The Black Agenda Summary

To fight for the climate without fighting for racial justice is to fight with one hand tied behind your back.

1. Racial Disparities in the Pandemic Response

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed deeply embedded racial disparities affecting Black communities. These communities experienced higher infection and mortality rates due to institutionalized inequities in health care access and economic opportunities. Preexisting conditions, often the result of environmental injustices and inadequate health care, made Black individuals more vulnerable to severe outcomes from COVID-19.

The economic factors also played a significant role. Many Black individuals are overrepresented in low-wage, high-risk jobs, such as in retail, child care, and healthcare support roles. These positions offered little protection during the pandemic, increasing their exposure to the virus compared to higher-salaried roles that were more likely adaptable to remote work.

Despite bearing much of the pandemic's burden, Black experts were consistently overlooked in public health discussions, policy-making, and media representation. Their exclusion reflects a broader pattern of erasing Black voices from critical conversations, even when their communities are hardest hit.

Examples

• Health disparities resulted in disproportionate hospitalizations and deaths among Black communities.
• Black workers in essential services faced greater exposure risk without commensurate institutional support.
• Black experts were rarely seen on COVID-related panels despite their firsthand experience and expertise.

2. Intersectionality as a Framework for Justice

The term intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, is a lens for understanding how different forms of discrimination interlock and intensify one another. To tackle racial or climate injustice, we must acknowledge how these crises intersect, reinforcing each other in systemic ways.

For example, systemic racism amplifies the environmental threats faced by Black communities. Urban heat islands, toxic waste sites, and poor ventilation in many predominantly Black neighborhoods exacerbate vulnerabilities to climate challenges. Viewing these issues separately neglects how they're compounded when they overlap.

Adopting an intersectional approach allows advocates and policymakers to address interconnected injustices collectively, crafting solutions that tackle the root causes rather than working in isolation.

Examples

• Black women face compounded discrimination due to race and gender.
• Environmental hazards disproportionately affect neighborhoods subjected to redlining.
• Climate justice becomes more achievable when activists address intertwined social and racial issues.

3. Climate Change: The "Great Multiplier"

Rather than being an equalizer, climate change worsens existing inequalities. Vulnerable communities, especially Black ones, often lack the resources to adapt or recover from environmental disasters. The legacy of systemized oppression has left Black neighborhoods particularly exposed to more intense weather events.

For instance, redlining—a discriminatory real estate practice—pushed Black people into areas that are now disproportionately affected by urban heat islands, flooding, and contaminated water supplies. These conditions leave them less prepared for climate-related crises, such as hurricanes or droughts.

An intersectional lens reveals that combating climate change isn't just about reducing emissions. Addressing how marginalized communities are disproportionately affected must be central to fighting for climate justice.

Examples

• Hurricane Katrina highlighted inequities in disaster response, disproportionately affecting Black residents.
• Flint’s water crisis severely impacted a predominantly Black population.
• African Americans face higher rates of asthma due to poor air quality.

4. Lessons from Indigenous and Abolitionist Movements

The fight against climate change can find inspiration in the successes of movements led by marginalized groups. Indigenous climate activists, for example, have successfully organized protests to prevent oil pipelines from devastating their lands and waters.

Prison abolitionists provide another blueprint. Their restorative justice strategies address harm by holding offenders accountable and fostering repair between harmed parties. This model applies to environmental injustice as well, envisioning reparations from major polluters to the communities they've harmed, like paying for cleanup or funding local improvements.

These movements emphasize that localized, community-led efforts can transform activism. They also showcase the importance of centering marginalized voices to achieve durable, meaningful change.

Examples

• Indigenous groups halted progress on the Keystone XL Pipeline.
• Restorative justice reduces repeat offenses and strengthens communities.
• Environmental reparations could force polluting companies to fund recovery efforts.

5. Racist Algorithms and Digital Harm

Facial recognition and other AI technologies have been shown to discriminate against Black people. Erroneous arrests like those of Robert Williams and Nijeer Parks highlight how flawed technology reinforces institutional bias instead of eliminating it.

