members who relied on the People's Orientation to a Regenerative Economy as a foundation - to forge comprehensive climate justice legislation that can build Just Transition through local regenerative economies. For more, check out Senator Chuck Schumer of NY speaking about THRIVE on Rachel Maddow earlier this week.

Recently, two of our members from New York were on a panel about how businesses should show up for the communities they're a part of. "The conversation provided an insight into how companies can understand the communities they serve, the area they’re in and the people they employ. Communicating genuinely and authentically listening are two key components." Read more important takeaways from the panel here.

Close to a year ago a botched implosion by Hilco Redevelopment Partners covered Little Village, Illinois in a cloud of dust, placing residents in harm's way of severe air pollution. On the ground organizing work by Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) and allies has led the state to take legal action against Hilco for failing to take steps to protect the community from air pollution and the compromised air quality they caused. The state of Illinois reached a tentative settlement with Hilco, which will require Hilco to pay $370,000 into a fund to support the community’s long term health and wellness. The money will go toward ACCESS’ Little Village Community Health and Wellness Program, which works to address asthma, diabetes and hypertension.

That settlement remains insufficient given the possible long-term harm done to the community. LVEJO and residents are calling on the developer to abandon its plan to redevelop the site into a distribution center, as well as rescind the $19.7 million in tax subsidies the city has promised Hilco for the project.