One thing that has always carried our people through trying times is music and art — it heals, it brings joy, it allows us momentary escape, but it also speaks to the experiences we live every day. One of those experiences includes the harsh and disproportionate impacts of climate change to Black and Brown communities. As Black women from the South — Dawn Richard being from New Orleans, Louisiana and Jasmine Gil, born and raised in South Carolina — we understand the fight for climate justice is deeply intertwined with our cultural heritage and the power of artistic expression.
Music Artist Activists Reflect on Climate Change
Hip Hop legend Lil’ Wayne rapped about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on ‘Hollywood Divorce,’ a 2006 collaboration with Outkast and Snoop Dogg. Earlier this year, global icon Beyoncé brought the climate issues of heatwaves and flooding to the forefront through her most recent album, Cowboy Carter, while simultaneously bending genres. As fellow Southerners, the personal storytelling in their art is a hopeful reminder of what it means to not only drive the culture, but to be at the helm of justice movements. In the face of unprecedented climate changes, we need that type of creativity and art that moves people to action more than ever.
Water alone is enough to make an album about — the access to it, the scarcity of it, and its cleanliness for our everyday needs. Not to mention the cultural and historical connection we have to it. It’s a symbol of struggle and a source of life. And on a personal level, water has held great significance to Dawn and Jasmine.
Personal Connection to Climate Change and Natural Disasters in the South
Growing up in coastal South Carolina, a region prone to flooding, taught Jasmine that environmental justice is a matter of survival. Watching neighbors lose homes — and livelihoods—because of deliberate discrimination instilled a lifelong commitment to fight for climate equity. For Dawn, Hurricane Katrina wasn’t just a natural disaster — it was a failure of leadership that revealed the stark racial and economic divides in our society. As an artist who has always drawn from the rhythms of New Orleans, what was destined to destroy, birthed inspiring art and solidified a commitment to giving back to others in need.
The effects of climate change are global and it’s impacting communities all across our country. For example, freshwater systems like the Mississippi and Colorado rivers, which provide water to more than 60 million U.S. residents, are under threat, ravaged with droughts and shrinking resources. The Mississippi River is currently experiencing its third year in a row of saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico – a phenomenon that would previously occur roughly once per decade. The presence of saltwater in the river affects drinking water, forcing residents to buy bottled water, sometimes for months, and damaging appliances and pipelines along the way.
We’ve also seen how environmental neglect and climate impacts have contributed to the lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan and to the devastating floods that threaten to swallow Norfolk, Virginia. The intersection of race, class, and geography leaves Black, Brown and Indigenous communities especially vulnerable.
The fight for climate and environmental justice is about ensuring the immediate well-being and long-term sustainability of our communities, and safeguarding the most essential elements of life—air, water, and land. While scientists, activists, and policymakers help drive forward climate policy solutions and regulations, artists and creatives help make climate change more tangible by shaping narratives and telling the stories of climate impacts.
Celebrity Advocacy and Music are Catalysts for Change
At this month’s Overheated conference in Atlanta, Georgia, Jasmine had the privilege of speaking on a panel where this truth came into sharp focus. Hosted by music artist Billie Eilish and Support + Feed, art and activism converged at Overheated through panels and workshops that highlighted the urgency of the climate crisis and the importance of bold action in implementing solutions. Local residents and Billie Eilish’s fanbase—a predominantly young and diverse group—walked away not just entertained but empowered to help tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time.
For us, it underscored why creatives must take up this mantle: because art has always been at the forefront of societal change.
Take the music of Marvin Gaye or the visual art of Emory Douglas during the Civil Rights era. Or Kendrick Lamar’s inspiring anthems during the high-profile incidents of repeated police violence against Black people this past decade. These artists didn’t just reflect the times—they shaped them. Hip-hop artists like Jay-Z, Mos Def, Childish Gambino and Travis Scott have also rapped about climate change and sustainability in their songs.
What Hip Hop Caucus Is Doing for Climate and Environmental Justice
In our roles at Hip Hop Caucus, we’ve seen how creativity can transform communities and galvanize movements. Think 100%, Hip Hop Caucus’ climate and environmental justice initiative, uses film, music, podcasts, and activism to raise awareness and build momentum for climate solutions. Through storytelling, we humanize Black, Brown and Indigenous experiences of our climate crisis, making it less abstract and more urgent.
Dawn’s leadership as Hip Hop Caucus’ Artist Relations Director and Cultural Producer supports artists who are passionate about using their platforms for justice and educates artists who want to learn and get involved. Through collaboration, Dawn helps create cultural moments that resonate far beyond traditional activist circles.
The Future of Climate Advocacy Needs Creatives
Climate advocacy is in need of cultural renaissance. The climate crisis is not just a technical or scientific issue, it is a cultural one, and creatives are uniquely positioned to reimagine what’s possible, build bridges across divides, and inject joy and hope into a fight that sometimes feels overwhelming.
This is a call to artists, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, muralists and creatives of all disciplines. Let’s make the fight for climate and environmental justice not just a policy priority but a cultural movement. Let’s harness our creativity to build a world where clean water, fresh air, and healthy communities are a right, not a privilege. Together, we can create a future worth fighting for – one lyric, one scene, one canvas or 8-count at time. The stakes are too high for us not to.
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Jasmine Gil is the Senior Director of Hip Hop Caucus’ Think 100% climate justice initiative. Dawn Richard is Hip Hop Caucus’ Artist Relations Director and Cultural Producer.
