Intersectionality Is Critical

As an organization that aims to conserve and protect public lands, we must acknowledge the disparity in access to those lands between white people and communities of color.

We recognize our privilege and ignorance as an all-white staff and are committed to doing the work to amplify the messages of Black, Indigenous, & communities of color (BIPOC) without minimizing.

Intersectionality, or acknowledging the connection between environmentalism and social justice, is critical to the work that we do.

For this reason, we are #Muted all week this week, June 1-7, we will not be posting anything on our feed in order to #AmplifyMelanatedVoices that are speaking out across the country. We want to remove ourselves from the white noise and leave social media open for black voices right now.

The disparity in access to employment opportunities and feelings of security on our public lands highlights the much-needed internal work to be done within the environmental movement. It is everyone’s job, as stewards of the earth, to use our privilege to advocate for safer spaces to recreate. To join us in learning more about how racism impacts the environmental movement, click below to look to antiracism & environmental experts for more guidance.

We don’t often find ourselves in discussions of diversity in the environmental field, and that’s part of the problem. Here are some of the resources we’ve recently visited to educate ourselves:

5 ways to make the outdoors more inclusive: This list, published by REI & the Atlantic is a result of outdoor and antiracist experts responding to issues of safety, access, and racism in the outdoors.

The Green Ceiling: How Lack Of Diversity And Trauma Keep Black Environmentalists Disadvantaged: This article, submitted by Rasheena Fountain, details the trauma ingrained in the environmental movement by its still-existing roots in white supremacy.

A detailed list of antiracism resources: As an environmentalist in a rural area, it can be overwhelming to not know where to start if you care about intersectionality. This list of books, movies, articles, and activists can be a great start.

Racism is an environmental issue, and we all ought to join the conversation.

Click here to check out what our friends at CLF have been sharing.