Taylor Mayes is the Communications Coordinator for The Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs, where she develops and implements strategies to coordinate with the Roundtable’s Affiliates and other allies in an effort to strengthen collaboration among Connecticut’s labor, environmental, and religious groups. A Connecticut native, Taylor graduated from the University of Connecticut with a degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Political Science. She previously worked as a communications intern for the City of Hartford’s Climate Stewardship Initiative and the CT Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA). During her time at UConn, Taylor found a passion in addressing environmental injustice and lack of representation of marginalized groups in the mainstream environmental movement.

Taylor’s role at the Roundtable has recently expanded to Field Organizer and she is developing a statewide network of Black environmental activists in Connecticut called B.E.A.M. (Black Environmental Activist Movement). By centering Black Liberation and Radical Racial Justice, Taylor sees the power B.E.A.M has to push the environmental movement in Connecticut forward by setting a new standard for “Environmental Justice” that is anti-racist and decolonial. Her purpose is to better advocate and push for restorative environmental justice for African-Americans/Black people through public policy and educational programs. Through her work, Taylor has been able to strengthen her voice and advocate for her community through content creation and communications. She is greatly inspired by work which empowers communities to take a stand against exploitative systems and institutions.