For Cristal, clean energy advocacy isn’t just a job – it’s a calling rooted in home, culture, and an unwavering love for her community.
Raised by a single mother who cherished every item she owned – from sweaters to kitchen appliances – Cristal learned early on the value of taking care of what you have. “My mom still has a sweater she bought while pregnant with me – 25 years ago,” Cristal laughs. “That care, that instinct to protect and preserve – it shaped how I see the planet. If we work so hard to create a home, why wouldn’t we do the same for the Earth?”
That perspective shaped her professionally. Cristal graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in environmental science, a minor in anthropology, and a certificate in sustainable development. But what she’s building now goes far beyond academic credentials. As a bilingual community organizer focused on environmental justice for Latino communities in Georgia, Cristal’s work is as intersectional as it is personal.
“I see myself doing this work for the rest of my life,” she says. “Maybe not always as a community organizer – but definitely as a leader, maybe one day in a director role, at the EPA, or in environmental law or engineering. I love both.”
Cristal’s current work at Poder Latinx centers Latino communities across Georgia who are underserved and often overlooked. Poder Latinx is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that strives to provide the tools the Latinx community needs to stay educated civically in their community in the campaigns of environmental justice, economic justice, and immigration justice. Being bilingual is essential, but so is being inclusive. “Low-income families, Black, Indigenous, Latinx – so many communities are being impacted by climate change. And that’s why our work can’t be in silos.”
Earlier this year, Cristal organized a standout event that reflected her vision: Painting y Pláticas: Honoring Our Afro-Latino Roots and Defending Our Planet. Focused on Puerto Rico – where the effects of climate change are deeply felt through flooding, extreme heat, and power outages – the event brought together voices from across the Afro-Latinx diaspora.
The response was emotional. “People shared things they hadn’t said before – that they felt too Latino to be Black or too Black to be Latino. That they didn’t speak enough Spanish, or didn’t feel accepted. I cried. I realized I wasn’t alone. We all need spaces where we can be seen and heard.”
Art plays a major role in Cristal’s advocacy. A visual artist herself, she uses painting and charcoal drawing to explore culture, identity, and climate. “When I bring art into the work, people show up. Art makes the conversation more human.”
She also shows up where the conversations are harder to have: the Georgia State Capitol. “That space is different,” she says. “You have to know your bills, your representatives. You have to sound like you belong – even if people who look like us are few and far between. And when people come for the first time, we guide them. That matters.”
But challenges remain. Latino communities in Georgia are geographically scattered. Language access is an ongoing barrier. And immigration fears can keep people from showing up to community events. “People are scared to leave their homes or engage publicly. That breaks my heart. It makes the work harder – but it also makes it more urgent.”
Cristal is determined to bridge those divides. She wants Atlanta to become a place where people look out for each other the way advocacy organizations do – across cultures and backgrounds. “In Costa Rica, where my family is from, people ask if you’ve talked to your neighbor. That’s just how it is. Here, I wanted to make cookies and knock on doors, but I had to ask – would that be safe? That sense of community shouldn’t be radical. It should be normal.”
Her ultimate motivation is generational. “I want my future kids – and everyone’s kids – to play outside without worrying about asthma or pollution. I want them to make mud pies and swim in clean water without fear.”
Cristal’s passion is as tangible as the charcoal she sketches with, as steady as the sweater her mother has lovingly preserved. Her advocacy is art, science, and culture all at once. And whether she’s creating murals, hosting climate justice events, or walking the halls of the statehouse, one thing is clear: She’s not just protecting the planet – she’s helping shape a future where everyone feels they belong.
This post was produced by Generation180, sharing the stories of local leaders driving climate action and clean energy solutions across the country. Cristal was a participant of Amplifiers: Atlanta in April 2025, a joint program between Generation180 and Rewiring America to inspire more clean energy advocates in the greater metro region.
