LOS ANGELES — When it comes to the effects of climate change, musician Dawn Richards said she’s had a firsthand look. "I witnessed climate change in real time. I was in Katrina. I lost a grandfather. He died in Katrina. And I witnessed my people treated like refugees," Richard said.   

What You Need To Know

  • Hip Hop Caucus is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to mobilizing communities to implement change through culture

  • Musician Dawn Richard said she’s had a firsthand look at the effects of climate change

  • Communities of color have an intricate relationship with climate, says activist Dominique Drakeford

  • You can visit Hiphopcaucs.org to learn more about their initiatives

The former member of music group Danity Kane said while in the midst of fame and a high-profile career, she felt powerless. I had this pop success, and no one took me to the side and said, This impacted you? Do you want to do something about this? No one,” Richard said.

But Richard didn’t stay powerless for long. She decided that more people needed to access information and paths to activism, which brought her to get involved with the Hip Hop Caucus, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to mobilizing communities to implement change through culture.

Richard is now the artist relations director for the Hip Hop Caucus, and one of the areas of focus is bridging the gap between how artists and influencers can reach communities of color on climate. The Hip Hop Caucus recently hosted a gathering called "Candid with Climate" to brainstorm and network as part of that effort. “If we all put our heads together, we can create creative, innovative processes to implement change,” Richard said.

Communities of color have an intricate relationship with climate, and it’s one of the areas activists Dominque Drakeford, who spoke at Candid with Climate, has spent her career educating people on.

“The environmental detriments disproportionately effects our community first and foremost. And secondly, Black and brown Indigenous folks created the foundational footprint and the rubric for sustainability,” Drakeford said.

She says it’s time to tap in and it may not be as complicated as we think. 

“It could be food, it could be agriculture, could be clothing, it could be anything. Find that entry point that interests you, that you’re passionate about, and then that’s when you begin your research journey of decolonizing a lot of the mainstream discourse around it and beginning to implement Black and Brown folks who have been doing work in that space,” Drakeford said.

The Hip Hop Caucus, Richard and Drakeford invite people to find the existing influences. While connecting with prominent voices to reach even more.

“We’re doing the work now, we need your voice. We need your leaders, we need your influencers. We need your platforms to help our community grow, thrive, live,” Richard said.

You can visit hiphopcaucus.org to learn more about their initiatives.