Yeyang Guo, Kristi Li, Sreeja Stanam, Yang Zhou
Got Green is an organization based in South Seattle that is fighting for racial, economic, and environmental justice. They are led by people of color and people who are part of the low income community. Their mission is to give a voice to their communities and ensure that people of color and low income communities have access to healthy food, healthy homes, green jobs, and public transit. They believe that they should benefit from the Green Movement just like everyone else. There is a continuous cycle that is seen in Seattle where unemployment, dirty low paying jobs, and the school to prison pipeline are becoming more serious and common. This cycle affects a lot of younger people of color. They want to see everyone work jobs that will protect and benefit the earth, eat healthy and locally grown food, live in safe neighborhoods, and lastly, they want to see everyone care for each other and the environment. Plenty of environmentally beneficial jobs were created, but people in these communities do not have access to them. Got Green “provides a pipeline of leadership development for directly impacted communities, and engages in direct action”. The Food Access, Young Leaders, and Climate Justice committee help GotGreen make their vision become a reality. This organization was chosen not only because they recognize the social issue at hand, but because the staff are part of these communities and have experienced unfair treatment themselves.
Got Green is an organization dedicated to environmental, racial, and economic justice. It is a grassroots organization in South Seattle, led by people of color and low income. The organization trains multi-generational community leaders to be “the central voice in the Green Movement” to ensure that “the benefits of the green movement and green economy (green jobs, healthy food, energy efficient & healthy homes, public transit)” will benefit low-income and color communities. The organization empowers communities through “visionary campaigns at the intersection of racial, economic, gender and climate justice that incite community participation (via robust base-building)”. They provide channels for leadership development for the communities who are directly affected, and take direct action. The organization wants to build a healthy community where: everyone will do meaningful work to nourish our planet, our communities, and our souls; everyone will have affordable, healthy food with dignity for workers and the environment; everyone will live in safe, sustainable housing based on climate-resilient communities; everyone will maintain our environment in relation to land, climate and each other. The core values of this organization are “transformation”, “leadership”, “community” and “self-determination”, and that lead to the three grassroots committees of the organization: Food Access, Young Leaders and Climate Justice, which are their main tools for building strength and creating changes. The Food Access team's job is to raise the voice of families and create a space where everyone can be with themselves. This group was founded because families in Seattle and across the United States have been hurt by rising food costs. The group is committed to their campaign to bridge the food security gap so that working-class families can place healthy local foods on the table. By organizing a working class of women of color in South Seattle, the group made an outstanding contribution to the establishment of Fresh Bucks. This is a farmer market matching program by EBT users, which was later extended to the whole Washington State. The Young Leaders program is focusing on striving for fair opportunities regarding green economy related jobs for young people of color. Our generation has encountered unemployment, or engaged in low-paid, dirty jobs, or even a cycle from school to prison. This vicious cycle is happening in the Seattle area and is affecting young people of color more. In today's new green economy, job opportunities are proliferating, such as community gardening, renewable energy such as solar energy, environmentally friendly buildings, and more. But the benefits of these new jobs have not spread to the most vulnerable communities, but have bypassed people of color. The goal for this program
is to eliminate this kind of barrier so everyone can have a transparent, fair opportunity to apply for these jobs. The Climate Justice group was established due to abnormal climate changes, which led to frequent disasters, such as floods, heat waves, mold, and high utility bills. The hardest hit in the process were working-class families and families of color in South Seattle. The team is committed to creating a strong and reliable community to help everyone survive through disasters. To achieve this, the group works to help people fight for the right of fair housing, dignified work, public transportation and healthy food.
The organization strives to solve the issue of rising food costs by closing the food security gap so that working class families can eat healthy. They address issues that can make advocacy hard for low-income families, such as unemployment and the school to prison pipeline. To combat this, Got Green successfully created living wave Green Job internships that lead to careers and positions of leadership for people of color in the City of Seattle. In 2017, Got Green’s youth leaders implemented this resolution in the private sector as well, increasing the number of entry level positions for people of color and increasing the living wage for these communities. Got Green also took on the issue of climate change in 2017, as it impacts the homes of working class families and families of color in South Seattle. They created campaign goals to their mission, #DontDisplaceDove. The resistance would ultimately protect these communities from displacement from their homes due to rising rent levels or community projects that are harmful. The organization approaches these issues in a unique way that seems to be making leeway in Seattle. Most organizations are focused on making change through monetary means, meaning they use donations to fund large scale projects in very impoverished communities outside of the US. While this is commendable, there are families within the US who are also suffering. Furthermore, most organizations are run by those who are financially stable and often do not have any experience in what people who face socio-economic instability face. This is why Got Green has a unique viewpoint in solving these issues as they empower themselves and their community through their unique experiences and make change within their community using their voices, and are quite successful in their endeavors as outlined above. As a former Got Green member states: “If we take climate change seriously, we have an opportunity to not only save ourselves from the biggest threat humanity has faced collectively… but we also have the opportunity to right the wrongs of capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy.” Addressing the exact issues that lead to a vicious cycle of helplessness is the main strength this group has.
