Racism and Environmentalism

[lolaholcomb]

I had no idea the history of racism in EECB ran so deep and so thick. But I suppose that's sort of intentional now; it's difficult for modern day environmentalists to conceptualize the field having been built upon the backs of slaves and exploited BIPOC. Since topics such as environmentalism, climate change, and conservation have been politicized, I feel as though the disconnect between the history / "Founding Fathers" of the fields and the present day environmentalists has only grown stronger. There are, of course, always exceptions, but those who a.) believe in climate change and b.) believe climate change is man-made, and needs to be addressed with manpower, tend to also believe in not just environmental justice, but social justice, too. So, learning and understanding that environmentalism, and many of the environmentalist "idols" (both past and present) are rooted in racist beliefs can be a tough pill to swallow for environmentalists who gain moral satisfaction from having environmentalist values. Part of the white, middle/upper-class privilege extends to thinking -- we can get a sense of being morally just by caring about the environment without paying mind to how the field is built upon racist exploitation. I acknowledge that my shock upon reading of the racist history (both recent and distant history) is evidence of my own privilege. But now what? What can I, or anyone, do to make this better? I am 22 years-old; this shouldn't have been the first time I've learned about the roots of the Sierra Club, or of national parks, or of nature documentaries. My initial thought is that elementary education needs to change. But for that to happen, a whole lot of other systemic changes need to occur. But how??? And when???