The Black Resilience Network is a coalition of Black practitioners, researchers, businesses, towns, and community organizations. We are a collective care, action, and impact community with over 100 members across 23 states. The daily work of many Black organizations before, during, and after disasters forms invisible but crucial parts of the climate and disaster ecosystem. Additionally, the problems that Black communities face are exacerbated by broken systems and processes that do not center people. The disproportionate burdens of climate change and disasters that Black communities bear are not Black problems; they are structural and systemic problems. Inaction or misplaced action will only perpetuate the existing injustices and systemic dysfunction.
The following features the efforts of some of our members who are leading climate and disaster resilience work in their respective communities.
Since Cook County experienced a severe flood event in early July 2023, Light Up Lawndale has been leading disaster case management efforts as part of the West Side Long Term Recovery Committee. According to Ms. Shaw, 200-300 homes on the West Side of Chicago, mostly seniors and single-family homes, were left with mold-infested basements. The conditions are dangerous for anyone with respiratory or underlying health concerns, and can create new health challenges even for people without pre-existing health conditions. Unfortunately, community members have been living like this for over 18 months with limited support from the traditional response and recovery organizations. The assistance through FEMA has been helpful but inadequate to address the depth of need, while local, county, and state recovery support is still in early stages of coordination. Ms. Princess Shaw and Light Up Lawndale have been hard at work to fill in the gaps, connecting those affected by the flood with alternative community resources.
Love Without Walls reaches people wherever they are in Monroe County to provide vital resources and assistance. They support community members in both their daily lives and emergency situations to ensure that no one is left behind before, during, or after disasters. They have been providing disaster case management to hundreds of residents in the town of Amory to support their recovery from the March 2023 tornado while also addressing the pre-existing challenges community members face. From back-to-school events to FEMA application appeals, Love Without Walls is committed to working with community members with an emphasis on love and compassion in everything they do.
Unity in Disasters (UID) has supported thousands of families and redistributed almost $2 million of in-kind relief supplies. UID continued its work in recovery post-Hurricane Ian and has been a partner in responding to the needs of Florida communities affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. They distributed 1,101 hot meals from October 3-19, 2024 for Hurricane Milton and helped an additional 375 families affected by Hurricane Helene with essential items. In the recovery phase, they identified over 70 displaced families for assistance with move-in essential items. UID has been working with people who have access and functional needs as well as people whose homes are under- and uninsured.
Dr. Baldwin-Gibson is the past Chairperson of the NC VOAD Spiritual and Emotional Care Committee, the Founding Chairperson of the Pamlico County Disaster Recovery Coalition, and a Founding Member of the NC Inclusive Disaster Recovery Network. She and the Peletah Institute for Building Resilient Communities are working hard to address community needs and build infrastructures of resiliency throughout eastern North Carolina. They have such a strong track record that people and organizations from across the state reach out to them after disasters.
Robeson County Disaster Recovery Coalition (RCDRC) has led disaster response and recovery projects throughout the Carolinas by providing disaster case management services, food programs, home repair and rebuilding, disaster unmet needs assistance, mold remediation, life skills education and training workshops, and disaster tool lending services. RCDRC supported individuals and families recovering from Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Florence, Hurricane Michael, local flooding incidents, and the COVID-19 pandemic in Robeson and surrounding counties in North Carolina. They recently opened a warehouse to serve as a distribution center to support pre and post disaster community needs.
Run by a small team of three incredibly committed team members, the Mississippi Urban League has a statewide mission to empower historically underserved Black Mississippians. Additionally, they lead the Hinds County Long-Term Disaster Recovery Committee to “organize social services, faith-based organizations, housing agencies, and other community partners to address the unmet needs of resident families and individuals in Hinds County, Mississippi, in response to county, state, or federally declared disasters.” MS Urban League was critical in the response to the Jackson Water Crisis, including being a bottle recycling site. They continue to organize recovery efforts for the 2023 tornados and subsequent severe storms. They have incorporated disaster and climate preparedness efforts into their work to help residents take proactive action to reduce the impact of climate change and disasters in their communities.
The IHRC is a “nonprofit organization that improves quality of life by empowering community members to be the primary change agents for the improvement of social, economic, and livable standards in their neighborhood.” Independence Heights was the first incorporated African American municipality in Texas and was later annexed into Houston. The IHRC has hosted climate mitigation demonstration events to show residents different approaches to reducing their homes’ impact on the environment. Before disasters, they coordinate with the community’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to notify residents of the appropriate protective measures. Post-disaster, they organize damage assessments, coordinate support efforts with the traditional emergency management infrastructure, and stand up their own hotline and disaster case management to facilitate community members’ access to resources to rebuild for historic and cultural preservation.
The Biden administration spent billions of dollars on climate change, including through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA is the most significant climate legislation in US history and it intentionally incorporated racial equity. For many logistical, structural, and regulatory reasons, much of the funding remained unspent. Additionally, it is still very unclear how much the promises to benefit Black communities were realized. There are anecdotal or extrapolated examples in transportation, clean jobs, and beyond.
In the current political environment of the Trump administration, we can be fairly confident that the federal government will not be making investments that seek to benefit Black communities. The burden of investing in climate and disaster resilience will fall on the shoulders of private sector, philanthropic, and local/state government allies. As we establish alternative pathways to progress, investments in Black organizations and communities will need to be more intentional than ever before.
Mayor Debose passed away on January 30, 2025. The Black Resilience Network is submitting this article in honor of her memory.
Dr. Atyia Martin leads a consulting firm (All Aces, Inc.) and nonprofit (Next Leadership Development), each focused on strengthening resilience and leadership in Black communities. With several advanced degrees, academic fellowships, published works, and real world experience, she is a seasoned researcher, emergency manager, climate resilience expert, and organizational justice practitioner.
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This piece is a guest article written for the Center. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Center.
