Tomorrow’s Leaders of Color Set their Sights on Environmental Justice

Last week, Front and Centered partnered with 21 Progress 2018 Bold Summer Fellows on their Day of Action to share our community’s knowledge and what we’ve learned working in the environmental justice issue space with future leaders of color from all around the country.

Steering Committee leader Kim Powe (Puget Sound Sage) and Front and Centered coordinators Deric Gruen, Nat Morales, and Dujie Tahat met with the Bold Fellows in the International District of Seattle to talk shop. Our wide-ranging conversations covered everything from the in-depth policy weeds to communications strategy, community organizing to political will building.

As young folks have always done, these college students brought with them a much-needed shock of energy. They intuitively understood that communities of color are disproportionately harmed by pollution and climate change, and they were quick to grasp the policy, political, and communications challenges of trying to affect change. They asked insightful questions and demonstrated that the future is in good hands.

Meet the 2018 21 Progress Bold Fellows (from top to bottom, left to right) David, Brady, Danya, Orion, Melissa, Carlos, and Ella:

      

After spending half the day learning about policy, communications, and the history of Front and Centered, these good fellows hit the streets. On their Day of Action, they gathered dozens of signatures for Initiative 1631 and had conversations with ordinary folks and small business owners alike about the importance of environmental justice — and what we can do to address it today.

At Front and Centered, we’re proud to share what we know with this impressive cohort. In the short amount of time with the, we were impressed by their compassion and eagerness to learn. Every day, it seems we need more and more leaders like them. While we learned our fair share, too, we hope that these fellows take their day of action into the work they set before themselves. We certainly can’t wait to see what they do.


About the 21 Progress Bold Summer Fellowship Program

This summer, 21 Progress will host 7 young leaders as part of Bold Summer, a learning intensive, 6-week program for the next generation of change makers to develop leadership skills, collaborate with peers who hold similar values, connect with community members, receive mentorship from local leaders and elected officials, and gain the knowledge and experience to prepare for careers in the movement for equity and justice.

With over 500+ interested college activists from 30+ states across the country, we are proud to announce our 2018 Bold Summer Cohort of young folks who are passionate about abolishing the prison industrial complex, fighting for undocu rights and compassionate immigration reform, and ending racial segregation and redlining in our neighborhoods.