Workshop ( Culture Speaks)

Cultural Environmentalism Panel

The stereotype that environmentalists are all white and wealthy, and its corollary that “Black people don’t do nature,” are both clearly false. The racist history of the environmental movement does continue to make many people of color, particularly African Americans, feel unwelcome in mainstream environmental organizations. But people of all races care about the environment. In fact, a recent survey by Yale University found that Blacks take climate change more seriously than whites. And they aren’t waiting to feel welcomed by the mainstream movement. Environmentally conscious African Americans are active in every area of environmentalism.