Dancing the Climate Anxiety Away

Kennedy Derosin, Sustainability Community Support Intern

Have you ever felt emotions that you’ve bottled up? Do they ever make you want to burst? Well I know I do. When I get that urge and the rhythm of the earth hits just right…I got to bust a move! This past Friday, I had the honor of attending a Dance and Dissent party organized by the Water Collaborative and Glass Half Full. This event brought together organizers, residents, artists, and advocates for an evening that blended celebration with activism. The gathering emerged as a response from an article that put some anxiety into the residents of New Orleans. This article stated what many of us already knew: that New Orleans is facing an uncertain future with its climate. Now as a native New Orleanian, I've always heard people talking about how “New Orleans will be underwater in 50 years,” but no one ever pays attention because when you love your city as much as we do, we know we aren't going anywhere. I fully believe that if New Orleans becomes nothing but a wetland that there will be swamp people living on boats and throwing mardi gras beads to the alligators. That is how much our love is rooted in this city and that is what this dance party with wonderful music and climate activists sought to bring forth. Hope. Something that we have always had and will always continue to have.

At the event, there were three waterside chats that involved community members who were passionate about the environment. Many talked about what it was like growing up in New Orleans and how climate justice has affected them. A common theme was justice and resilience. You can’t combat climate justice without acknowledging other disparities at hand. Race, class, education, gender all play a part in where our communities fit into the climate movement. Throughout the space, people could walk around and talk to one of the many sustainable organizations that were tabling. Each organization has dedicated their careers to bettering New Orleans in a way that feels personal.

As the baby dolls danced and the DJ put us in a trance, by the end of the night, the event had become more than a response to troubling headlines. It served as a reminder of how New Orleans continues to fight climate anxiety with community, creativity, and determination. With plant-based vegan food we nourished our bodies and our souls with the rhythms of the city and Earth. As attendees danced and shared stories, the message remained clear: the future of New Orleans will be shaped by the people who call it home.