It’s Here: An Energy-specific Racial Equity Training
One of the favorite things I get to do at Common Spark is support organizations and advocates as they ask questions on how to bring about a just and sustainable energy future through their work.
We work with many groups that have done months, if not, years of DEI and racial justice training, coaching, and conversations. We know individuals that have been working on their allyship for years and years, and individuals who wholeheartedly accepted the call for greater introspection and action following the murder of George Floyd. There’s no wrong way to enter this journey - but it does matter whether or not you're on one. Without individual and systemic action against the status quo, our energy system will continue to perpetuate harm in the most vulnerable communities, and that puts us all at risk.
From our vantage point, Common Spark has the privilege to witness environmental justice and frontline organizations connecting with the daily lives of their community members and bringing their insight into making energy programs work better. We also see incredibly powerful and inspired NGOs that wield enormous reach and resources advocate for highly technical solutions to accelerate clean energy adoption. And, we see the challenges of bridging these two worlds in the name of an equitable energy future.
Learning about energy inequity and injustice through DEI and racial justice training is critical, but our industry’s legacy requires more than greater understanding of these concepts. Healing and growing in a just and equitable way requires a deep examination of our individual role in the system we have today, and replacement of well-worn practices with those that actively nurture diversity of thought, inclusiveness of cultures and ideas, and a sense of belonging in currently wonky and extremely technical spaces. Imagining what this looks like actually applied in our energy policy world is challenging, but not impossible–we all rightly could use some support.
All of us at Common Spark have and continue to attend racial justice and equity trainings (we’re a fan of Race Forward’s Racial Justice Trainings), but we couldn’t find an energy-specific training that translated racial justice into the energy work we do on a day-to-day basis. There’s no “energy version” of a racial justice training, or a training on equitable advocacy practices from an “energy person” who understands our industry. So we made one.
We scoured the industry and our own experiences for examples, case studies, and resources that show the actionable solutions that result in more equitable and just outcomes in the energy space. We flushed out what sets apart policy-making and advocacy practices that support new and more equitable outcomes. And thus, after nearly a year of development, we are launching Energy (in)Equity – a professional training on applying a racial justice and equity lens to unveil systemic injustices perpetuated through the energy industry and what each of us can do to address these injustices through our individual and collective policy advocacy and implementation work.
Register today for the training
In all honesty, I felt very vulnerable when we were developing this training (and still do!). Why should anyone listen to me? Am I, is Common Spark, qualified to speak on this topic? I'm not a DEI consultant, but I am an energy nerd who feels respectfully passionate about sharing what I’ve observed and learned about how the industry can apply and advance concepts of inclusivity, equity, belonging, and diversity in our industry. And I’m still learning. Every day.
Sharing Common Spark’s professional and also very personal learnings of ‘doing things differently’—in an industry that makes it difficult to do so—is scary. In developing this training, I’ve come to realize that my feeling of vulnerability comes from a deep place of care to do things right by my values that my community lovingly holds me accountable for. And I hope that in sharing this training with this community, we build each other up by supporting one another in our collective learning journey.
So that’s what this training is all about, learning in community together. It’s designed to be a space to share stories, resources, tools, and frameworks that can help you do things differently. It’s also a space to lean into the discomfort and joy of challenging ourselves to be bold about our values. We’ll be hosting our first training in February—we hope you will join us.
This training was developed through the gracious support, hard work, and wisdom of many brilliant minds. Gratitudes must go out to: Meghan Harwood, for developing its first concept and next concept. Carmelita Miller, Katie Wu, and Maria Stamas, for your faith in me and the idea. Sooji Yang and Suhaila Sikand for running things from content to logistics, you cheered me on. Jeremy Hays, Anthony Kinslow II, and Kate Heller, for your thoughtful advice and guidance. Race Forward, for your teachings and generous support by sharing your content with us. And to all of our partners and clients - development of this training was funded out of resources we have thanks to our proud work with all of you.
Common Spark Consulting not only works externally with our clients and partners, but we also strive to work inwardly, recognizing that we must internalize the care, thoughtfulness, and intention we hope to represent as individuals and an organization. The Thought Library is where we share our ideas and thoughts, where we are at right now, on topics and issues that we hope will spark conversation for a brighter, more inclusive energy future.
