12 September 2025
Gloria Walton and Wawa Gatheru Believe in Grassroots Change, Not Just Charity
Climate One
About
Those standing up to climate and environmental injustice face challenges they weren’t seeing a year ago. But Gloria Walton, head of The Solutions Project, sees a bigger picture:
"The reality is that the same systems that created the climate crisis, whether that's colonialism, white supremacy, racism, and the patriarchy, those are the same ones that have harmed communities of color for generations,” she says. Her organization has channeled tens of millions of philanthropic dollars to grassroots efforts that build community resilience.
Black Girl Environmentalist founder Wawa Gatheru is helping more Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people enter and lead in the climate space. She says the climate fight has shifted from education to action, with over 70% of Americans now understanding that climate change is real. So what should this 'action phase' look like?
Guests:
Gloria Walton, President & CEO, The Solutions Project
Wawa Gatheru, Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist
Highlights:
00:00 – Intro
05:30 – Gloria Walton on the impact of the Altadena wildfires
10:30 – Walton’s work as an organizer in South Central LA
13:00 – Living with idea of abundance
19:00 – Finding and keeping your individual power within our democracy
21:00 – Work of West Street Recovery Project in Houston
22:30 – Developing local resilience hubs
24:00 – Reframing frontline communities as victors, not victims
27:00 – Channeling philanthropy to climate resilience and frontline communities
36:00 – Story of Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai
42:00 – Wawa Gatheru’s start in climate and environmental advocacy
44:00 – Not seeing herself in climate spaces
48:00 – Climate storytelling can offer nuance and move people
55:00 – Work and growth of Black Girl Environmentalist organization
59:00 – Climate One More Thing
For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts
Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today.
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"The reality is that the same systems that created the climate crisis, whether that's colonialism, white supremacy, racism, and the patriarchy, those are the same ones that have harmed communities of color for generations,” she says. Her organization has channeled tens of millions of philanthropic dollars to grassroots efforts that build community resilience.
Black Girl Environmentalist founder Wawa Gatheru is helping more Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people enter and lead in the climate space. She says the climate fight has shifted from education to action, with over 70% of Americans now understanding that climate change is real. So what should this 'action phase' look like?
Guests:
Gloria Walton, President & CEO, The Solutions Project
Wawa Gatheru, Founder & Executive Director, Black Girl Environmentalist
Highlights:
00:00 – Intro
05:30 – Gloria Walton on the impact of the Altadena wildfires
10:30 – Walton’s work as an organizer in South Central LA
13:00 – Living with idea of abundance
19:00 – Finding and keeping your individual power within our democracy
21:00 – Work of West Street Recovery Project in Houston
22:30 – Developing local resilience hubs
24:00 – Reframing frontline communities as victors, not victims
27:00 – Channeling philanthropy to climate resilience and frontline communities
36:00 – Story of Hoʻāhu Energy Cooperative Molokai
42:00 – Wawa Gatheru’s start in climate and environmental advocacy
44:00 – Not seeing herself in climate spaces
48:00 – Climate storytelling can offer nuance and move people
55:00 – Work and growth of Black Girl Environmentalist organization
59:00 – Climate One More Thing
For show notes and related links, visit https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts
Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you’ll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today.
Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices