climate in crisis

Climate in Crisis: Coloring the Green Movement

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

The impacts of heat waves, air pollution, water contamination and all that comes from a warmer climate affects Black, brown and indigenous people the most. Communities of color are taking a stand against environmental injustice by joining organizations and increasing awareness.

Community activist Khafre Jay, who’s using hip hop to add color to the green movement, spoke with NBC Bay Area about the cause.

"Hip hop is the voice of our communities. And we use that voice to highlight all of the justice issues we deal with as people in the hood. Hip hop is always the tip of the social political sphere. So it makes sense.

"I’m from Hunters Point, and I grew up next to the Navy Hunters Point superfund site. A lot of Black and brown people feel the burdens of environmental pollution while a lot of environmental industry is talking about polar bears a world away. I think right here in San Francisco, Oakland and the Bay Area we need to highlight the things that humans are going through because we have kids that are having issues of learning because of lead in Fruitvale because of industrial level pollutants that are going through the air from all the shipping down there. We need to be talking about that."

Watch the full interview in the video above and find out more about the Environmental Justice Summit happening this Saturday on the Presidio main parade lawn by visiting https://www.hiphopforchange.org.

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