Greetings, Community, and Happy Women’s History Month!

We hope you are taking care of yourself and your loved ones in these difficult and chaotic times amidst the unraveling of democracy, climate policies, safety, security, essential social services, and our fundamental human rights. Even with the inundation all over our media feeds, we have the power to choose to protect our energy, our peace, and our joy. However you’re finding solace, we hope it’s in solidarity to care for each other and continue the vital mission of creating and supporting community-led climate justice solutions, amplifying models of success and ownership to ensure that our quest for climate justice prevails and benefits all.  

As we approach the spring season, I am honored to share that our Young Black Climate Leaders (YBCL) program was selected as a semi-finalist for the 2025 American Climate Leadership Awards through ecoAmerica! This recognition proves that we must continue the righteous pursuit to ensure that resources are accessible to those consistently pushed to the margins and that our program, its impacts, and theory of change are clearly seen as valuable to our movement. We appreciate ecoAmerica for recognizing our work! 

And speaking of YBCL, here is a quick plug for our 2025 Young Black Climate Leaders (YBCL) Youth Futures Fund, which is accepting applications through March 27 for young leaders 18-28 working on climate and/or environmental justice projects in the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii), Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Please share far and wide with qualified young people you know!

You can find more detailed updates from our programs below. And as we individually and collectively navigate all that continues to unfold in these times, I hope that you’re inspired and energized to keep building the world we know we need, appreciating all of the progress our movement has made and is on track to continue making despite hiccups and challenges. We are unwavering in our commitments and invite you to stay connected with us and stay tuned for what’s coming; we’re excited to share more about what we have in store.

In Solidarity,
Corrine

The Young Climate Leaders of Color (YCLC) 2025 Convening was a four-day gathering held in Los Angeles, California, designed to bridge past, present, and future in the fight for climate justice. Rooted in deep learning, collective visioning, and intergenerational movement-building, this convening reinforced the power of community-led solutions. More than just an event, it was a declaration that our leadership is not just emerging—it is here, shaping the future right now.

Grounding in Purpose and Honoring Our Commitments (Day 1):
The 2025 YCLC Convening, The Future Is Ours, opened with a welcome reception with music and mingling, centering joy to set the tone for the days ahead. Creating space for connection and celebration, we addressed the intentional decision to move forward with the convening despite ongoing wildfires, committing to the difficult understanding that the urgency of climate justice work continues, even in the midst of crisis. In honoring those impacted, we recognized the frontline communities bearing the brunt of climate disasters and reaffirmed our responsibility to center climate justice in both our words and actions. Gathering nearly 90 young leaders from the current cohort and alumni, this convening was the culminating event for the first three-year cycle of YCLC. With cultural offerings, time for connection and wellness, and learning from place, this event provided an opportunity to grow and deepen the national network of Young Climate Leaders of Color.

What can centering Black Joy in community teach us? What do the gifts of open hearts, full and wide smiles, and soul-shaking laughter bring us? The beauty of community, if done together. Something to add to our contemplative practices and well-being if done in solitude.

As our collective ancestors have taught us, centering our joy is also a tool for liberation, resistance, and resilience. The science of movement and memory reminds us that when we laugh, move, and play, we heal ourselves in real-time. During our When We Laugh Virtual Dream Lab on February 26, featuring  Larissa Johnson, Founder of Formula For Fun, we commemorated Black History Month by exploring Black joy as a powerful act of resistance and renewal. We had a good time with Black History trivia raffles, interactive breakout rooms, and collective sharing, celebrating the importance of laughter, movement, and play in sustaining our work in the climate and environmental justice movement. Joy can help us combat burnout, build resilience, and find moments of celebration amidst a shifting political landscape. Larissa explored these prescient themes and healing modalities with storytelling, breakout discussions, and grounding practice. Embracing Ms. Sonia Sanchez's question- How do it free us? We know centering our joy is a part of the answer and revolution. As we embody the principles of Sankofa and Ubuntu and the momentum of memory, we can envision well-being and the transformative power of joy as we continue our collective journey toward justice and liberation. We got healing and community work to do, integrate, and embody.

The struggle continues, but victory is certain!

There's still time to register for the 2025 VISION | POWER | SOLULTIONS (VPS) Series presented by the National Association of Climate Resilience Planners! 

This virtual workshop series, hosted in partnership with Facilitating Power, builds facilitative leadership capacity among facilitators, organizers, and planners from (and accountable to) Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian/Pacific Islander communities. The content and approach are derived from the NACRP’s Community-Driven Climate Resilience Planning Framework with input from NACRP members, facilitators, advisors, and partners.

The first session was held on February 20 with Ana Siria Urzúa and Abel Ruiz, sharing their visions, stories, and lessons learned in practicing community governance at their organizations Cooperacion Santa Ana and CRECE Urban Farms. To register for the next session, click here. Learn more about upcoming VPS sessions here.

The J.M.K. Innovation Prize seeks to identify and support bold problem-solvers leading transformative, early-stage projects in the fields of heritage conservation, the environment, and social justice.

In 2025, up to 10 Prizes will be awarded, each including a cash award of $150,000 over three years and $25,000 in technical assistance funds. Awardees will also receive guidance through the Fund’s resource network, accessing hands-on training and support to help turn their ideas into sustainable growth and impact. Learn more about the prize, register to attend an info session and/or begin your application here. 

Mango’s presence was always a gift, as they offered invaluable insights, creative energy, and an effervescent joy and kindness that was so greatly appreciated and will be so greatly missed. Mango’s passing is profoundly tragic and a reminder of how precious life is; thus, we are immensely grateful to have shared space and time with them in this realm.

For all who can and wish to support, Mango’s community has initiated a fundraiser, which you can access here, to support Mango’s family as they navigate through this loss. We extend our deepest condolences to Mango’s family and loved ones in this difficult time and are here to support all in our community as we collectively navigate this tragic loss.