A formation of frontline organizations building regional power.
Gulf South to Appalachia (GS2A) is a regional formation of frontline organizations rooted in climate justice across sixteen states (TX, LA, MS, AL, FL, TN, GA, SC, NC, KY, WV, VA, MD, PA, NY, OH) and one colonized territory (Puerto Rico) supported by Taproot Earth. Together, we are building toward deeper self-governance and collective leadership.
Originally launched in 2019 as Gulf South for a Green New Deal, GS2A carries forward a regional vision shaped by frontline leadership and collective struggle. GS2A connects organizers, communities, and movements working to confront extraction, displacement, and climate harm, while advancing Global Climate Reparations and building a just transition grounded in Southern traditions of resistance, culture and career.
Through monthly regional calls, assemblies, political education, and coordinated campaigns, GS2A strengthens the connective tissue between local struggles and national climate strategy. GS2A builds regional alignment and political power by:
Convening frontline organizations across sixteen states and one colonized territory
Practicing collective self-governance and shared decision-making
Aligning strategy, strengthening movement infrastructure, and building political power
Advancing community-led solutions rooted in Black liberation and Indigenous sovereignty
GS2A uses the Resist & Build framework developed by the Southern Movement Assembly to guide our shared work. We recognize that movements must simultaneously resist harmful systems and build the world we deserve.
Our collectively affirmed priorities include:
Stop fossil fuel buildout and advance a just transition to community-controlled renewable energy
Resist privatization and ensure access to clean, safe water for all
Divest from the disaster economy and build community-based preparedness and response
Combat housing instability and advance climate resilient, affordable housing
Resist the commodification of labor and knowledge and reimagine an economy rooted in safety, dignity, and equity
GS2A spans the Gulf South and Appalachia, regions bound not by colonial borders but by shared geography, extraction histories, and cultural resilience. For generations, these lands and waters have fueled national economies while frontline communities have borne the costs.
Across rural, urban, coastal, and inland communities, resistance has always been rooted in place. Indigenous stewardship, Black freedom traditions, and multiracial organizing legacies continue to shape the region. From grassroots groups and unions to faith communities, student organizations, Mardi Gras krewes, sewing circles, and cultural collectives, our people have long organized to survive and build.
GS2A works because it is rooted in those relationships, not institutions. Frontline leaders have always been architects of survival and resistance in the South. GS2A invests in that leadership by creating space to align strategy, share resources, and move together at the scale the climate crisis demands.
Following Hurricane Ida in 2021, GS2A convened more than 150 frontline leaders to articulate a shared regional vision for climate action called #WeChooseNow.This vision affirms the urgency of community led solutions and regional power building. It advances Global Climate Reparations by centering those most harmed by extraction as decision makers, solution builders, and stewards of public resources.
There are three ways to engage with GS2A:
Frontline organizers, movement leaders, and community members across the region are invited to participate in GS2A’s monthly Regional Call. This is a space to connect, align strategy, and stay rooted in shared struggle. Register for the monthly GS2A Regional Call.
GS2A membership is for organizations rooted in the Gulf South and Appalachia that are ready to commit to shared governance, equity, and collective liberation. If your organization is ready to join our formation, apply for GS2A Membership today.
Frontline power-building requires sustained resources. Your contribution directly supports organizing, political education, regional convenings, and the advancement of Global Climate Reparations. Donate to support frontline led organizing.
Rise St James was one of over 100 frontline organizations that participated in the 2023 Climate Justice and Joy Community Assembly in Baton Rouge, LA.
Climate justice leaders at Climate Justice and Joy
June 2023, Baton Rouge, LA.
Fresh foods at Climate Justice and Joy
June 2023, Baton Rouge, LA.
On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, thousands of frontline leaders and community members gathered in Birmingham, Alabama for the #WeChooseNow 2024 Community Assembly.
Hosted by GS2A, the assembly marked the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and brought together two regions often divided by the climate crisis. Through a full day of connection, collaboration, and celebration, participants shared and strengthened collective climate solutions, building regional power in the process to fight and win together.
Explore this archive of resources magnifying GS2A's insights and frontline visions supportive of climate justice and climate reparations. ● Explore this archive of resources magnifying GS2A insights and frontline visions supportive of climate justice and climate reparations. ●
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Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
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Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.
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Have a question for GS2A? Contact us at gulfsouthtoappalachia[at]taproot.earth.
