When Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr., founded the political action organization Hip Hop Caucus, his focus was on inspiring young people to get involved in civic issues.
Climate change is now a top priority for the group, and Yearwood is in Aspen to discuss the connections between environmental advocacy and civil rights.
Yearwood first got involved in climate activism after Hurricane Katrina. He said that’s when it became clear that the damage from climate change is intimately connected to civil rights.
“Literally seeing families, friends, neighbors drowning, and in many cases, particularly poor people and people of color, left behind — it was just horrifying,” Yearwood said.
The Aspen Center for Environmental Studies is hosting Rev. Yearwood’s talk Thursday at 6 p.m. at Harris Concert Hall.
