“To me, the people who are fighting against climate change and who are most affected are people of color,” Medina-Tayac said. Much like the civil rights movement, the modern environmental justice movement began in the South. “I think the Green New Deal is really, really important and has sparked a lot of really interesting ideas in the movement,” Medina-Tayac said. In fact, much like the civil rights movement, the modern environmental justice movement began in the South. “We believe that people on the frontlines should lead the movement,” Khokhar, 19, told the attendees.