Category: Season Five

The City of Atlanta has leased 381-acres of Weelaunee Forest, stolen Muscogee land, to the Atlanta Police Foundation for a police military facility funded by corporations. This would be the largest police training facility in the US in a primarily Black community who overwhelmingly oppose the project. Despite over fifteen hours of public comments against the project, the City Council has approved $67 million in public funding for Cop City. The plans include military-grade training facilities, a mock city to practice urban warfare, dozens of shooting ranges, and a Black Hawk helicopter landing pad.

Residents have petitioned the municipal court of Atlanta to gather signatures for a binding referendum. With enough signatures, this would put whether or not Cop City gets built up for a vote on November’s ballot box. In this 2 part episode of The Coolest Show, Rev Yearwood speaks with community organizer Rev Keyanna Jones, economist Dr. Gloria Bromell Tinubu, and community advocate Shar Bates. They discuss the history of the area surrounding the Weelaunee forest, the legacy of environmental racism, the community’s work to get signatures, and “the Atlanta Way.”

Support: https://www.copcityvote.com/

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Hip Hop Caucus joins with activists, organizers, faith leaders and the Atlanta community who are calling for a stop to Cop City, defending the Weelaunee Forest in Atlanta, Georgia, and honoring the life of environmental activist Tortuguita who was killed by Atlanta police in January.

Police violence and environmental activism are intimately connected not only through the power dynamics of economics, but also in the way they disproportionately threaten the ability for Black and Brown people to breathe and thrive. Replacing the nation’s largest urban forest with the largest militarized police training facility in North America would set a precedent for other proposed facilities across the country and fuel U.S. imperialism.

The Coolest Show Host Rev Yearwood discusses what’s next for the movement with Community Movement Builders Founder Kamau Franklin, National Community Organizer YoNasDa Lonewolf, and Organizer, Artist, Abolitionist and Poet Destiny Harris.

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There’s a generation of organizers and activists that are burning out before they reach or cement themselves in adulthood. While this isn’t a new phenomenon because young people have been the foundation of many movements, the scale of young people engaged in the climate movement and the wide impact of the climate crisis should prompt us to be intentional with their care and repair.

On this episode of The Coolest Show Destiny Hodges speaks to climate activist Vic Barrett and Mitchelle Mhaka, coordinator for the African Climate Alliance, about performative activism, tokenization, rest and recovery.

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The fossil fuel industry isn’t the only threat to our movement. It’s also how we treat each other. “Paradoxical osmosis” has us embracing the tactics of the oppression we swore we would usurp together. Lateral violence and burnout has people leaving the movement “cynical, bitter, jaded, and broken. And if that cycle continues, then this climate crisis will continue.” Tara Houska and Anthony Rogers-Wright join Rev Yearwood to reflect on their movement experience, the nonprofit industrial complex, and the need to build infrastructure for humanity.

Climate Critical Burnout Report: www.climatecritical.earth/report

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As Earth month ends and May ushers in mental health awareness, Climate Critical is calling to question the way the climate/environmental movement has been doing the work and how it hurts us. After surveying people from 106 different types of environmental organizations, researchers concluded everyone is burnt out. 

“The movement takes on the attributes of the place where it was built, and America itself organizes everything about how it works to extract from Black and brown people, from women…” said Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, founder of Climate Critical and a producer of The Coolest Show. Care and repair is an ethos that ensures we take care of the inputs and people, that we hold space for humanity and rest as an active part of how we do our work. Tamara joins Rev Yearwood to discuss the dangers of burnout, pathological integrity, and the risk Black women are taking to ensure we are healthy and able to win. 

Climate Critical’s full Climate Burnout Report releases on April 28th. Find out more and support at www.climatecritical.earth.

Supplemental Readings

https://atmos.earth/tamara-toles-o-laughlin-climate-activism-burnout/

https://www.thecut.com/article/climate-change-burnout-black-women.html

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We have invited Dr. Michael K. Dorsey, a recognized expert on global energy, environment, finance and sustainability matters, and who sits on the board of B.O.S.S (Black Owners of Solar Services) back to talk with us to dig a little deeper into the ongoing story of financial reckoning that is necessary to fight in this phase of the Climate Crisis.

On the heels of conversations about climate finance campaigning, climate finance regulation, the implementation and deployment of inflation reduction act funds for infrastructure, energy and environmental defense, we believe it is important to talk about …what it’s all for.

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Kymone Freeman is an activist, co-founder of We Act Radio, and author of Nineveh: A Conflict Over Water. Rev Yearwood and Kymone discuss the intersections between movement and the process of writing, the power of art and activism and protecting the water on the continent.

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Season 5 of The Coolest Show begins with a conversation with our Host Rev. Yearwood and our producers Tamara Toles O’Laughlin, Destiny Hodges, and DeJuan Cross.

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