What We Do
The Black Hive serves Black communities that bear the brunt of climate disaster and extreme weather events, and whose experiences are exacerbated by other socioeconomic factors, such as poverty and systemic racism. The Black Hive proposes pro-Black climate policies and practices; builds alternatives to current harmful systems; and offers resources, data and technology, communications, and disaster-response support to local communities and Black-led organizations.
The Black Hive employs a range of capacities to put Black liberation at the center of the global climate and environmental justice (CEJ) struggle. It addresses the impacts climate change and environmental racism have had—and are having—on Black communities across the U.S. and world. Through our organizing, policy, narrative power, resiliency planning, and political education, the Black Hive is educating and catalyzing Black people to take actions that mitigate the impact of the global climate crisis on Black lives.
Our approach is grounded in what we know to be true: Anti-Black racism is not merely an element of the climate crisis. It’s not simply a byproduct of other social and political forces. It’s actually because of anti-Black racism that the climate crisis has taken the shape it has. If policy makers had not treated our communities as expendable for more than 400 years, polluting industries would not have free reign to pursue the over-consumption, extraction of our planet, and rampant capitalism that have destroyed our planet and our people.
We can no longer accept climate and environmental policies that do not center the health and well-being of Black people.
We can no longer accept policies that sacrifice Black communities and the environments we live in.
We can no longer accept policies that make concessions at the expense of Black people and our lives.
Red, Black, and Green New Deal
In 2021, M4BL launched the Red, Black, and Green New Deal as a policy platform; it has now expanded beyond this into the newly launched climate and environmental justice (CEJ) collective: the Black Hive. The Red, Black, and Green New Deal is our blueprint for a sustainable, renewable future in defense of Black lives, and promotes rigorous and urgent legislative action toward CEJ, in addition to holding policy makers accountable. We will be launching our Red, Black, and Green New Deal Policy and legislation in 2023!
Earthseed Fellowships
As the climate crisis continues to cause more extreme weather events, we know that Black communities are impacted the most while being the last to receive a meaningful or solution-oriented response. But with the right preparation, we can help our communities become more resilient. The Black Hive @M4BL is introducing the Earthseed Fellowship to build resilience in the face of the climate crisis.
The Earthseed Fellowship is a five-month program available to members of The Black Hive, centered around building the capacity of Black communities’ ability to respond to climate disasters. This fellowship helps Black organizations build Black climate resilience through disaster planning, disaster-response training, climate political education, 1:1 coaching, and real-time support during disaster response.