What will I learn about: why the systemic erasure of Black experts during global crises like COVID-19 deprives society of the crucial knowledge needed to solve our most urgent challenges?

Discover why the systemic erasure of Black experts during global crises like COVID-19 deprives society of the crucial knowledge needed to solve our most urgent challenges.

What will I learn about: the critical concept of intersectionality and why fighting for climate justice is impossible without simultaneously dismantling systemic racism?

Understand the critical concept of intersectionality and why fighting for climate justice is impossible without simultaneously dismantling systemic racism.

What will I learn about: Learn why climate change is not the 'Great Equalizer' but rather the 'Great Multiplier,' compounding the pre-existing threats and inequities faced by marginalized groups?

Learn why climate change is not the 'Great Equalizer' but rather the 'Great Multiplier,' compounding the pre-existing threats and inequities faced by marginalized groups.

What will I learn about: Explore how the racist historical practice of redlining created profound environmental vulnerability, disproportionately exposing Black communities to toxic pollution and urban heat islands?

Explore how the racist historical practice of redlining created profound environmental vulnerability, disproportionately exposing Black communities to toxic pollution and urban heat islands.

What will I learn about: how the prison system acts as a severe environmental hazard for inmates of color, and discover what climate activists can learn from the prison abolition movement?

Find out how the prison system acts as a severe environmental hazard for inmates of color, and discover what climate activists can learn from the prison abolition movement.

The Black Agenda

Bold Solutions for a Broken System

Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

★ 3.5 / 5(169 ratings)

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Society & Culture Politics

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Did you know that the very technology meant to drive us forward could be hard-coding racial bias into our everyday lives?
💡Have you ever wondered how the fight for climate justice is inseparable from the struggle for racial equity?
💡What if the solutions to our most pressing societal challenges—from wellness to criminal justice—are already being mapped out by the very experts we often overlook?

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Key Takeaways from The Black Agenda

✓Discover why the systemic erasure of Black experts during global crises like COVID-19 deprives society of the crucial knowledge needed to solve our most urgent challenges.
✓Understand the critical concept of intersectionality and why fighting for climate justice is impossible without simultaneously dismantling systemic racism.
✓Learn why climate change is not the 'Great Equalizer' but rather the 'Great Multiplier,' compounding the pre-existing threats and inequities faced by marginalized groups.
✓Explore how the racist historical practice of redlining created profound environmental vulnerability, disproportionately exposing Black communities to toxic pollution and urban heat islands.
✓Find out how the prison system acts as a severe environmental hazard for inmates of color, and discover what climate activists can learn from the prison abolition movement.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from The Black Agenda

Mind Map

The Black Agenda

Erasure of Black Expertise+

Climate Justice+

Algorithmic Assaults+

Tech Accountability+

The Path Forward+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

According to the text, why have Black communities borne the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic?

A. A higher rate of international travel among marginalized groups increased exposure.
B. Institutional racism and economic inequity resulted in Black people working low-wage jobs with higher exposure risks.
C. The deliberate exclusion of Black communities from early vaccination programs.
D. A lack of community solidarity and support during the early months of the pandemic.

Question 2 of 8

How does climate activist Mary Annaïse Heglar describe the impact of climate change?

A. As the 'Great Equalizer' that affects every demographic exactly the same way.
B. As a completely separate issue from systemic racism that requires its own dedicated movement.
C. As the 'Great Multiplier' that takes existing threats marginalized communities face and exacerbates them.
D. As a distraction from more urgent social justice movements like Black Lives Matter.

Question 3 of 8

How did the historical practice of 'redlining' contribute to the environmental vulnerability of African American communities today?

A. It legally mandated that industrial factories be built exclusively in Black neighborhoods.
B. It restricted Black people from obtaining home loans, depriving them of the intergenerational wealth needed to live in safer, greener areas.
C. It prevented Black communities from participating in environmental activism and protests.
D. It forced Black homeowners to pay higher taxes for waste management services.

Question 4 of 8

What concept from the prison abolition movement is suggested as a model to fundamentally shift how we fight climate change?

A. Mandatory minimum sentencing for corporate polluters.
B. Restorative justice, where polluters are forced to be accountable and repair the harm caused to victims.
C. Solitary confinement for executives of fossil fuel companies.
D. The complete deregulation of environmental protection agencies to encourage grassroots solutions.

Question 5 of 8

What did computer scientists Deborah Raji and Joy Buolamwini discover during their external audit of Amazon’s facial recognition software?

A. The software was 30 percent less accurate when trying to identify people with darker skin tones.
B. The software intentionally targeted Black communities for digital marketing campaigns.
C. The software was completely incapable of identifying women of any race.
D. The software was highly accurate but was frequently hacked by outside organizations.

Question 6 of 8

What does Professor Brandeis Marshall mean by the term 'algorithmic assault'?

A. The use of social media algorithms to spread political misinformation during elections.
B. The physical hardware degradation caused by poorly written code.
C. The phenomenon where institutional racism is reproduced digitally, using biased algorithms to exclude Black people from opportunities.
D. The strategy of using artificial intelligence to hack into government and corporate databases.

Question 7 of 8

Why does AI researcher Jordan Harrod argue that terms like 'bias' and 'fairness' need to be carefully defined in the tech industry?

A. Because they are 'suitcase terms' that can contain multiple meanings, allowing companies to justify flawed algorithms.
B. Because they are outdated terms that no longer apply to modern machine learning models.
C. Because using them incorrectly violates the intellectual property rights of major tech companies.
D. Because AI algorithms are mathematically objective and cannot possess human traits.

Question 8 of 8

What is the overarching solution proposed by the text to address complex societal challenges like climate change and faulty AI?

A. Relying entirely on white environmentalists and tech executives to self-correct their industries.
B. Putting Black expert knowledge front and center to develop intersectional solutions.
C. Pausing climate and tech activism until racial justice is fully achieved.
D. Boycotting all modern technology and returning to a pre-digital lifestyle.

The Black Agenda — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2You can’t fight for the climate without fighting for Black lives.
3Climate change multiplies the existing threats facing Black communities.
4Climate activists can learn from the strategies of prison abolitionists.
5Facial recognition technology is deeply flawed and highly dangerous.
6Algorithmic assaults present a grave threat to Black communities.
7Black women are at the forefront of efforts to hold tech giants accountable.
8Complex challenges require fully intersectional solutions.

The Black Agenda Summary & Overview

The Black Agenda (2022) is a compilation of essays by Black experts reflecting the latest developments and challenges in diverse fields such as wellness, criminal justice, climate activism, and AI.

Who Should Listen to The Black Agenda?

Activists of all stripes
Anyone who wants to know how tech perpetuates racism
Anyone who wants to know how climate change and racial justice are linked

About the Author: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman is an award-winning Ghanaian-American researcher, entrepreneur, and author. She cofounded the Sadie Collective, a nonprofit highlighting the underrepresentation of Black women in economics, finance, and policy. She’s also the youngest recipient of the CEDAW Women’s Human Rights Award.

The Black Agenda

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to The Black Agenda — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from The Black Agenda

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

The Black Agenda — Full Chapter Overview

The Black Agenda Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to The Black Agenda?

About the Author: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

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