Understanding museum development of public climate justice action

Authors:

• Purim Junkham, Museology Graduate Program
• Chair: Meena Selvakumar
• Esther Min
• Sarah Sutton
• Shanee Washington

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Abstract:

When it comes to climate change, museum practitioners and scholars agree that the potential to activate change is through public climate action. At the same time, the museum field is rethinking museums’ role in the climate justice movement as both climate activists and museum workers urge museums to speak up on social issues. Climate justice is essential to the development of adaptation and mitigation, and thus museum’s public climate action. This case study was carried out to understand museums’ development of public climate justice action. Data were collected through interviews with 5 practitioners from 4 leading museum examples in the US. The results suggest that museums are excellent at supporting climate justice action because 1) they have the traditional skills needed in engaging audiences, 2) they are mindful of community input, and 3) they are experts in community-centered storytelling that move the public. Museums also work with grassroots climate activists to serve communities facing climate impacts. This research might help propel the field forward and across the bridge between museums and climate justice.