spirit of the sun

Historically marginalized people suffer disproportionately from the climate crisis. Environmental hazards, such as pollution, contaminated materials, and industrial waste, often plague low-income communities of color. Pastor Eugene Downing, Senior Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church and member of Governor Polis' Community Access Enterprise, discusses how black communities in Denver are being affected by the climate crisis and how local government is responding to marginalized communities.

American systems actively silence and minimize the voices within Indigeneous communities, resulting in young Native Americans struggling to find representation. Spirit of the Sun, an Indigenous womxn-led nonprofit in Denver, empowers Indigeneous youth to become leaders and amplifies their voices as they advocate for systematic change. Join us on November 15 as we welcome Shannon Francis, Executive Director of Spirit of the Sun, who will discuss the interplay of environmental racism, indigeneity, and the climate crisis.

The article by Olga González in the Denver Post was edited down in this interview due to length. Read the article in its entirety here.