Al Gore, Bishop Barber & Rev. Warnock To Mobilize Climate & Environmental Justice Activists At Interfaith Mass Meeting In Atlanta March 14th
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Washington, DC (January 16, 2019) – The Climate Reality Project announced today that former Vice President Al Gore, Bishop William J. Barber, II, and Reverend Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, and other faith leaders, will lead A Moral Call to Action on the Climate Crisis, an interfaith mass meeting on March 14. The meeting will take place at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia at 7pm, and is open to the public.
Led by these inspiring voices, the event will explore how diverse faith traditions and our shared sense of humanity call on us to confront the climate crisis while we have time. The evening will bear witness to the injustice this crisis brings, hitting low-income families and communities of color hardest of all, and share powerful stories from those most deeply affected.
The mass meeting will take place alongside the 40th Climate Reality Leadership Corps training, a three-day environmental justice and climate activist training taking place in Atlanta March 14-16. Led by Al Gore and environmental justice movement leaders, faith voices, business visionaries, communications professionals, and world-class scientists, the training will focus on the health and environmental justice dimensions of the climate crisis. Confirmed speakers for the training include: Bishop William J. Barber, II, Repairers of the Breach and the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival; Dr. Bullard, Texas Southern University; Dr. Marshall Shepherd, University of Georgia, and Lt. General Russel Honorè, GreenARMY. The Atlanta training is largely made possible by the generous support of Climate Reality Board Member Rosamund Zander.
To learn more about the Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in Atlanta and to apply before the January 28th deadline, visit https://www.climaterealityproject.org/training.
“Too often, the climate crisis inflicts deep and disproportionate burdens on those least responsible for causing it,” said Al Gore. “We will succeed in climate action when we prioritize inclusivity. Climate solutions must be fair and equitable for all people. I am looking forward to joining inspiring community organizers and environmental justice leaders to explore these issues and to forge new partnerships to lessen climate impacts on frontline communities. And by implementing solutions, we can create jobs and improve lives for everyone.”
A Moral Call to Action on the Climate Crisis also marks the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Committee’s creation of the original Poor People’s Campaign. Fifty-one years ago, a diverse group of allies gathered in Atlanta, Georgia for a mass meeting to plan a sustained effort to end poverty and economic inequality in the United States. Today, the Poor People’s Campaign – led by Bishop William J. Barber, II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis – carries that mantle, fighting the continued injustices of poverty, racism, militarism, and ecological devastation. Social justice leader Rev. Dr. Warnock leads Ebenezer Baptist Church today, the congregation that was once Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spiritual home.
These leaders recognize that the climate crisis is not only a political failing, but also a moral outrage. The climate crisis is inherently unjust, as those least responsible are often the most vulnerable to its impacts. Poor and historically marginalized groups around the world continue to experience the worst effects of the climate crisis, paying the costs in their homes, health, livelihoods, and even lives. Many low-income families and communities of color across the Southeastern United States also face contaminated air and water due to the very fossil fuels driving this crisis.
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ABOUT THE CLIMATE REALITY PROJECT
Founded by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore, The Climate Reality Project is working to catalyze a global solution to the climate crisis by making urgent action a necessity across every level of society. With a global movement more than 5 million strong and a grassroots network of trained Climate Reality Leader activists, we are spreading the truth about the climate crisis and building popular support for clean energy solutions. For more information, visit www.climaterealityproject.org or follow us on Twitter at @ClimateReality.