Studies have shown that these algorithms often misidentify people of color, reflecting biases inherent in their programming. Without input from Black experts, these technologies continue to perpetuate injustice, amplifying existing structural inequalities in policing, hiring decisions, and access to financial services.

Holding tech companies accountable for these discriminatory practices is essential. Independent audits, especially by Black researchers, must scrutinize the societal impacts of AI systems regularly.

Examples

• Deborah Raji and Joy Buolamwini’s study revealed that Amazon's software was 30% less accurate for darker skin.
• Google’s dismissal of Timnit Gebru showed the reluctance to address transparency concerns.
• Courts have relied on flawed facial recognition technologies, endangering innocent people.

6. Algorithmic Decisions Perpetuate Inequality

Algorithms in areas like hiring, credit scoring, or approving insurance claims are often touted as neutral. Yet, these systems replicate and reinforce the biases of their mostly white creators, harming Black individuals in numerous ways.

For instance, tools designed to maximize profit in hiring may favor candidates from privileged backgrounds, making it harder for Black applicants to compete. Similarly, algorithms used in predatory lending have targeted Black neighborhoods, offering them higher interest rates for subprime mortgages.

Professor Brandeis Marshall emphasizes the need for Black communities to educate themselves on algorithms, creating pathways for challenging these invisible assaults and safeguarding their rights.

Examples

• Predatory mortgage algorithms targeted Black families during the 2008 financial crisis.
• Credit scoring algorithms often penalize Black neighborhoods due to past economic inequities.
• AI hiring tools have been shown to disadvantage candidates from minority groups.

7. Black Women Leading the Way in Tech Accountability

Despite underrepresentation, Black women researchers are driving significant conversations about fairness and ethics in AI. Figures like Joy Buolamwini and Timnit Gebru have called out tech giants for releasing products that harm marginalized communities.

However, these researchers face institutional pushback. Gebru’s firing from Google and Amazon’s dismissal of critical facial recognition audits highlight the systemic silencing of Black voices in the tech industry.

Organizations like the Algorithmic Justice League are stepping in to support these researchers, creating networks that let them continue their work while amplifying their critiques of problematic technologies.

Examples

• Timnit Gebru highlighted the ethical risks of AI at Google before her dismissal.
• The Algorithmic Justice League advocates for fairness in technology development.
• Joy Buolamwini’s audits have forced companies to reevaluate faulty AI systems.

8. Reimagining Accountability in Tech

The culture of tech companies often resists accountability. This reluctance results from their prioritization of profits over responsibility, as evidenced by their lobbying efforts for weaker regulation. Without external intervention, these companies rarely fix flawed technologies.

Mandatory audits led by independent Black researchers are an essential step. These audits should scrutinize all stages of product development and how the algorithms impact marginalized communities. Partnerships between civil rights organizations and researchers can also provide additional pressure to ensure fair outcomes.

Creating regenerative solutions for these issues means fighting for policies that prevent harm, repair damage, and ensure equitable tech practices.

Examples

• Facebook’s algorithms have been linked to the spread of disinformation in vulnerable communities.
• Civil rights groups have successfully pushed for moratoriums on facial recognition use.
• The Federal Trade Commission intervened in cases involving deceptive algorithms.

9. Centering the Black Agenda for Systemic Change

The Black Agenda advocates for centering Black knowledge and leadership across all areas impacted by systemic racism. Rather than waiting for inclusion, Black communities must assert their expertise, lead policy conversations, and demand action in spaces like climate justice and technology.

This shift is necessary because those affected by these issues have firsthand insight into their complexity. Centering Black voices isn't just fair—it’s practical for creating solutions that actually work.

Redefining whose voices matter in public discourse enables society to address systemic racism while tackling shared global challenges.

Examples

• Black researchers predicted how COVID-19 would devastate Black communities early on.
• Intersectional solutions have successfully addressed overlapping climate and racial justice needs.
• The Black Agenda spans grassroots and institutional efforts for systemic reform.

Takeaways

1. Ensure marginalized voices are prioritized in policy and technological development to reflect diverse experiences and needs.
2. Push for mandatory audits of AI technologies, hiring practices, and environmental policies led by Black researchers.
3. Advocate for intersectionality as the foundation for tackling racial, environmental, and technological injustices holistically.