Racial Justice is Environmental Justice

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climate capitalism change

science denial

fossil fuel industry

white supremacy

justice

environmental climate racial


environmentalism is rooted in racism origins of conservation the architects of the conservation movement in the u.s. were racists & eugenicists who sought only to protect wild spaces for white men to then exploit through hunting.

1970s environmental wave

the surge of environmentalism in the ‘60s & ’70s was built on the scare of overpopulation - a concept based in xenophobia & increasing global poverty - & the use of environmental issues to distract the white majority during a time of war & rising social conflict.


rise of environmental justice it was apparent that mainstream middle-class white environmentalists had failed to consider bipoc issues, & that the environment encompassed more than just the natural world - it included where people live, work, play, & go to school. race & the environment became a national topic in the 1980s due to the work of civil rights activists to stop the dumping of contaminated soil in warren county, nc, which had the highest proportion of black residents.


today

environmental orgs are still largely occupied by white people - bipoc make up 36% of the u.s. population but only 16% of staff, & even less of leadership & board positions. climate change & pollution affect communities of color disproportionately. many big name orgs promote colonialism in the name of conservation.

racial justice must be at the center of environmental work


questions to reflect on: who really has access to the benefits of the sustainable solutions i’m creating? is my work predominantly serving those with white privilege? what do i have in my power to implement justice into my work & amplify bipoc voices?


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