How can our communities lead a transformative shift that protects our planet while uplifting those who’ve been historically marginalized?

This is one of the many questions that has guided my journey as the founder of A More Humane World and as a lifelong advocate for environmental justice.

I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where the beauty of nature is breathtaking, and where I also witnessed the devastating effects of climate change at an early age. When I was a child, my father explained why so many of my aunts and uncles were getting sick. A fossil fuel and petrochemical plant had been built near his childhood home, on the predominantly Black side of town in the South, what is now called an environmental sacrifice zone.

According to EPA data, this small city is more than 57% Black and ranked in the 90th to 95th percentile for cancer risk from breathing air toxics.

My father, a retired Air Force Combat Veteran, would remind me often of the way that plant shaped the health of his community and ultimately, his own. He passed away from cancer caused by this toxic proximity. This lived experience, at the intersection of environmental degradation, racial inequity, and public health, has been a driving force behind everything I do. My career in the global fashion industry has shown me another layer of this same crisis.

A $2.5 trillion industry, fashion remains one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and exploitative labor practices, much of which impacts communities of color, both in the United States and across the global South.It is also an industry of immense cultural power, creativity, and possibility. Through Fusion Fashion Tech Society, I’ve worked to reimagine fashion through Web3 technologies, circularity, and human-centered innovation. HBCU Climate Week was born from this same vision: a determination to confront climate injustice with both truth and possibility.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities have always been engines of change. Today, they have the power to shape the global climate future — not just as participants in the conversation, but as leaders, innovators, and bridge builders. Black communities, from the Gulf Coast to the Caribbean to the African continent, have lived on the frontlines of climate, environmental racism, and resource exploitation. Through HBCU Climate Week, we are building a movement that connects those lived experiences with strategic action, technological innovation, and cultural leadership.

Our work is grounded in three core commitments:

Centering Black leadership in climate action.
Bridging communities across the African diaspora to close the climate gap and address textile waste colonialism.
Building circular, regenerative systems that protect both people and planet.

The path forward won’t be easy. But I believe deeply in the power of HBCUs, our communities, and our creativity to lead this transformation. We are not waiting for permission. We are designing the future ourselves, one rooted in justice, innovation, and a more humane world.

— Ambriel Pouncy

Founder, HBCU Climate Week,
Founder, A More Humane World &
Founder, Fusion Fashion Tech Society