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It’s All Our Backyard: Just Transitions to Regional Sustainability
In this public lecture delivered in the Library's Trefz Forum, Roosevelt Institute Director of Climate Policy Rhiana Gunn-Wright will explore the interconnections between environmental and racial justice and discuss how to cultivate regional responses to the climate crisis, recognizing that environmental impacts cross town lines.
The talk is inspired by Westport's commitment to becoming a sustainable, thriving community — economically, environmentally, and socially — and by our ongoing community-based efforts to dismantle systemic racism. It was conceived as part of a Lilly Foundation-funded initiative at Saugatuck Congregational Church to “embrace our coastal community.”
In case you missed the event, you may watch the recorded program here.
Gunn-Wright leads the Roosevelt Institute’s research at the intersection of climate policy, public investment, racial equity, and public power. Along with her colleagues, Gunn-Wright aims to create a body of work that examines the role of economic policy and large-scale economic transformation in catalyzing just and rapid responses to the climate crisis. She also supports Roosevelt’s engagement with the Green New Deal Network and other partners in the climate movement.
Prior to joining Roosevelt, Gunn-Wright was the policy director for New Consensus, charged with developing and promoting the Green New Deal, and the policy director for Abdul El-Sayed’s 2018 Michigan gubernatorial campaign. A 2013 Rhodes Scholar, she has also worked as the policy analyst for the Detroit Health Department, acted as the Mariam K. Chamberlain Fellow of Women and Public Policy at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, and served on the policy team for former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Community Partners: Saugatuck Congregational Church, TEAM Westport, and Sustainable Westport
The Westport Library is committed to intellectual freedom, inclusivity, and lifelong learning. Our mission is to provide welcoming spaces for the free exchange of ideas. The Library does not endorse or condemn points of view, including any program content or the views expressed by presenters or participants.
