Is Energy a Part of Civil Rights?

Joint Center Workforce Policy Analyst Dr. Gabrielle Smith Finne and American Association of Blacks in Energy Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Public Policy Camile Moore co-authored an op-ed exploring how today’s industrial policy reshapes the economy, with major implications for clean energy, manufacturing, and job creation. The authors’ piece makes a compelling case for centering Black workers in the emerging industries. Drawing from the Joint Center’s new brief, Shifting the Narrative on Industrial Policy: Opportunities for Genuine Economic Mobility and Good Jobs for Black Communities.

The full op-ed can be found below.

Let’s set the scene. It is 1977: the Joint Center has embarked on its first full year as an independent organization, Alex Haley, author of Roots, has just been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, Fleetwood Mac released their eleventh studio album, Rumours, which would rechart in 2020 thanks to a Chinese app called TikTok. President Jimmy Carter also outlined the “Energy Problem” in a seminal address and established the first Department of Energy by early summer. But you are headed to Washington, D.C. to raise a pivotal question: “Is energy a part of civil rights?” The answer provided by the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE), then and now, is an unequivocal yes.

Since its establishment in 1977, the founders of the AABE fought to ensure their voices were part of critical conversations about energy policy, infrastructure development, and resource allocation. They did what had not happened to date by linking energy accessibility directly to economic opportunity, the rising cost of living, and upward mobility.

Today, industrial policy consists of government initiatives designed to develop and support specific patterns of production and trade within an economy. These policies aim to strengthen national security, promote environmental and social sustainability, and improve domestic competitiveness. Industrial policies can accelerate economic growth or they can hand deliver it to some and skip others.

In the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies’ brief, Shifting the Narrative on Industrial Policy: Opportunities for Genuine Economic Mobility and Good Jobs for Black Communities, which includes input from AABE, it answers the critical question: How can industrial policy be leveraged to advance genuine economic mobility and create good jobs for Black communities, particularly considering historic and ongoing racial exclusion from public investments?

Recent attacks on hard-won protections for anti-discrimination and equal opportunity must be met with a strong response. The brief and messaging principles offer a robust answer to help organizations craft messages that amplify the voices of Black workers, provide a nuanced look into the economic realities of Black communities to challenge systemic barriers, align with economic and racial justice ideals, and help engage meaningfully with diverse stakeholders. As Black-led organizations, our communications must be clear, compelling, and rooted in shared values of equity, economic opportunity, and dignity in work. This brief is part of a new series, Centering Black Workers in Emerging Industries, which examines how Black communities can access and advance in high-growth industries, like manufacturing, technology, and clean energy, and amplifies the need for equitable economic advancement of Black workers and communities.

For nearly 50 years, AABE has existed to ensure participation in discussions and development of energy policies, regulations, research and development, technologies, and environmental issues.

AABE laid the groundwork for the discussion on accessibility, affordability, and workforce inclusion in the energy sector which in turn has influenced industrial policy for the past 48 years. Founded in 1970, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies was established to lend a hand to Black leaders as they traveled the uncharted road from civil rights activism to the political establishment. Fifty-five years later, the Joint Center continues to meet the evolving needs of Black communities as the Workforce Policy Program centers Black workers in policy debates concerning the future of work, workforce development, and access to good jobs. ​​

Crisis often creates the need for policies where none existed before. Today’s unprecedented challenges, coupled with political gridlock over whether we are in a transition or a climate emergency, call for common ground. However, on this, we can agree: energy must be affordable, accessible, and reliable for all American families.