Food access, young leaders, and climate justice are the three grassroots committees in the Got Green Organization. The Food Access Team helps the family’s voices lift up and create opportunities where people can come together. The price of foods is rising, therefore, every household is impacted by it. Firstly, the Food Access Team has been working on closing the food security gap and helping working-class families to buy healthy foods in the local area. In 2017, the Food Access Team supported City of Seattle’s efforts to pass a Sugary Beverage Tax through grassroots pressure and powerful coalition building. We supported this policy with an understanding that revenue from the tax will be invested in closing the food security gap for black and brown communities. Unemployment and low wage dirty jobs are deeply occurring in the Seattle area and impacting young colored people. Secondly, Got Green is making sure that young colored people get jobs in community gardening, renewable energy, and environmental friendly construction as other people. In 2017, Got Green’s Young Leaders main focus was making sure the Green Pathways ordinance is implemented in both the City of Seattle and the private sector, which will dramatically increase the number of green living wage, entry level positions for young people of color. Climate change is causing more natural events recently, such as floods, mold. South of Seattle, where the working-class families and families of color live. In Winter of 2016, in order to help them being able to adapt to climate change, Got Green and Puget Sound Sage co-authored the landmark
community-based report Our People, Our Planet, Our Power outlining a path toward climate resilience in South Seattle. Join the Climate Justice Committee in this powerful work. we eat food every day, temperature change is a fact and responsibility that each of us should face, as young people, we should take action. Not only for themselves, but also to help some people in need.
Got Green is an organization based in South Seattle that is fighting for racial, economic, and environmental justice. They are led by people of color and people who are part of the low income community. Their mission is to give a voice to their communities and ensure that people of color and low income communities have access to healthy food, healthy homes, green jobs, and public transit. They believe that they should benefit from the Green Movement just like everyone else. There is a continuous cycle that is seen in Seattle where unemployment, dirty low paying jobs, and the school to prison pipeline are becoming more serious and common. This cycle affects a lot of younger people of color. They want to see everyone work jobs that will protect and benefit the earth, eat healthy and locally grown food, live in safe neighborhoods, and lastly, they want to see everyone care for each other and the environment. Plenty of environmentally beneficial jobs were created, but people in these communities do not have access to them. Got Green “provides a pipeline of leadership development for directly impacted communities, and engages in direct action”. The Food Access, Young Leaders, and Climate Justice committee help GotGreen make their vision become a reality. This organization was chosen not only because they recognize the social issue at hand, but because the staff are part of these communities and have experienced unfair treatment themselves.
