This story is part of our series The Power of Moms: Stories of Intergenerational Influence and Climate Legacy.
Jon Batiste’s song “Petrichor,” released in 2025 on the album Big Money, was inspired by his family’s experience in Hurricane Katrina and the growing climate crisis. He has shared this publicly. But “Petrichor” was also inspired by his mother, Katherine, who went back to school to earn a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) in environmental management from Tulane University when Jon was only eight.
Katherine spoke of this time in their lives while receiving Moms Clean Air Force’s inaugural Power of Moms Award at an intimate luncheon in Washington, DC, in late August. Jon was at her side. She had already been working in office administration in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve and wanted to do more. “I grew up in New Orleans and was very familiar with the environmental concerns, with the petrochemical companies and all,” she recalls. She felt she could be of service.
Going back to school and working full-time with two young kids—Jon’s sister, Kaleana, was 11—wasn’t easy. “It was kind of a struggle, but I was determined. When you have a will and perseverance, you can pretty much do what you want to,” she says, adding that her husband and her mother helped support her during that time.
She herself was inspired to go back to school by her own parents. “They set a good example, because they both were into social justice and helping communities. My dad worked for the U.S. Postal Service. And he was a union organizer, protecting the rights of others. My mother was a social worker.” After graduation, Katherine was promoted at the DOE. “I did pollution prevention, waste management, and policy,” she says. After 19 years at the DOE, she retired in 2016.
You never know what kids learn from environmentalist parents
Katherine says she knows Jon and Kaleana were watching when she went back to school. “I’m sure they felt proud of me.” Still, she adds, “You just never know what’s really going on in kids’ heads, what they’re actually paying attention to.” They implemented environmentally sound practices at home. Katherine also left environmental publications she was reading around the house for anyone else to pick up and learn.
No matter what her kids took in over the course of her career, Katherine says it’s always important to teach children to care for the natural environment. “They are the future caretakers of our planet. When children learn to respect nature, avoid pollution, and protect plants and animals, they develop habits that can help create a healthier world. A clean environment also provides clean air and water, supports good health, and ensures that our future generations can enjoy the beauty and resources of nature.”
When seeds bloom
Years later, when Jon first played his mother “Petrichor,” she says she was deeply moved. “I felt a sense of pride that he was using his gift to bring awareness to the environment.” A humble woman, Katherine, when gently prodded, does allow that maybe she had some influence on Jon, being his mom and an environmentalist.
Seeing Jon develop his own passion for protecting the environment, express it through a song he wrote, and use his voice to send an important message was incredibly meaningful. “As a mother, there’s no greater joy than seeing your child care about something so deeply and choose to make a difference.”
It was also meaningful to be given an award from Moms. She explains, “I was like, Oh my goodness, my heart. I felt so overwhelmed. I can’t believe I’m getting an award for environmental work. My heart felt so full. It was an incredibly special and emotional moment for me as a mother, as an environmentalist, and to share the stage with Jon.”
Tell Congress: Protect Families From the Plastics and Petrochemical Industry