The Trump administration’s policies targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and halting federal funding for environmental justice organizations have had catastrophic effects on climate justice nonprofits, especially Black-led groups. Federal funding and DEI programs have been essential for these organizations to secure financial and material support. ThriveNOLA, a nonprofit advocating for climate resiliency, racial equity, and economic opportunity in New Orleans, is one such organization that has had to make difficult decisions, including laying off staff tied to losses of federal funding. Dionna Brown, the National Youth Director at Young, Gifted, and Green, similarly notes that without this funding, it’s difficult to operate at the larger capacity they had planned. Still, like her, many in the movement are finding new ways to fund and continue their fight for climate and racial justice. Illai Kenney, Managing Director of the HBCU Green Fund in Atlanta which focuses on building community farms, adds that even organizations not reliant on federal funding are feeling the impact. Though their work is funded through donations, federal actions often set the tone for broader public and private support. Nevertheless, Kenney is turning to old-school organizing methods like boycotts, buying locally, and using non-digital communication to work around the new restrictions—showing the resilience of Black-led climate groups committed to environmental justice.