Got Green is an organization dedicated to environmental, racial, and economic justice. It is a grassroots organization in South Seattle, led by people of color and low income. The organization trains multi-generational community leaders to be “the central voice in the Green Movement” to ensure that “the benefits of the green movement and green economy (green jobs, healthy food, energy efficient & healthy homes, public transit)” will benefit low-income and color communities. The organization empowers communities through “visionary campaigns at the intersection of racial, economic, gender and climate justice that incite community participation (via robust base-building)”. They provide channels for leadership development for the communities who are directly affected, and take direct action. The organization wants to build a healthy community where: everyone will do meaningful work to nourish our planet, our communities, and our souls; everyone will have affordable, healthy food with dignity for workers and the environment; everyone will live in safe, sustainable housing based on climate-resilient communities; everyone will maintain our environment in relation to land, climate and each other. The core values of this organization are “transformation”, “leadership”, “community” and “self-determination”, and that lead to the three grassroots committees of the organization: Food Access, Young Leaders and Climate Justice, which are their main tools for building strength and creating changes. The Food Access team's job is to raise the voice of families and create a space where everyone can be with themselves. This group was founded because families in Seattle and across the United States have been hurt by rising food costs. The group is committed to their campaign to bridge the food security gap so that working-class families can place healthy local foods on the table. By organizing a working class of women of color in South Seattle, the group made an outstanding contribution to the establishment of Fresh Bucks. This is a farmer market matching program by EBT users, which was later extended to the whole Washington State. The Young Leaders program is focusing on striving for fair opportunities regarding green economy related jobs for young people of color. Our generation has encountered unemployment, or engaged in low-paid, dirty jobs, or even a cycle from school to prison. This vicious cycle is happening in the Seattle area and is affecting young people of color more. In today's new green economy, job opportunities are proliferating, such as community gardening, renewable energy such as solar energy, environmentally friendly buildings, and more. But the benefits of these new jobs have not spread to the most vulnerable communities, but have bypassed people of color. The goal for this program
is to eliminate this kind of barrier so everyone can have a transparent, fair opportunity to apply for these jobs. The Climate Justice group was established due to abnormal climate changes, which led to frequent disasters, such as floods, heat waves, mold, and high utility bills. The hardest hit in the process were working-class families and families of color in South Seattle. The team is committed to creating a strong and reliable community to help everyone survive through disasters. To achieve this, the group works to help people fight for the right of fair housing, dignified work, public transportation and healthy food.
The organization strives to solve the issue of rising food costs by closing the food security gap so that working class families can eat healthy. They address issues that can make advocacy hard for low-income families, such as unemployment and the school to prison pipeline. To combat this, Got Green successfully created living wave Green Job internships that lead to careers and positions of leadership for people of color in the City of Seattle. In 2017, Got Green’s youth leaders implemented this resolution in the private sector as well, increasing the number of entry level positions for people of color and increasing the living wage for these communities. Got Green also took on the issue of climate change in 2017, as it impacts the homes of working class families and families of color in South Seattle. They created campaign goals to their mission, #DontDisplaceDove. The resistance would ultimately protect these communities from displacement from their homes due to rising rent levels or community projects that are harmful. The organization approaches these issues in a unique way that seems to be making leeway in Seattle. Most organizations are focused on making change through monetary means, meaning they use donations to fund large scale projects in very impoverished communities outside of the US. While this is commendable, there are families within the US who are also suffering. Furthermore, most organizations are run by those who are financially stable and often do not have any experience in what people who face socio-economic instability face. This is why Got Green has a unique viewpoint in solving these issues as they empower themselves and their community through their unique experiences and make change within their community using their voices, and are quite successful in their endeavors as outlined above. As a former Got Green member states: “If we take climate change seriously, we have an opportunity to not only save ourselves from the biggest threat humanity has faced collectively… but we also have the opportunity to right the wrongs of capitalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy.” Addressing the exact issues that lead to a vicious cycle of helplessness is the main strength this group has.
Food access, young leaders, and climate justice are the three grassroots committees in the Got Green Organization. The Food Access Team helps the family’s voices lift up and create opportunities where people can come together. The price of foods is rising, therefore, every household is impacted by it. Firstly, the Food Access Team has been working on closing the food security gap and helping working-class families to buy healthy foods in the local area. In 2017, the Food Access Team supported City of Seattle’s efforts to pass a Sugary Beverage Tax through grassroots pressure and powerful coalition building. We supported this policy with an understanding that revenue from the tax will be invested in closing the food security gap for black and brown communities. Unemployment and low wage dirty jobs are deeply occurring in the Seattle area and impacting young colored people. Secondly, Got Green is making sure that young colored people get jobs in community gardening, renewable energy, and environmental friendly construction as other people. In 2017, Got Green’s Young Leaders main focus was making sure the Green Pathways ordinance is implemented in both the City of Seattle and the private sector, which will dramatically increase the number of green living wage, entry level positions for young people of color. Climate change is causing more natural events recently, such as floods, mold. South of Seattle, where the working-class families and families of color live. In Winter of 2016, in order to help them being able to adapt to climate change, Got Green and Puget Sound Sage co-authored the landmark
community-based report Our People, Our Planet, Our Power outlining a path toward climate resilience in South Seattle. Join the Climate Justice Committee in this powerful work. we eat food every day, temperature change is a fact and responsibility that each of us should face, as young people, we should take action. Not only for themselves, but also to help some people in need.
No comments:
Post a Comment