Categories
Season Six

Movement Music & Artivism: Voices in Harmony w/ Antonique Smith & Choklate

In this special episode of The Coolest Show Podcast, JaRel Clay from the Hip Hop Caucus leads a compelling discussion on Movement Music and Artivism. He is joined by the multi-talented Antonique Smith, a Grammy-nominated singer and actress known for her role in “Notorious” and her stirring performances in “Luke Cage.” Alongside her is the soulful singer Choklate, celebrated for her critically acclaimed albums “Choklate” and “To Whom It May Concern.” Together, they delve into the intersection of art, activism, and environmental justice.

The conversation revolves around the impactful album H.O.M.E (Heal Our Mother Earth), a project spearheaded by the Hip Hop Caucus in 2014. Antonique Smith and Choklate share their journeys of how they became involved with the album and the Hip Hop Caucus. They discuss the vital role that artists play in raising awareness about crucial issues like climate change. By leveraging their talents and platforms, artists can inspire and mobilize communities to take action, highlighting the importance of using art as a tool for social change.

Looking both to the past and the future, the guests emphasize the ongoing need to support artists and artivists to ensure their continued impact. They reflect on the evolution of art and culture in the context of environmental activism and express hope for future collaborations that can drive change. The episode underscores the critical nature of art in shaping public perception and influencing policy, advocating for a sustained commitment to supporting those who use their creativity for the greater good.

The Coolest Show – brought to you by Hip Hop Caucus Think 100% PODCASTS – drops new episodes every Monday on environmental justice and how we solve the climate crisis. Listen and subscribe here or at TheCoolestShow.com! Follow @Think100Climate and @RevYearwood on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Categories
Season Five

The Referendum: Stop Cop City Pt. 2 w/ Dr. Gloria Bromell Tinubu & Shar Bates

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/

Categories
Season Four

Oil is War w/ Ayisha Siddiqa

Ayisha Siddiqa, Pakistani-American environmental and human rights advocate, reflects on the state of the youth climate movement, the violence of fossil fuel industry, and being good ancestors. 

Categories
Season Three

Climate’s Racial Reckoning w/ Mary Anne Hitt

Transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy has been a hot issue for activists, communities, and the people most affected by the climate crisis. While actions like mountain top removal pollute the air, water, and food in neighborhoods surrounding the Appellation region in West Virginia and Kentucky, 68% of Black Americans also reside near coal fire power plants in their communities, making this an issue that affects us all.

Rev Yearwood speaks with Mary Anne Hitt, the Senior Director of Climate Imperative at Energy Innovation. They share their ideas and thoughts on introducing the green energy transition to communities while creating equity in these areas for the people. Mary Anne also spent 12 years with the Sierra Club and describes its growth and understanding of racial justice as the center of the climate movement and launching campaigns to end fossil fuels with grassroots organizers.

The Coolest Show – brought to you by Hip Hop Caucus Think 100% PODCASTS – drops new episodes every Monday on environmental justice and how we solve the climate crisis. Listen and subscribe here or at TheCoolestShow.com! Follow @Think100Climate and @RevYearwood on Instagram, Twitter, and Instagram.

Categories
Season Two

We. Can’t. Breathe. w/ Emerald Garner

The movement for Black lives and climate justice are about the right to breathe. It is vital to understand that. Once you have listened to Tamika Mallory and Rev Yearwood in the previous episode, listen to this conversation with Emerald Snipes Garner. Her father was Eric Garner, who was choked and killed by NYPD in 2014. His last words, which were recorded on video for the world to see, were “I can’t breathe.” George Floyd cried out with the same words less than two weeks ago in Minneapolis and died shortly after at the hands of police. Emerald  joins Rev Yearwood to discuss everything from police and vigilante violence, to Coronavirus, to air pollution, to health, to her father. They explore why it’s so dangerous to move through the environment while Black, whether birding in central park, sitting in your car at a park, or running down suburban tree-lined streets. #BlackLivesMatter. More at TheCoolestShow.com and @Think100Climate.

Categories
Season One

Diversify Green w/ Whitney Tome

The mainstream environmental movement is under scrutiny for its homogeneity and it is increasingly called on to be more transparent about making large-scale commitments to change. In this episode, we confront this dynamic and explore the solutions with special guest Whitney Tome, Executive Director of Green 2.0. Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. hosts and Mustafa Santiago Ali joins as a co-host. Recorded live for radio, the episode opens with current events in the climate movement.