NCCJC 2025 Retrospective: Together, We Rise!
Photo caption: More than 250 folks from across NC attended our 7th statewide NC Climate Justice Summit which took place at Haw River State Park in Browns Summit.
Dear Friends,
Given the inexcusable attacks on all we hold dear, 2025 has been horrific. That’s why our NCCJC leadership team is particularly grateful for all the moments of connection, mutual support, and powerful organizing that you, as a part of our Collective, helped make happen.
We aligned frontline struggles.
Strengthened solidarity and collaboration through Resiliency Organizing Hubs: NCCJC provided ongoing opportunities for relationship-building, training, and peer learning for impacted communities in our five regional Resiliency Organizing Hubs. Our Hub leaders convened monthly through local in-person meetings and statewide zoom sessions, and quarterly through Hub leadership retreats. Given the intense political pressure facing communities, this year’s in-person convenings prioritized workshops focused on strategic alignment using our 4 Rs of social transformation framework, healing justice practices and, nonviolent civil defense.
Photo caption: Throughout the year, Resiliency Organizing Hub leaders developed strategy and programming around the 4 Rs of Social Transformation: Reform, Resist, Re-Imagine, and Re-Create.
Worked with frontline communities to Win the World We Want!
20 BIPOC emerging organizers completed our first year-long Winning the World We Want Apprenticeships (W4A) program. W4A builds the capacity of our Hubs through three training tracks: energy justice organizing, food justice organizing and cooperative business development.
Trained movements allies around the world: NCCJC facilitated virtual workshops on the 4Rs in collaboration with Yes! and Native Movement as well as trainings on our Resiliency Organizing Hub model for Climate Justice Alliance and the Southeast Climate and Energy Network (SCEN). We also co-organized and co-facilitated the 7th Healing Our Movement Ecosystem Jam – a week-long gathering for 25 environmental and climate leaders from across the US.
We rooted statewide power-building efforts in arts and cultural work.
Launched the inaugural 4Rs Indie Film Festival: 7 winners were selected from 25 submissions focused on the theme “Winning the World We Want: Toward a Just, Regenerative, and Ecologically Vibrant World.” Each piece explored the connection between nature, extractive practices, and social justice, and the films were showcased through a virtual festival and discussion in March.
Served on the planning team and anchored cultural strategy for NC Environmental Justice People’s Hearing: Speak Easy, Speak Free. Youth and elders from NCCJC performed our interactive multimedia show, “Finding Our Balance” that explores the roots of environmental destruction and the path toward thriving communities. Our Co-Founder & Co-Director, Connie Leeper, facilitated the Mothers of the Environmental Justice Movement conversation and ceremony. We also organized performances by NC poets Jackie Shelton Green, Monet Marshall and our Cultural Organizing Director, Dasan Ahanu, as well as live music by a local DJ.
Captions: (Left) NCCJC Board Member, Donna Chavis, was honored as one of the Mothers of Environmental Justice. Our Co-Director, Connie Leeper, moderated a discussion with Donna and fellow "Mothers of EJ" Dollie Burwell and Belinda Joyner. (Right) Reflections from the hearing were published in Mother Jones. The lead photo from the article featured art from NCCJC’s interactive multimedia show, “Finding Our Balance.”
Organized our second TapRoot Arts Residency: Fifteen BIPOC "artivists" joined our year long arts residency that generates art to catalyze climate justice movement building. The residency kicked off with a 5-day immersion at Lake Logan where the cohort dove deep into political education, creative exercises, performances, nature-based activities and fellowship. Since the retreat, our TapRoot Artists have contributed significantly to NCCJC’s narrative and cultural organizing work, such as recording pieces to mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene in September.
Photo caption: Participants in NCCJC's second TapRoot Artists Residency enjoyed fellowship, creative performances, and opportunities to explore the beautiful western NC mountains.
Centered and Celebrated Inner Resilience: TapRoot Artists also performed at stops along The Art of Us roadshow – a cultural arts tour designed to activate the creative power of communities in defending our people and places.
In partnership with our Resiliency Organizing Hub anchors and PowerUp NC, we organized events in Goldsboro, Durham, Fayetteville, Kinston, and Maxton, bringing together more than 15 performers and 300 participants. Each event included poetry and civic engagement workshops followed by performances from an incredible line-up of poets and dynamic musical artists. We shared free printed copies of the new Inner Resilience toolkit recently re-created by our artists in residence.
Photo captions: Lani, a Durham-based poet, performed as part of The Art of Us roadshow; (Left) NCCJC's Community and Civic Engagement Director, Ms. Kristal Suggs, with members of the Robeson Resiliency Organizing Hub at the Roadshow stop in Maxton.
We cultivated joy and built movement infrastructure for Just Recovery and energy justice.
Convened our 7th NC Climate Justice Summit
250 youth and adults gathered in Brown Summit (near Greensboro) in April. The theme of the Summit was “Just Recovery for All,” with a focus on strengthening connective tissue between eastern and western NC communities dealing with climate disasters and organizing around a Just Transition.
Programming included over 30 workshops led by our five intergenerational Resiliency Organizing Hub teams; Just Recovery training and strategy sessions led by grassroots climate leaders from our movement family from Puerto Rico, the Gulf South, the Mariana Islands, and California; a healing space; time to enjoy the amazing natural setting; an epic open mic night; and a bonfire under the full moon!
Photo captions: NCCJC's 7th Climate Justice Summit was a space for learning, connection, and celebration!
Organized the first annual Durham Solar Festival: More than 175 folks participated in our first annual Solar Festival at Lyons Farm Elementary School in Durham, which we organized in partnership with Dr. Wafa Khalil and Principal James Hopkins. The program featured The Good Fire – NCCJC’s interactive performance that is an allegory about clean energy – with live music by A Different Drum; hands-on exhibits and info tables on rooftop solar opportunities; youth competitions including a solar car race and solar oven “bake-off”; and a sun-themed arts station. The event reminded us of how connecting creativity, youth engagement and solution-oriented action offers an antidote to despair. This is what it means to tend “The Good Fire” of our community hearth.
Photo caption: The Solar Festival featured interactive activities like a solar oven bake-off and solar-powered community design competition. (Left) Dr. Wafa Khalil sets up for the solar bake-off with a student leader from Men and Women United for Youth and Families. (Right) Two Lyons Elementary students check out the houses from the solar-powered communities display.
NCCJC’s offices will be closed December 29th through January 5th as we take time to rest, reflect, and recharge. We look forward to seeing you in 2026!
With gratitude,
Connie, Jodi, & rest of the NCCJC Team
