Faculty Work-in-Progress - Being Black and Being Green: Examining Blacks' Experiences in the Green Economy

April 20, 2026

12 pm
Clark Hall Room 206, 11130 Bellflower Road, Cleveland, OH 44106

The transformative potential of green technologies and the emergence of the green economy is often proposed as a solution to the climate crisis. Green economic activities encompass those that aim to improve human well-being, while “significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” (Sukhdev, Stone, & Nuttall 2010). Despite the purported transformative potential of sustainable practices, products, and technical innovations, there are unanswered questions about the impact of the development of the green economy for racial minorities. Drawing on her expertise as a scholar of race, racism, and consumption, Cassi Pittman Claytor's talk outlines a framework to advance our understanding of how race functions in the emerging green economy, drawing on evidence from a case study of Black Electric Vehicle Drivers. More, specifically, she will unpack how race impacts the dynamic factors motivating Blacks’ eco-friendly consumption practices. Cassi is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology.

An informal lunch with be served. Registration is requested.  Register HERE.