Few communities understand the urgency and importance of advocating for climate and environmental justice like historically Black colleges and universities do.
An analysis from sustainability news site TriplePundit explained how HBCUs sit at a convergence of strong advocacy networks and a deep understanding of environmental justice, which makes them "uniquely well suited to lead on climate justice issues."
The commentary centered primarily around a new report from the United Negro College Fund, titled, "The HBCU Climate Action Blueprint: Sustainable Campuses, Empowered Communities."
Kendra Sharp, a strategist with UNCF, told TriplePundit that one of the key takeaways from the report is that a major opportunity for climate leadership at HBCUs lies in the fact that they belong to the communities that have been most disadvantaged by global heating and climate change.
"They have been disproportionately affected by environmental injustices for so long that they now can use that setback as a strength to help influence the conversation," she said.
These environmental injustices are varied in type but consistent in structure: Black communities around the U.S. are mostly concentrated in areas that are significantly at risk for climate-related threats, per a November 2023 report by the McKinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility.
This has caught public attention in cases such as the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, where predominantly Black families faced deadly levels of lead, bacteria, and other toxins in their drinking water over the course of years.
It's also particularly concerning for southern Black communities. Over half of Black Americans live in the South, per the Pew Research Center, and increasingly severe heat, hurricanes, and flooding is a constant danger there, as witnessed by a deadly hurricane season in 2024.
Because of this firsthand knowledge of environmental racism and injustice, taking action on remedying these issues is already a top priority at a majority of HBCUs. The recent report found that 85% already run green programs, which include "curriculum enhancements, incorporating solar panels, forming student-led environmental groups, establishing community gardens, and promoting biking and walking trails."
Sharp also pointed out to TriplePundit that as community leaders, the presidents of HBCUs hold a "particular, special" influence that can be used to mobilize climate action.
And while funding is a persistent challenge, she also pointed out that these institutions "know the importance of forging strategic relationships" with various public and private sector organizations, in order to fundraise specifically on behalf of their climate and sustainability efforts.
"HBCUs are uniquely positioned to take their mission, which is obviously to serve under-resourced students and communities, and pair that up with this urgent need for climate action as it relates to our communities," Sharp concluded. "Leveraging this expertise can definitely drive meaningful change."
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