As a white man in a managerial role, I recognize that I have a limited scope of experience when it comes to discussing issues of racial justice and how it relates to our work at the Urban Ecology Center. I also recognize that too often white voices have remained silent on these issues when we should have spoken up, and so on the occasion of the official release of our organizations Equity, Dignity, & Justice Anti-Racism Action Statement I’m humbly offering these reflections to add another voice to the chorus of Black and Brown voices that we all should be listening to with greater sincerity.

As member of an organization that is striving to actively be anti-racist, I feel it’s more important than ever to both learn and celebrate Black history. To cut to the chase, I am a white woman and I don’t believe it’s right for me to have the loudest presence at this moment in time. 

While I and my colleagues don’t claim to be experts, one thing we know we can do is share events, stories, and activities that honor Black History this month. Preferably, these are things led or created by people of color, in order to amplify their voices and not take up more space with my voice or other white voices. So with that, I offer you a list of ways to celebrate, educate, and enjoy Black History Month this year: 

As Black History Month draws to a close, our Equity, Dignity, and Justice team at the Urban Ecology Center wanted to highlight some of the black folks who have shaped, led, and grown the environmental movement. The faces associated with environmentalism in our societal storytelling are often white ones, but in reality black (and brown) folks have been caring for and protecting our environment throughout human history. Here are some black environmental leaders we love: