This is a photo of historic Jackson Ward in Richmond, VA, USA. The historically Black neighborhood was severely affected when the I-95 highway was constructed through the neighborhood. (Photo source: Library of Congress, Survey number: HABS VA-364, National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 76002187).

Communities on the front lines of climate change—often made up of racial minorities—face the biggest challenges, and they need better infrastructure to survive. One way to help is to focus on giving resources to communities based on their needs, ensuring they have what it takes to keep going in the face of climate-related threats. This approach differs from other methods, which tend to reward people or places based on their past accomplishments. Focusing on needs is crucial because frontline communities are often left with fewer resources due to a long history of discrimination. However, race is rarely discussed when planning for climate adaptation.

This study explored whether bringing up a community’s racial history—such as how a highway built through a historically Black neighborhood contributed to its decline—might increase support for giving that community more resources to protect against climate impacts. In an experiment, 1,731 people watched a video showing how updated infrastructure, like cooler pavement, could help a vulnerable community. Some viewers also saw a short segment about the racial history of the neighborhood. While this extra information didn't significantly change overall support for a needs-based approach, further analysis showed that those who found the racial history relevant were more likely to support it. The findings suggest that longer, more detailed explanations of racial history might have a stronger impact in future studies.