Meet Candace "Dr. K" Clark: Powering Collective Liberation, One Solar Array at a Time

For Candace "Dr. K" Clark, solar training is the next chapter of a life already devoted to Black sustainability, both in theory and in practice.

Originally from Chicago and now based in central Alabama, Dr. K serves as co-executive director of the cooperative Farm Plug Unite and works with Tuskegee University's Carver Integrative Sustainability Center. They recently completed a dissertation exploring a question that shapes everything they do: what does sustainable development mean for Black people on the margins over the next 50 to 100 years?

That question isn't academic for Dr. K,  it's a way of life.

"I'm passionate about Afrofuturism and EcoWomanism as keys for surviving what Dominique Drakeford dubbed the colonial climate crisis, and thriving in kujichagulia," Dr. K says,

invoking the Kwanzaa principle of self-determination. It's this framework, part scholarship, part spiritual practice, part organizing strategy,  that led Dr. K to GRID's solar training.

Both/And, Not Either/Or

Ask Dr. K whether they're headed toward solar entrepreneurship or employment after training, and the answer refuses the either/or. "Honestly, I believe in both," Dr. K says. Already a socially driven entrepreneur through their cooperative work, Dr. K sees employment with an established solar company as a strategic move,  a way to build the experience needed to help their community, and small to midsize farmers, harness the power of the sun.

"I believe it's a path to social harmony and collective liberation," Dr. K says,

"and am deeply driven by the potential for cooperative development in the industry."

For Dr. K, solar isn't just infrastructure. It's a tool for building the kind of interdependent, self-determined communities they've spent their career working toward.

What Makes Dr. K Stand Out

Dr. K's pitch to future employers is as much about energy as it is about expertise.

"A solar company should hire me because I'm a creative problem solver who is committed to the impact of this work and each job," they say. "I stand out because my energy is infectious and supports getting a job done with and in joy, peace, and power."

That combination of rigor and warmth is backed by real technical grounding. Dr. K brings prior experience from the EARTHSHIP Biotecture Academy and a background in sustainable development, both political and practical. And as a leader, Dr. K's approach is rooted in modeling rather than mandating: a believer in collective work and responsibility, cultivating progress in every relationship rather than from the top down.

Dr. K's cohort knows them as a morale booster and a strong communicator someone who's deeply fluent in the mechanics of a solar system and who goes the extra mile to keep a crew's workflow safe, careful, and high-quality.

Why This Training, Why Now

Dr. K came to GRID with a very specific goal: finishing their own off-grid home. But the training quickly became about more than one house.

"I also signed up to learn more about how I can support an increase in quality housing conditions and resilience in my community,"

Dr. K explains, including equipping small and midsize farmers to diversify their operations with solar.

The results have exceeded expectations. Dr. K can now plan and calculate demand for a solar array and feels confident leading a crew through the full planning and installation process. That technical fluency has sharpened something Dr. K already had in abundance: the ability to communicate solar's value clearly. Paired with their agricultural business background, Dr. K sees themselves as a natural fit for the marketing and sales side of the industry too.

Two Things Everyone Should Know

Dr. K doesn't hesitate when asked what the world should understand about solar and sustainability. First: "Our communities are on the front lines, and solar energy is a major asset for renewing our planet and our communities." Second: there's no one-size-fits-all solution. True sustainability, Dr. K says, lives in diversity,  in equity and inclusion, not uniformity.

Solar, Explained Like You're Five

"Just like plants, our bodies and our communities and our whole world can be powered by the sun," Dr. K says.

"And if we learn how to use technology and care for each other properly and authentically, then everyone , from our bodies, like plants, to our whole communities, like ecosystems,  can have all the love and energy to live our wildest dreams."

What's Next

After training, Dr. K hopes to support a strategic partnership that expands solar access across the Southeast and builds long-term coalitions for healthy people and communities. Closer to home, Dr. K and their partner will finish designing and installing the solar array on their tiny house. Professionally, Dr. K is open to part-time work in installation or sales and marketing,  staying connected to the industry's newest innovations so small and midsize farmers, and folks in urban spaces alike, can put them to use for resilience.

Connect With Dr. K

Employers and collaborators can reach Candace "Dr. K" Clark at:

Email: Cclark6473@gmail.com

Phone: 312-532-7657

Dr. K holds more than 100 hours of training in deliberative dialogue facilitation and lights up when creating space for hard conversations. What stands out most, they say, is a youthful curiosity and courage through conflict,  leaning in with love and playfulness where others get rigid or afraid.

Ways to support Dr. K's path in sustainable development and agroecology: subscribe to the Farm Plug Unite newsletter at lu.ma/farmplug, support their work with the Clarke Street Fund and Fresh Greens Market if you're ever in the Montgomery area, and join Tuskegee University's annual Earth Week celebration, held every year during the week of Earth Day (April 22), including lu.ma/cisc, the program Dr. K manages connecting people to the legacy of innovation and advocacy pioneered by Dr. George Washington Carver.

Candace "Dr. K" Clark is a graduate of the GRID Alternatives solar training program. This profile is part of an ongoing series spotlighting the graduates building Atlanta's clean energy future.