Asheville, North Carolina

8 9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 crisis adaptation. “I think it was very easy for our Office to recognize the place of privilege that we sit in,” says Chief Sustainability Officer, Amber Weaver. “Even though I am also a person of color, I am still a government employee. I am still a person of privilege. And that wasn’t the demographic that we needed to hear from.” Weaver shares that she sought Jiménez out in the hopes of bringing BIPOC voices to the center of the discourse on the climate crisis. “Those community members [BIPOC], their information is sacred,” Weaver affirms. “A lot of times, the government comes around, poking and prodding and asking questions. I wanted to partner with Marisol to really hear those voices and lift them up.” “Things like story circles and speaking to our elders – this isn’t new community technology,” Jiménez explains. “But our approach and how we’re doing it is unique. Listening, learning, dialogue, engaging people at the frontlines, in leadership. And not just to be consulted. Not just to be asked, ‘What do you think?’ but to be following their lead. Which is really, I think, an important distinction. This isn’t about how do we help BIPOC communities. It’s about how BIPOC communities are holding some of the key answers to surviving climate crisis.” But there’s a lot of work still to be done, just in terms of trust-building and trust repair, according to Bulan. She elaborates, “Climate justice is an issue that, when it breaks down to its specific elements like access to clean, healthy water and a safe place to live, everybody cares about. And yet, it disproportionately affects residents of our community differently depending on where they live, depending on race and ethnicity. And so, to be most helpful, we’ve got an opportunity where we can begin to create solutions based on what people already know through their lived experience. Which roads are flooded most often? Who’s at higher risk? What are the neighborhood ASHEV I LLE , NORTH CAROL INA