It certainly seems hopeless to think that the biggest contributors to the problem will move quickly enough to stop the climate crisis, but yet, I am inspired by the climate activists that I met at the conference that continue to fight what more often than not seems like a losing battle. Whatever their reason for being part of this movement, they too have a spirit of resistance within each of them. They fight even if the outcome looks grim because they too cannot accept the world as it is. As I listened to stories from indigenous people and frontline people living in Suriname, Canada, Tibet, Zenhab, Nigeria, and Indonesia, a common theme emerged, preventing the climate crisis is not just about ensuring our survival but also about restoring our humanity. COP21 was their platform to not only share the struggles of their communities but to bring forth a global paradigm shift that sees and acts on the belief that all life on Earth is connected and it is our collective responsibility to take care of one another. It was in what these activists see as the solution to the climate crisis that reignited the fire in my heart to cultivate that same spirit of resistance in my family and community. In the words of Angela Davis, the people I spent time with in Paris are “people who are not afraid to dream about the possibility of a better world. They say that a non-exploitative, non-racist, democratic economic order is possible. They say that new social relations are possible, ones that link human beings around the globe, not by commodities some produce and others consume, but rather by equality and solidarity and cooperation and respect.”
On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we have heard over and over again how resilient we are, and though in many ways this is true, it is being resistant to the ideas and systems that perpetuate inequality and compromise the health, wellbeing and sustainability of our communities that we need to become if we are to protect our future on this planet. If you are reading this you are likely to be sympathetic to my rant, but I hope that you too are inspired to share your own story and to use it and the stories of others to build solidarity and help shift the narrative of resilience toward one of resistance.