Featured photo: Amariyanna Copeny, aka “Little Miss Flint”
(LOS ANGELES) – Last night, UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability (IoES) hosted its annual benefit gala honoring actor, musician and activist Jaden Smith and Amariyanna Copeny, aka “Little Miss Flint,” for their environmental justice advocacy and tireless efforts to provide clean, safe drinking water to vulnerable communities.
Former Vice President Al Gore presented the 2021 Environmental Champion Award honor to Smith and spoke about the importance of creating equitable solutions to the climate crisis and engaging the next generation of climate activists.
In his remarks Gore said, “It’s so energizing to have young people engaged in this climate fight…they understand fundamentally that more than ever we need to prioritize the building of an inclusive, equitable movement that centers frontline communities and the need for climate justice. Indeed, we cannot have climate justice without racial justice. These movements are inextricably linked together. The climate crisis is directly tied to decades of environmental injustice at the direct expense of communities of color. Those communities are now experiencing the effects of this crisis first and worst. It can be hard to bear witness to – and to feel the impacts of the climate crisis, systemic and institutional racism and the myriad issues driving inequality…both here in the US, and all around the world. But when you start to feel despair, I encourage you to look to the future, to look for inspiration from young people like Jaden and Mari.”
In receiving the recognition for his work, Smith said, “I’m so grateful to accept this award from the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA. I’m really humbled that you’ve presented it to me. I care so much about sustainability and climate justice, and this award means a lot. But what means more to me is the incredible research that UCLA is doing. As a climate activist, I know firsthand that this work is not easy…The researchers at the IoES put their heart into their work every day by helping to build sustainable cities, conserving bio diverse ecosystems, informing public policy decisions and beyond…They do more than create crucial knowledge, they embark on a journey for solutions to improve the world, and we need them know more than ever.”
The evening’s other Environmental Champion Award recipient, Little Miss Flint known for her activism to combat the Flint Water Crisis, was introduced by Shonda Rhimes who remarked, “Mari has raised over a million dollars for safe water efforts across the United States, and has appeared on television and in print to tell the world what’s happening, and what needs to happen to fix it. She is a wonder…Little Miss Flint isn’t just an inspiration to young people, she is a call to action for all of us. We need to be doing more. We need to be more like Mari.”
Copeny added that the problem is much more widespread and needs more attention.
“America has a water crisis — it’s just not talked about enough,” Copeny said.
The event also featured four UCLA graduate students highlighting their ongoing research and the university’s efforts to educate rising leaders from all backgrounds and make sure communities most impacted by climate change and environmental degradation have a prominent role in generating solutions. Marilyn Raphael, the university’s first Black director of the IoES, also spoke about overcoming global environmental problems by providing equitable solutions for minority communities who are disproportionately negatively affected by climate change.
The event raised over $600K to support graduate students at UCLA’s IoES. Donors included The Anthony & Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation, Morton La Kretz and Linda Duttenhaver, Eric and Wendy Schmidt and Bob Taylor. An online auction that included Sting’s guitar, art, special experiences and trips, and a signed Dodgers jersey from Justin Turner was also a part of the fundraiser.
