Green Diversity: Black Environmentalists

Green Diversity- Integrating members of all cultures into the environmentalist movement. To many blacks, the environmentalist movement has been perceived as a "white only"campaign. We imagine long haired, granola eating, sandal wearing, twenty-something white men and women chaining themselves to trees. While I am sure that there are some individuals out there that meet that very description, I am learning that the faces of the green movement are changing, albeit slowly. As blacks face water shortages in southern and western states, chronic asthma from polluted air and toxic homes, cancer outbreaks in communities close to heavily polluting industrial complexes and a decline in safe green spaces for their families to enjoy, more of us are paying attention to environmental issues. We are paying more attention to our food sources, drinking water quality and chemicals that we use in our homes and on our bodies. There are black environmentalists organizations, national talk show hosts, activists promoting green jobs and conservation leaders. I have met a few myself at some local sustainability events. I would like to see more involvement from church leaders, politicians and educators in the green movement. What are your thoughts?