Overview

Climate change. Two words that are quickly becoming the clarion call to action in the twenty-first century. It is a voter issue, an economy driver, and a defining dynamic for the foreseeable future. Yet, in Black communities, climate change is seen as less urgent when compared to other pressing issues, including police brutality, gun violence, job security, food insecurity, and the blatant racism faced daily around the country. However, with Black Americans disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change--making up 13 percent of the US population but breathing 40 percent dirtier air and being twice as likely to be hospitalized or die from climate-related health problems than white counterparts--climate change is a central issue of racial justice and affects every aspect of life for Black communities. In Before the Streetlights Come On, climate activist Heather McTeer Toney insists that those most affected by climate change are best suited to lead the movement for climate justice. McTeer Toney brings her background in politics, community advocacy, and leadership in environmental justice to this revolutionary exploration of why and how Black Americans are uniquely qualified to lead national and global conversations around systems of racial disparity and solutions to the climate crisis.

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"Heather McTeer Toney is an attorney, environmentalist, speaker, and writer. She was the first Black, first female, and youngest mayor elected in Greenville, Mississippi, at age twenty-seven. In 2014, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency's Southeast Region. Formerly the senior director for Moms Clean Air Force and vice president of community engagement for the Environmental Defense Fund, Heather currently serves as the executive director for the Beyond Petrochemicals Campaign. She is frequently featured on various networks and outlets, including CNN, Apple's The Problem with Jon Stewart, MSNBC, Democracy Now!, Fox News, the New York Times, Washington Post, and DAME. Heather lives with her husband and three children in Oxford, Mississippi. Hailed for her powerfully nuanced portrayal of ""Minnie McMillian"" in the blockbuster Just Mercy, Karan Kendrick is among the artistic elite. Her other credits range from The Hunger Games (LionsGate), Hidden Figures (20th Century Fox), and dramas like the 2018 20th Century Fox feature The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox), to television-Grey's Anatomy (ABC)-and regional theater (Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, Goodman Theatre, Alliance Theatre). Her recent credits include Laura Steinel's 2019 feature comedy Fam-i-l-y (Naegle Ink), season four of CW's The Originals, and Greenleaf on OWN. In addition to her work as an actor, Karan has served tirelessly for the past decade to provide students with an opportunity to build character, discipline, and an eternal passion for the arts. As cofounder of The Kendrick Academy in 2010, Karan taught students drama, dance, and music while simultaneously pursuing her acting career. Expanding from her hometown of Fort Valley, Georgia, The Kendrick Academy (TheKendrickAcademy.com) is now a fully virtual academy offering weekly online classes in acting and screenwriting to students across the country. In addition to the creative aspect, Ms. Kendrick also offers classes and special workshops that focus on helping young actors and their families understand how to build a sustainable acting career. With topics from ""Where do I begin?"" ""Now what?"" and ""From residuals to retirement,"" Ms. Kendrick helps to build the whole actor as a thriving working artist. ""I believe in the mantra of 'lifting as you climb.' For me, it wasn't about ""making it"" and then giving back. Giving back is a part of who I am and that is the way I choose to share what I was learning and experiencing to students who have similar interests. I want them to see-very tangibly-what a working artist looks like, so that they will know that it is an attainable goal, and a sustainable career."" -Karan Kendrick Building on her role in the feature film Hidden Figures, Karan invited select students across the country to participate in her Girls Empowerment Tour. The discussions focused on encouraging students to choose excellence at every step on their journey, and how that choice can change the world. Girls ages 8-12 chosen to participate in the program received a complimentary copy of the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, and rounded out the day by attending a VIP screening of the film with the actress as well. ""This was an incredible opportunity to share the values that I worked to instill in my KA students with a larger audience. It was also a way to reinforce to young girls the power of and beauty of intelligence, persistence, leadership, and excellence."" -Karan Kendrick Born and raised in Fort Valley, Georgia, Karan graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia (BA, Drama and Dance) and earned her graduate degree (MBA, Management) at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. As a speaker, Karan has appeared at the following: NASA (Ames) speaker, Women's History Month; Stanford University featured panelist for Hidden Figures sponsored by Boeing and NSBE; Fort Valley State University commencement speaker 2018. Additional acting credits include Grey's Anatomy, Goddess (O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference), Breath and Imagination (The Colony Theatre), Drop Dead Diva, Army Wives, The Wronged Man, Fab Five: The Texas Cheerleading Scandal (Lifetime Television), Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Madea Goes to Jail, (Tyler Perry Studios), the feature films The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Parental Guidance, Merry Friggin' Christmas, and more."

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