<p dir="ltr"><span style="font-weight: 400;">It took the mainstream climate movement a long time to come around to the idea that racial justice is climate justice. And while that understanding has solidified in recent years under pressure from frontline communities—shaping the push for a Green New Deal—many environmental groups are still uncertain about how to put it into practice. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For New York Communities for Change (NYCC), connecting the dots between racial injustice and the climate crisis isn’t just a question of principle—it’s a daily reality. In places like the Rockaways, NYCC members living in disinvested public housing were among the hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Others, in neighborhoods like Brownsville, live in some of the city’s worst heat islands and food deserts. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The grassroots, membership-based organization—which was instrumental in iconic campaigns like the Fight for $15—has recently mobilized its base of working-class Black and Brown New Yorkers to enable some its biggest climate victories, from low-carbon buildings legislation to blocked pipelines to state-level energy policy. In this episode, Kate and Daniel talk to NYCC’s Climate and Inequality Campaigns Organizer Patrick Houston to learn more about the group’s organizing model and how it has helped make New York a national leader on climate justice. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If the mainstream climate movement wants to center racial justice in its work—and win in the process—it could learn a lot from NYCC and Patrick Houston.</span></p> <p>[contentblock id=3]<br /> [contentblock id=2]<br /> [contentblock id=10]</p> <p>[contentblock id=3]</p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you like the episode and want to hear more, sign up as a monthly member at</span> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/hotbotheredclimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>patreon.com/hotbotheredclimate</b></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> today. It’s thanks to those who are able to contribute that we’re able to make the podcast free for anyone to listen to. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Paying members will get access to perks like a </span><b>monthly happy hour </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">with Kate, Daniel, and friends, a </span><b>free ebook </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of</span><b> </b><b><i>A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal </i></b><b> </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">by Kate Aronoff, Alyssa Battistoni, Daniel Aldana Cohen, and Thea Riofrancos, and much more. </span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don’t hesitate:</span> <a href="https://www.patreon.com/hotbotheredclimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>sign up on Patreon today</b></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <hr style="visibility:hidden" /> <!--nosharesave--><br /> <!--noyarpp--></p> <p dir="ltr"><b>Further reading</b></p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.nycommunities.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">New York Communities for Change</span></a></p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/this-group-pioneered-the-fight-for-15-can-they-transform-the-fight-for-affordable-housing-too/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This Group Pioneered the Fight for $15. Can They Transform the Fight for Affordable Housing Too?</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (Sarah Jaffe, t</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">he</span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Nation</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90336307/new-york-city-is-about-to-pass-its-own-green-new-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">New York City is about to pass its own Green New Deal</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (Adele Peters, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fast Company</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://citylimits.org/2020/05/16/third-strike-for-williams-pipeline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Third Strike for Williams Pipeline</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (Jarrett Murphy, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">City Limits</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">)</span></p> <p>The post <a href="https://dissentmagazine.org/blog/hot-bothered-putting-racial-justice-first-with-patrick-houston/">Hot &#038; Bothered: Putting Racial Justice First, with Patrick Houston</a> appeared first on <a href="https://dissentmagazine.org">Dissent Magazine</a>.</p>