Leadership and advocacy from philanthropy have been critical to empowering communities of color as they grapple with climate change and environmental justice. This was the key takeaway during a recent panel discussion featuring Kresge’s Shamar Bibbins, led by the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability (IARA) Project and the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. The event, titled Indigenous, Black, and Communities of Color Fighting for Environmental Justice, was held at the Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center. The full list of panelists included:

• Shamar Bibbins, Environment Senior Program Officer, The Kresge Foundation.
• Karen Diver, Senior Advisor to the President on Native American Affairs at the University of Minnesota; former Special Assistant on American Indian Affairs during the Obama Administration; former Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Chairwoman.
• Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, Gila River Indian Community.
• Megan Hill, Director of the Honoring Nations program at Harvard and the Program Director of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, moderated the discussion.

 Click here to watch a recording of the event.