The theme of Black History Month this year was “February and Forever”. Let’s continue celebrating Black History today and every day!
We wanted to share some of the people of colour whose work has made an inspiring difference to our environment and planet. Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour are often underrepresented in environmental and conservation spaces even though many are on the front lines and have been leading these spaces for years.
Ayana Johnson
Dr. Johnson is a marine biologist, founder and author. Her work is focused on the impact of climate change on the ocean and how that can impact communities of colour.
Charles Young
Not only was Charles the first Black colonel in the United States Army, but he was also the first Black National Park Superintendent. His work was focused on preservation, which led to the creation of Sequoia National Park.
Marjorie Richard
Marjorie was the first African American woman in North America to win the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2004. She secured an agreement from Shell Chemical to reduce its toxic emissions by 30 percent, contribute $5 million to a community development fund, and finance relocation of her Old Diamond neighbours in Louisiana.
Robert Bullard
Dr. Robert Bullard is known as the “father of environmental justice”. He ran the first study on eco racism in 1979, where he found that toxic waste sites in Houston Texas were disproportionately located in Black communities. Since then, Bullard has continued his fight for environmental justice.
Lisa Jackson
Lisa Jackson was the first African American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator and one of the few women to hold the position. During her tenure, she focused on vulnerable people and communities susceptible to environmental and health threats.
John Francis
Following an oil tanker collision and oil spill in San Francisco Bay in 1971, John Francis decided to commit himself to protecting the planet. He boycotted all motorized transportation for 22 years. For 17 years he took a vow of silence in order to listen better to those he did not agree with. During his time walking around the country, he earned a PhD in environmental studies, founded the nonprofit organization Planetwalk, and ultimately ended his silence working for the US Coast Guard Oil Pollution Act.
TreeEra helps individuals and businesses reduce human impact on the planet we love by community-funding the planting of trees.
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