Overview

Climates of Inequality is a public memory project created by students, educators, and community leaders in over 20 cities across the US and around the world. Founded in 2019, the project promotes future visions for confronting the climate crisis that understand, and undo, past environmental harms. By compiling these histories in an evolving, internationally traveling exhibit with local events at every stop, this project seeks to affirm frontline communities’ work and inspire others to action for climate and environmental justice.

Lead Organization: Humanities Action Lab, a coalition led by Rutgers University–Newark, involving more than 20 universities and community organizations across the country.

Creators of the project:

The scope of this project includes, but not limited to environmental justice, public memory, and digital storytelling.

. Originating in Newark, New Jersey, it includes local stories from across the U.S., Mexico, and Latin America. The project’s main goal is to raise awareness about environmental inequality, link historical and present-day struggles, and empower communities to take action toward a more just and sustainable future.

Climates of Inequality connects multiple fields by combining environmental, historical, and digital approaches to social justice. the project stands out for its innovative use of digital mapping, oral histories, and multimedia design to create a collaborative public archive. It models a participatory digital humanity.