The Impact of Climate Change on Black Girls’ and Women’s Health: Using Theory to Mitigate and Organize

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible health effects of climate change on Black girls’ and women’s health in the United States and analyze Black women-centered solutions for climate change mitigation. Anthropogenic climate change is projected to have a deleterious effect on human health, with rising heat levels, increasing levels of air pollution, and extreme weather events interacting to cause a multitude of adverse human health outcomes. At the crux of sexism and racism, Black women are projected to face a unique set of health outcomes. Racist-built environments, a legacy of hypersexualization, and a sociopolitical environment entrenched in gendered racism all create a complex set of adverse health outcomes. Furthermore, the health effects of intergenerational racialized trauma posit Black women as more susceptible to certain health conditions under climate change. Likewise, the unique positionality of Black women also means that Black women-centered methodologies lead to stronger mitigation strategies. Employing Black feminist theory, Black queer feminist theory, and Womanism to combat climate change could create more holistic, intersectional solutions. Fighting gendered racism requires a restructuring of power, thereby centering Black women as leaders in the climate movement is imperative to achieving environmental justice.