The Coolest Show

Speaking truth empowers generations and communities whose history has been buried. We embody our connection to our heritage, culture, and land, and when those things are poisoned, we are left vulnerable. La’Meshia "L.A." Whittington-Kaminski is the Deputy Director of Advance Carolina and Campaigns Director for NC Black Alliance. We caught up with her to discuss The Kingdom of Happy Land, the histo...

 Lead is a neurotoxin that has been intentionally used to inflict genocide upon Black people, ranging from family homes to the prison industrial complex. The effects of environmental justice are intergenerational so we must work to create policy for change and to hold agencies accountable. Michelle T. Mabson is a Healthy Communities staff scientist at Earthjustice and a co-founder of Black Milleni...

Social media has become a vehicle for activism. With climate celebrity culture on the rise, one begins to question whether people are using movements to gain a following or genuinely educating the masses. Lauren Ritchie is an intersectional climate activist and the founder of @itsecogal. We caught up with her to discuss climate change in the Carribean, connecting climate and social justice, and on...

Women Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have consistently had A+ scorecards in environmental and climate policy. They have been champions for decades, yet are not uplifted by the movement like they should be. Rep. Barbara Lee is the U.S. Representative for California's 13th Congressional District. We caught up with her to discuss holding members of Congress accountable, supporting the Gree...

 Everything is intersectional and interdisciplinary. Systems of injustice work in tandem, and we must work together so we do not recreate or internalize them. Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta is the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color and one of the youngest members elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. We caught up with him to discuss multi-issued causes, voter suppression, and a Just Transition. Li...

Abolition is tearing down systems that do harm and reimagining the world we want to live in. Violence comes from a lack of resources, and supplying oppressive systems with more resources is an ineffective response. Destiny Harris is a Black queer organizer, artist, abolitionist, and poet from the West Side of Chicago. We caught up with her to discuss the history of redlining and segregation in Chi...

 In order for us to survive and thrive, we must transition to a green economy where there is opportunity for not only jobs but ownership. Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the country. Kristal Hansley is the first Black woman in the U.S. to own a community solar company, as the founder and CEO of WeSolar Inc. We caught up with her to discuss bridging the gap in the sola...

 Protect the Arctic is a special 3 part series on The Coolest Show. We are covering the urgency to preserve the Arctic Refuge from the Trump administration's efforts to expand oil and gas development. Their plan is to lease 1.6 million acres on the Coastal Plains of the Arctic Refuge before the end of the year, and the plan must be stopped. . This episode isIn Part 3 in the series, and we speak to...

 Protect the Arctic is a special 3 part series on The Coolest Show. We are covering the urgency to preserve the Arctic Refuge from the Trump administration's efforts to expand oil and gas development. Their plan is to lease 1.6 million acres on the Coastal Plains of the Arctic Refuge before the end of the year, and the plan must be stopped.. This episode is Part 2 of the series and features Chad B...

Protect the Arctic is a special 3 part series on The Coolest Show. We are covering the urgency to preserve the Arctic Refuge from the Trump administration's efforts to expand oil and gas development. Their plan is to lease 1.6 million acres on the Coastal Plains of the Arctic Refuge before the end of the year, and the plan must be stopped. This episode is Part 1 of the series and features Bernadet...

The Environmental Justice for All Act holds the government and industry accountable to the people and gives communities the right to redress. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03) and Rep. Donald McEachin (VA-04) introduced the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year. We caught up with them to discuss the gutting of the EPA, voting for our future, and rebuilding climate resilient commu...

As we commemorate the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we are actively grieving those we have lost to COVID-19. The legacy of resilience is present in today’s generation, as they refuse to sweep issues like the aftermath of Katrina under the rug. Mia X is a best selling author, professor of music, and known as the Mother of Southern Gangsta Rap from the notorious No Limit Records. We caught...

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COVID is changing life as we know it and it’s showing us how unequal crises are. Antonique Smith is a Grammy nominated singer, actress, artivist, climate champion, and has been a co-host on The Coolest Show. On this special episode, she and Rev Yearwood catch up to discuss being an artist and artivist in 2020, staying creative during the pandemic, and if and how the entertainment industry will sur...

“Now is the moment to make a significant shift. Now is the moment to root in love and justice. Now is the moment to create economies that actually work for everyone.” Rahwa Ghirmatzion is the Executive Director of PUSH Buffalo. We caught up with her to discuss collective responsibility, community ownership, and the rich history of Buffalo, New York. Listen now! More at TheCoolestShow.com and @Thin...

Climate is not just a planet problem, it’s a people problem. This is the time to shift power within the climate movement towards people driven just solutions. Gina McCarthy is the President and CEO of NRDC and former EPA Administrator under President Obama. We caught up with her to what she has learned from past movements, what an intergenerational approach looks like, and taking time to elevate o...

Comedy is often used to critique the status quo, disrupt harmful dominant narratives, and invite needed hope and optimism into challenging issues. Using comedy in activism can help people digest the serious and often overwhelming topic of the climate crisis. Caty Borum Chattoo is the executive director of the Center for Media & Social Impact. We caught up with her to discuss comedy as a shared cul...

 It is time to get on track. The fossil fuel industry has received billions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds, while communities of color see increased poisoning and vulnerability to the pandemic. We must continue to mobilize and build coalitions, as there is strength in numbers. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán is U.S. Congresswoman for California's 44th District. We caught up with her to discuss fos...

As the pandemic continues, so are the Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks. With weakened restrictions on monitoring air pollution, we have no idea how bad it really is. Heather McTeer Toney is the National Field Director of Moms Clean Air Force, former mayor of Greenville, Mississippi, and former Regional Administrator for the EPA under the Obama administration. We caught up with her to...

Young climate activists carry the weight of the world on their shoulders in a world that is ever presenting new crises and challenges. How do they cope? How do they thrive? . Jamie Margolin is the co-founder of This Is Zero Hour and author of Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It. We caught up with her to discuss 21st century activism, colonialism and the climate crisis, intersectional envi...

Words are powerful and even revolutionary. rt and culture connects our experiences and uplifts.. As an acclaimed poet, author, executive producer of Black Women Rock!, and CEO of Moore Black Press, jessica Care Moore represents the nexus of hip hop, activism, and storytelling. We caught up with her to discuss the power of poetry, knowing Black history, her hometown of Detroit, environmental justic...

How do we create a world where sustainability values of social cohesion, environmental consciousness, inter-generational equity, and economic health are the drivers of decision-making and business practices? This is the vision of global citizen Marilyn Waite, who leads the climate and clean energy finance portfolio at the Hewlett Foundation. We caught up with Marilyn to discuss some of the steps t...

Systemic racism and structural inequity is deeply rooted in the history of America. But it’s not history - it’s reality for Indigenous people and people of color in 2020. As an Ingigenous leader and freedom fighter, Tara Houska is on the frontlines, using her skills as a lawyer and organizer against the machines of injustice. We caught up with her to discuss her work to stop the Line 3 Tarsands oi...

While we are being killed by police and vigilante violence, we are also dying a death of a thousand cuts by pollution in our lungs. Corporations poison our air and water, violate our rules and laws hundreds of times over. But we are up against a three strikes and you’re out justice system. One out of every three Black boys born today can expect to go to prison in their lifetime, but polluters neve...

Advocating for what is right has been a journey, and Dr. Adrienne Hollis sits down with Rev to remind us that now is not the time to fear while facing the challenges ahead. Dr. Hollis is the Senior Climate Justice and Health Scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She recounts what influenced her to study law and science and the impact of the youth in the climate justice movement. Rev and...