“With this in mind, my fellowship with UPROSE was so fulfilling. The difference of working with a true grassroots organization that is intergenerational, multi-racial, and led by women of color was palpable. I spent my summer working on a solar project that will be built on the Brooklyn Army Terminal rooftop and will be New York’s first solar project owned and operated by the community for the benefit of local residents and businesses. It’s a great example of a paradigm shift in energy infrastructure on the local scale; we’re showing that we really can move away from these heavily polluting peaker plants that are so often located in predominantly Black and brown neighborhoods, in favor of sustainable solar power and supporting community energy sovereignty."