Jacqueline Patterson

Director, Environmental and Climate Justice Program

Jacqueline Patterson

NAACP

 

As its director of "climate justice," Jacqueline Patterson is leading the NAACP’s campaign to shut down coal-burning power plants in minority communities.

 

When the NAACP recently released a report on the disproportionate effects of coal-fired plants on minorities, Jacqueline Patterson led the efforts to spread its message that these facilities were “killing low-income communities and communities of color.” 

"Thirty-nine percent of the people living near coal-fired power plants are people of color, so what’s absolutely true is that there are a disproportionate number of people of color living next to these plants. Seventy-eight percent of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant. We also discovered that Latino communities, as well as indigenous communities and low-income communities, are more likely to live next to coal-fired plants." 

"An African American child is three times more likely to go into the emergency room for an asthma attack than a white child and twice as likely to die from asthma attacks than a white child. African Americans are more likely to die from lung disease, but less likely to smoke." 

"We now have a weekly “black-green pipeline” career digest in which we send out jobs and training opportunities in the green sector."

Patterson was previously coordinator of Women of Color United, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Alumni Network, Assistant Vice President of Programs for IMA World Heath where she administered home based care and antiretroviral therapy programs in 12 countries in Africa and the Caribbean, Outreach Program Associate for the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, Policy Anaylyst for the Baltimore City Healthy Start, Volunteer, and U.S. Peace Corps.

 

Patterson holds a Master's Degree in Public Health from The Johns Hopkins University and an MSW in Maternal and Child Health and Social Development from the University of Maryland Baltimore.  (LinkedIn, Yale Environment 360)