Reclaiming Democracy: From Disaster Recovery to Community Governance

In this age of disaster and division, it’s easy to fall into despair. What lifts us up is purpose and community. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Colette Pichon Battle organized survivors from all walks of life to chart a way toward a better future. The result was not just a more efficient and equitable recovery but a revitalization of democracy. Her organization, Taproot Earth, now works on recovery and resilience around the world, combining Indigenous environmental knowledge and lessons from the Black freedom struggle to propose new ways of governing lands and waters to make our communities more resilient, sustainable, and just.

About the Speaker

Attorney Colette Pichon Battle is the founder of Taproot Earth, which fights for just recoveries in the wake of climate disasters. Raised in Bayou Liberty, Louisiana, Battle expanded her work from class-action litigation to community organizing in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. She is an Obama fellow and winner of the Heinz Award for the environment, the Catalyst Award from Rachel’s Network, and the William O. Douglas Award.

Event Sponsors: Hawai‘i Community Foundation, Kaiāulu by Kamehameha Schools, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Learning Coalition, Unbound Philanthropy

Better Tomorrow

The Better Tomorrow Speaker Series is a joint venture of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation, Kaiāulu by Kamehameha Schools, and the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, with assistance from the University of Hawai'i Foundation. Series co-sponsors include the Learning Coalition and the Scholars Strategy Network.

Host or Publisher University of Hawai'i at Mānoa