Before the Streetlights Come On: Black America’s Urgent Call for Climate Solutions

by Heather McTeer Toney

Climate change. Two words that are quickly becoming the clarion call to action in the twenty-first century. It is a voter issue, an economy driver, and a defining dynamic for the foreseeable future. Yet, in Black communities, climate change is seen as less urgent when compared to other pressing issues, including police brutality, gun violence, job security, food insecurity, and the blatant racism faced daily around the country.

However, with Black Americans disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change--making up 13 percent of the US population but breathing 40 percent dirtier air and being twice as likely to be hospitalized or die from climate-related health problems than white counterparts--climate change is a central issue of racial justice and affects every aspect of life for Black communities.

In Before the Streetlights Come On, climate activist Heather McTeer Toney insists that those most affected by climate change are best suited to lead the movement for climate justice. McTeer Toney brings her background in politics, community advocacy, and leadership in environmental justice to this revolutionary exploration of why and how Black Americans are uniquely qualified to lead national and global conversations around systems of racial disparity and solutions to the climate crisis. As our country delves deeper into solutions for systemic racism and past injustices, she argues, the environmental movement must shift direction and leadership toward those most affected and most affecting change: Black communities.

Genres: Climate Change, Nonfiction, Environment

198 pages, Hardcover

Published April 18, 2023

Reviews

[Sydney Bazilian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before the Streetlights Come On is a great introduction to environmental injustice and systemic inequalities and their relation to climate change for those who are less familiar to the topics, and also thought-provoking and informative for more informed readers. McTeer Toney infuses each chapter with the perfect amount of personal lived experience and reflection in addition to more straightforward statistics. A great resource for everybody and organized in such a way that feels hopeful and actionable.

[Karen Lemmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heather McTeer Toney writes an important and practical book on the urgent need to take action on climate change. She effectively integrates social justice, education, health care, religion, discrimination and more with climate change by providing historical and current context, personal stories, reports, laws, and more. Each chapter ends with definitions and practical things we can do to address climate change. At the end of the book, she has a streetlight action plan (SLAP) that lists 50 things we can do about climate change. Climate change is real. Environmental injustice in black and brown communities is real. Unless we take some action, our quality of life will continue to suffer. Read Heather's book. We can all do something to address climate change.

[Taylor M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! A must read for everyone. I am certainly one of those "vegetarian white people that hugged trees, saved turtles and wore Jesus sandals but didn't believe in him" and I think this demographic is the one that needs to read this the most. We can not have a better planet without justice! McTeer Toney makes excellent points on why this is true and why white hippies need to listen to the wisdom and experiences of Black people to create the planet we all deserve. This book is a beautiful mix of stories and facts. I really love how she ends every every chapter with clarifying definitions and climate actions you can do right now.

[Jennifer Schnakenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m just not sure who is the intended audience of this book. I suspect most folks motivated to pick it up have at least a cursory understanding of climate science and environmental (in)justice, but each chapter ends with a glossary of basic terms. McGee Toney focuses on the intersection of climate change, anti-Black systemic racism, and the potential for Black Americans to make real headway on these challenges. There are important ideas and powerful stories here, ones that deserve a tighter and more targeted presentation.

Also, whoever edited this book did the author no favors. I found numerous typos and word choice errors, and chapter 8 ends with a comma.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! A call for action with plenty of reason for change and multiple practical "to do's" to make a positive difference...
All to be done in a timely manner...just like the urgency of getting home before the streetlights come on.
Toney's background in climate, her knowledge of the needs and the challenges and her very personal writing style make this a strong call to action! Very readable....very relatable...very practical and very urgent.
The call is for all...we are all living with the consequences of what we do...or what we don't do.

[PottWab Regional Library]

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