Leadership Already Exists in Black Frontline Communities

Tanya Lord PhD, MPH

Across the country, Black frontline communities are already leading the work of climate justice. Organizers, advocates, practitioners, and community members are working every day to protect their neighborhoods, strengthen local economies, and respond to the growing impacts of climate change.

For many leaders in Black frontline communities, this work is not new. It is part of a long tradition of organizing, mutual aid, cultural knowledge, and collective care. What is new is the scale of the climate crisis and the urgency of building solutions that are rooted in justice, Black liberation, and community power.

Much of this work grows out of lived experience. People closest to environmental harm are often the ones developing the most practical and creative solutions. Their knowledge comes from organizing, from caring for community, and from navigating systems that were never designed with them in mind. Too often, this knowledge is overlooked in traditional policy and planning spaces, even though those closest to the challenges are often closest to the solutions.

We are living in what many describe as a knowledge economy, where certain forms of expertise are recognized and valued. Yet the knowledge that emerges from communities is still too often overlooked or dismissed. The Black Liberation & Just Transition Institute (BLJTI), an initiative of The Chisholm Legacy Project, was created in part to shift that dynamic by recognizing lived experience and frontline leadership as essential forms of expertise in the climate justice movement.

Through BLJTI, organizers, practitioners, and community leaders come together to strengthen their work in advancing climate justice through the principles of Black Liberation and Just Transition. Through Tier I (Apprentice Level) which featured teaching by frontline faculty, , participants engaged in shared learning to deepen their political analysis and expand their understanding of systems. Just as importantly, they connect with peers across the country who are doing similar work.

Learning is only one part of the journey. From the beginning, BLJTI has been guided by a simple idea: knowledge should support action. The goal is to deepen understanding, spark new action, as well as strengthen the work participants are already doing in their communities.

That is where Tier II and Tier III come in.

Tier II (Practitioner) focuses on moving from learning to action. Participants apply what they have learned through BLJTI Tier I coursework to concrete efforts within their organizations or communities. This might include developing a strategy, strengthening an existing initiative, advancing policy work, building partnerships, or deepening community engagement around climate justice issues.

Tier III (Maven) represents a deeper stage of leadership and implementation. At this level, participants execute transformational projects that contribute to long-term change. To be successful in Tier III and achieve Maven status, the participant will have passed a policy/ regulation or established local infrastructure such as a local food project, clean energy microgrid or community-driven emergency management plan or other concrete achievements that systemically advance Just Transition principles in meaningful and lasting ways.

There is no single path for this work. Instead, BLJTI offers space, connection, and support for people who are working or aspire to turn knowledge into action in their communities.

Just Transition is about building regenerative economies and ensuring that communities most impacted by environmental harm have the power to shape the future.

As BLJTI continues to grow, Tier II and Tier III offer new opportunities for leaders to move from learning to action while strengthening a growing network of people committed to advancing Just Transition and Black Liberation.