CCL’s Inclusion Conference Unites Climate Activists
By Katie Zakrzewski
Diversity and inclusion are part of our core values and allow us to work alongside climate activists and advocates from all walks of life.
It only seems natural, then, that CCL held a successful Inclusion Conference on September 16 and 17. But the virtual conference (and setting the stage for that conference) has been several years in the making.
“The idea for this conference came about three years ago from then-staff member Princella Talley, who now sits on CCL’s board. The idea has always been to center the voices of the BIPOC community across CCL, and give them an opportunity to talk about the issues that impact them,” said Karina Ramirez, CCL Diversity and Inclusion Director.
Karina shared that when the conference was announced, she was greeted with incredible support and excitement.
“Things started to come together. I just have to coordinate because people started offering their time and talents.”
History in the making
Karina explained that just a few years ago, there were no affinity teams at CCL. But now, all nine affinity teams, in addition to the Climate and Environmental Justice Action Team and the Peace Corps Action Team, have come together to spread the word and help the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) team at CCL put on this conference.
“It means a lot to be able to have formed all of these communities because the volunteers have wanted them. Everything you see throughout that weekend is what the volunteers wanted.”
Patricia Rubio, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, echoed these sentiments.
“The conference was very ‘power to the people.’ It’s volunteer-led. It’s volunteer-envisioned. We put them first, and we said, ‘How can we serve you?’”
Karina and Patricia explain why it was so important to have this conference, especially in this day and age.
“This conference was a learning opportunity. We’ve lost BIPOC volunteers because white volunteers have said the hurtful things to them,” Patricia acknowledged. “So this event was to make BIPOC volunteers feel welcome while also letting white volunteers know that there are certain things you can’t say; you have to have an open mind and a flexible heart.”
A conference like this was historic for CCL.
“Karina and I were just giving our volunteers love, trust, and unity. It was BIPOC, femme, and queer-led. This was a very historical moment of growth for CCL. Patricia analogized. “This was CCL in action, moving forward, growing and diversifying, and being inclusive.”
The D&I team’s outreach through a few presentations earlier in the year helped inform this event. One of these instances of outreach was a D&I tour throughout Texas, spearheaded by Patricia.
“Many CCLers were expecting graphs and charts on climate, and then we spent time discussing white supremacy in Texas, voter suppression, and militarization along the border. We got good feedback from the Austin folks, and that helped us go on to plan the Inclusion Conference.”
Inclusion means everyone. That means acknowledging the identity overlap between politics, gender, race, ethnicity, and identity.
“There were bound to be conservative BIPOC at the conference,” Patricia emphasized. “I was raised by conservative Latinos. Of course, there’s conservative BIPOC. They were floating around at the conference, and of course, they were welcome. I don’t want people to feel left out.”
This political/identity overlap is a phenomenon that Conservative Outreach Director Drew Eyerly acknowledges as well.
“As the Conservative Outreach Director, I’m well aware that plenty of political conservatives are also people of color,” he said. “I appreciate that my colleagues on the Inclusion team created this event to help folks make deeper connections.”
Speakers and events from the Inclusion Conference
CCL’s 2022 Inclusion Conference was designed to help volunteers, especially BIPOC volunteers, take care of their minds and bodies as they do climate advocacy work.
Attendees got to hear from multiple speakers, including:
Dr. Harold Dorrell Briscoe, writer, speaker, pastor, and public theologian
Princella Talley, Fellow At Large, The OpEd Project
Arlene JM Grant, Esq., Climate Advocate + Mind – Body – Food Practitioner
Clara Fang, Deputy Director of Partnerships, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Zahra Biabani, Climate Activist, Influencer, CEO, and Writer
Fernanda Lugo, Certified yoga instructor & CCL Volunteer
Luivette Resto, Poet
Speakers addressed topics such as theology in relation to climate change, barriers that BIPOC people face when engaging in the climate movement, impactful communication in the face of climate change, and harnessing the power of community through stillness.
The virtual conference consisted of a day-long session of listening to speakers on Saturday, which came after a virtual reception on Friday evening. The conference had over 125 attendees, spanning the spectrum of identities and locations.
Next steps toward a more inclusive CCL
Karina shared that this is only the beginning of broader horizons for CCL.
“Volunteers are asking questions about equity and about justice. I feel like, as an organization, we’re beginning to open the door to have those difficult conversations with each other.”
To watch all of the speakers from the conference, visit our YouTube playlist.
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