About

We believe BIPOC climate activists speak the language of those most directly affected by climate disasters and are able to translate complex climate science to tangible outcomes and solutions. While climate change is a global concern that impacts everyone, historically marginalized, disinvested, and poor communities of color are hit the hardest by environmental catastrophes threatening basic needs like health, food security, and housing. Given their close proximity to the violence of climate change, artists of color are uniquely positioned to ideate and implement solutions. Climate Woke uses cultural strategy to tell a new story of climate resiliency by engaging communities in imagining a new future and activating them to take action toward it. Climate Woke has organized activations at various events including the Sundance Film Festival, Hollywood Climate Summit, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and COP27 Climate Conference, while nurturing relationships with Black and Indigenous-led environmental justice organizations. 

The Center for Cultural Power’s #ClimateWoke project evolved in 2018 through the work of  Cultural Power program staff Layel Camargo and Jesús Iniguez as they conducted a social media experiment that focused on the research of the climate department making the effort to be zero waste. The project documented climate marches, printed political posters with factoids relating to the experience of Black and POC climate justice advocates, and openly acknowledged the centering of whiteness in environmental just activism. Climate Woke’s mission developed through the need to highlight the Black, Indigenous and other marginalized folks who were working towards solutions and whose work was underrepresented.

The powerful work of Climate Woke has led to two Climate Woke Convenings in California which centered the ways climate can proliferate in Holywood Media, and how BIPOC movement partners can ideate and collaborate with each other. 

The powerful work of Climate Woke has led to two Climate Woke Convenings in California which centered the ways climate can proliferate in Holywood Media, and how BIPOC movement partners can ideate and collaborate with each other.