Marnese Jackson on the power of ordinary people and energy equity in the Midwest

Design the Future

Marnese Jackson is an environmental and climate justice activist, advocate, trainer, and educator in Pontiac, Michigan. This mother of two is the co-director of the Midwest Building Decarbonization Coalition, which focuses on inspiring and educating Midwesterners to end new installations of fossil fuel equipment in residential and commercial buildings by 2030, and to achieve zero emissions from these buildings by 2050, with integration of equity and labor justice.
Marnese started her her career doing energy audits in homes, learned about poor air quality in certain areas, and became a regional organizer with the NAACP’s environmental justice program. She worked with Mothers Out Front, a moms' group focused on working toward a livable climate, and then transitioned back to the buildings realm at the Coalition. “I am part of a movement,” she says, “but I am also just an ordinary person. I can relate to anyone," which she says is important in her role.

"I am a connector,” she adds. “Being a missionary is not the thing. We are trying to empower self confidence.” Marnese is especially proud of the Coalition’s Equity Summits; last year’s was focused on Self Determination.