Fall/Winter 2025
Rooted & Rising
Candice Fortin of 350 on spiritual stamina and climate resilience. Photography by Malcolm Johnson.
Antonique Smith of Climate Revival performing for the congregation.
On the heels of the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, even as resources for climate resilience become scarce, we are seeing everyday citizens find ways to care for one another.
In the heart of the Central City Neighborhood of New Orleans, we gathered in Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church, a historically Black institution, for a day of powerful storytelling and collective action. Organized by climate and environmental justice groups 350, NAACP, Counterstream Media, Climate Power, Climate Revival and Young, Gifted and Green, one of the guiding missions of “Rooted and Rising” was to anchor our guests in the local issues and narratives around mutual aid organizing and climate resilience. Embedded in the church’s regular Sunday worship service, frontline environmental advocates from the Gulf and Southeast were invited to deliver powerful stories of struggle and resilience in the face of climate disaster and major polluting plants in their own backyard.
As the US Campaigns Manager for 350, spaces like this are critically important for our cause. Growing up in Pensacola, FL, a town that once had more churches per capita than any other city in the country, I’ve seen how faith has both divided communities as a vehicle for white nationalist violence and fortified communities through mutual aid and storytelling. Faith can be connected to religion but also more broadly to the convictions we have in ourselves and each other.
Through prayer, testimonial, and practice, we inspired “Rooted and Rising” attendees to work together to assemble 2,000 disaster relief kits that were then dispersed via our local partners to serve their communities. As the photos in this series show, it was a beautiful day of solidarity and service.
“Faith can be connected to religion but also more broadly to the convictions we have in ourselves and each other. ”
Young congregation members joining the church in song ahead of their special sermon.
Right now, we are sitting with the reality of the growing climate crisis. In the past 2 years alone, we have witnessed smoke from a massive wildfire that ground NYC to a halt, 2 million people losing power along with hundreds of thousands suffering property damage during Hurricane Helene, and wildfires in Maui and Los Angeles that devastated entire communities and created a new generation of climate migrants in the US. In an already critically vulnerable region like New Orleans, we know that there will be more disasters the community will need to brace itself for.
Currently, the federal government has eroded legislation that was designed to support and serve communities vulnerable to climate disasters. Trump’s administration has made severe cuts to critical disaster relief programs designed to provide climate resilience and relief to impacted communities.
However, despite the lack of critical funding, we are seeing more and more people begin to identify ways to care for each other when outside resources geared towards climate resilience are becoming increasingly scarce. “Rooted and Rising” was a powerful example of how communities can come together to take care of us independent of the government.
Through song, storytelling, and service, we will continue to work toward climate justice.
Congressional church member giving praise before the sermon.
Shamyra Lavigne of Rise St. James embracing the MC Antonique Smith.
Reverend Lennox Yearwood, Jr.
Roishetta Ozane, Founder of the Vessel Project in Lake Charles, LA offering her testimonial on the strength of mutual aid and community resilience in the face of climate disaster.
Congressional elder taking in the opening scripture and prayer.
A churchgoer taking video of the testimonial by Shamyra Lavigne of Rise St. James
New Orleans native Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, MD uplifting the intersections of birth equity and access in the aftermath of climate disaster.
LaTricea Adams, the founder and president of Young, Gifted and Green in Memphis sharing her testimonials of climate resilience on the frontlines.
Dr. Reverend Patrick Thompson of Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church opening the program with scripture and prayer.
Shamyra Lavigne sharing her powerful story of what brought her to climate justice work.
Abre’ Conner, Director of Climate and Environmental Justice at NAACP and Advisor at Counterstream Media, giving a powerful call to action to the congregation.
Co-Organizers Candice Fortin of 350 and Abre' Conner of NAACP at the post-sermon reception and mutual aid distribution.
How does the concept of peace & riot show up in your work?
In the US, we are facing significant challenges to climate justice organizing along with a diminishing of institutions that hold the historical knowledge and references we seek for grounding and guidance. Peace and Riot helps document and memorialize the work and figures of our movement who are continuing to lead the fight with bravery and innovation. We must keep telling our stories, now more than ever.
- Candice Fortin
Candice Fortin, U.S. Campaigns Manager for 350.org, a global climate non-profit fighting for a world beyond fossil fuels.
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