{"id":20340,"date":"2026-08-07T01:50:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T01:50:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=20340"},"modified":"2026-08-07T01:50:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T01:50:27","slug":"black-mayors-climate-change-is-in-americas-top-five-crucial-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/07\/black-mayors-climate-change-is-in-americas-top-five-crucial-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Mayors: Climate Change is in America\u2019s Top Five Crucial Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, President, African American Mayors Association<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Hazel Trice Edney<\/strong><\/p>\n

Guest Column<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the Trump Administration continues to deny the reality and community impact of climate change, Black mayors have united to protect African Americans and other people of color, who are increasingly and disparately in danger across the nation.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though we have an administration that doesn\u2019t even believe that climate change is real, we\u2019re smart and we know that it is real,\u201d says Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, president of the African American Mayors Association (AAMA), in an interview with the Trice Edney News Wire. \u201cPeople can see these storms that are causing flooding in areas that have never been flooded.\u00a0People know it\u2019s hotter. They can see that. What we\u2019re doing now is just allowing ourselves to be prepared for the world that we know that we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Baltimore mayor since 2020, Scott has earned a reputation for using his power to actively prepare for the world that he envisions. For example, three years into his administration, he signed into law\u00a0City Council Bill 21-0159<\/a>, sponsored by Councilman Mark Conway, to help “facilitate a transition to zero emissions vehicles for the City\u2019s administrative fleet. Under the law, by 2030, all procurements for the City\u2019s administrative fleet \u2013 comprised of light-duty, standard-occupancy vehicles, including sedans, small pickups, and SUVs \u2013 will be required to be zero emission vehicles, mostly likely all electric,” according to a press release describing the bill.<\/p>\n

This action followed the 2022 announcement of Scott’s vision for a goal of 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2045.<\/p>\n

Among his earliest legislative actions, Scott also signed a bill requiring the city\u2019s three pension funds to divest from the fossil fuel industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy administration knows the critical importance of ensuring our city is able to confront the climate crisis head-on and do everything in our power to ensure Baltimore is leading the way in sustainability and climate resilience,” he said in a press statement. “Doing so requires us to look at the steps city government can take to change the way it operates, and work to modernize our systems to be more climate conscious.”<\/p>\n

In the interview, he said he wants Baltimore to lead the nation by example. “When you look at the milestones that we’re setting for ourselves, that’s how we’re holding ourselves accountable.”<\/p>\n

\"\"
Flint, Michigan Mayor Sheldon Neeley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He said he hopes this vision will spread around the nation to mayors of AAMA as effects of climate change – including global warming, pandemics and other health crisis – have historically affected Black and other people of color disparately.<\/p>\n

Scott represents the 641 African American mayors of the AAMA, an organization that grew out of the 50-year-old National Conference of Black Mayors, which merged with the AAMA in 2016. Black mayors represent 48 million citizens across the country.<\/p>\n

It has been widely reported by credible environmental agencies that climate change causes frequent and severe weather events, heavier than normal rainfalls, dangerous thunder and lightning storms, droughts and scorching heat waves such as those taking place this summer. Coupled with long time environmental racism in poor Black neighborhoods, climate issues have risen to crisis level.<\/p>\n

Among America\u2019s worst recent environmental crisis was the Flint, Mich., water crisis from 2014-2019. Between 6-12,000 Flint children were exposed to high levels of lead in Flint\u2019s drinking water after residents complained about the taste, smell and appearance of the water for years. Lead affects the brain and central nervous system when consumed.<\/p>\n

Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley, mayor since 2019, is still dealing with the aftermath of the crisis. In an interview, he agreed with observers that Flint suffered the inattention that led to the crisis largely because the community was poor and Black.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would not have had to experience the things that we are still currently experiencing had we been a community of not so many minority members of our society,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Environmental racism doesn\u2019t just impact physical health. The continued fear and mistrust of the government also impact mental health.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we talk about the psychological and social impact that we’ve had, you know, there’s a crisis of confidence, especially in government,\u201d Neeley said. \u201cDefinitely the psychological impact is something that we cannot see and we have to really understand what that is. And so, segments of our community still believe that we’re still in crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Neeley says climate change is among the top five most important issues America currently faces. That is why the AAMA now partners with organizations studying and advocating issues pertaining to climate change.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

AAMA, a non-partisan organization, works alongside climate organizations, such as the Climate Action Campaign (CAC), which has kept a sharp eye on moves made by the Trump Administration against climate change issues. CAC pushes for \u201cequitable federal action to tackle the climate crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For example, CAC has a web feature called, \u201cTrump\u2019s Climate and Clean Energy Rollback Tracker\u201d.\u00a0Currently it states, \u201cThe Trump administration has accelerated the climate crisis and endangered communities\u2019 health, driven up costs and undermined economic growth. The rollbacks tracked below \u2013 cuts to extreme weather preparedness, frozen investments, and blocked pollution protections, and more \u2013 will have a devastating impact on every American, and particularly the most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Neeley stresses that he works from a non-partisan perspective; and therefore, will do everything possible to fill gaps where funds have been cut by the federal government.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the damage continues to grow in the Black community as the AAMA fights back.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reports, \u201cAfrican American communities are more vulnerable to severe weather and floods. More than half\u200b of African Americans in the United States live in the South, an area that is and will continue to see stronger hurricanes and increased flooding from climate change. Many communities adjacent to \u200b power plants, petrochemical \u200bplants, factories, and other sources of pollution, are African American or other people of color. Unfortunately, recent hurricanes have shown that many of these facilities are ill equipped to deal with flooding from increasingly stronger storms, often leading to releases of air and water pollution.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The report continues, \u201cFor example, after Hurricane Harvey [in 2017], independent monitors found petrochemical plants released cancer-causing benzene at rates \u200bsix times higher\u200b than safe levels. Neighborhoods near Superfund sites, which have also seen \u200b flooding\u200b from recent storms, are also \u200bmore likely\u200b to be African American.\u00a0Historic segregation has resulted in African Americans living in less desirable \u200b low-lying and flood prone areas\u200b in many cities throughout the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The EDF reports it will only get worse. But Scott says it won\u2019t be difficult to measure the impact the mayors are making. \u201cWhen you talk about our legacy residents who now have heating and air in their homes. Even things like cool roofs and mitigating extreme flooding,\u201d Scott said. \u201cAnd people\u2019s basements aren\u2019t being ruined year after year after year. We can hold ourselves accountable for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Scott concludes that the key will be the mayors working together and sharing strategies for success.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“As president of the African American Mayors Association, we do this on every issue, making sure that we’re looking for best practices across the country, putting things together and helping each other to make policy better – not just for one city, but for all cities.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Hazel Trice Edney Guest Column As the Trump Administration continues to deny the reality and community impact of climate change, Black mayors have united to protect African Americans and other people of color, who are increasingly and disparately in danger across the nation. \u201cEven though we have an administration that doesn\u2019t even believe that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20343,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[252],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[359],"class_list":["post-20340","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20340","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20340"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20340\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20344,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20340\/revisions\/20344"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20340"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=20340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}