Hot on the heels of a recent Gristmill feature by Marcelo Bonta of the Center for Diversity and the Environment on this issue, an article on the environmental movement's lack of diversity appeared in The Oregonian this weekend, which dug into the details close to home:
The 115 staff members for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, Oregon Environmental Council, Ecotrust, Oregon Wild and the Audubon Society of Portland include two Latinos, two Asian Americans, one Native American and no African Americans, their leaders say.
So yes, green groups can do better in terms of hiring. But Bonta, who's interviewed, makes the case again that these groups need to go beyond recruiting to engage in dialogue on the issue. They'll be very likely to find, and surveys back this up, that people of color are just as committed to conservation as they are.
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Comments
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bookerly Posted 8:20 am
30 Jan 2008
Dear Erik,
Thanks for the post. People have been talking about this issue and struggling with it for years, and nothing much as changed.
It's pretty damn depressing.
patrick in Beijing
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bookerly Posted 10:37 am
30 Jan 2008
Not wanting to be only negative (smile).
Let me offer some positive ideas.
Green groups can begin by identifying organizations in their areas that involved in environmental justice (or that include environmental justice issues in their work).
Invite them to attend a meeting and give a presentation. Ask permission to do the same.
Invite, invite, invite. Keep doing it and mean it.
Visit schools in poor neighborhoods, ask to do presentations. Look for volunteers among poor high school students. Treat them with respect (do I need to say this?). Get involved in local issues of environmental justice.
When there are fairs or events in poor communities, be present. Participate.
Imagine that you could add 50% to your strength, and understand that you begin by listening to that 50%, and then sharing ideas (not telling people what to do).
Be serious about wanting diversity. Be respectful and listen. Be patient. Try to look at organizational behaviors that may be keeping people away.
If we can do this, we can beat global warming!!!
patrick in Beijing
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EnvironmentalDiversity Posted 7:09 am
02 Feb 2008
In addition, I think partnering and outreach needs to go beyond environmental justice groups and include people of color led groups, social justice groups, community-based groups, affordable housing groups, environmental health groups, faith-based groups, etc. You get my drift. Environmentalism is (or at least should be) a much far reaching and inclusive term in today's society than it was a few decades back.
In response, to your first comment about the environmental movement not really changing over the past few decades. I think now more than ever the environmental movement has an opportunity to really start moving forward on diversity issues. Inspirational speakers, like Charles Jordan, Jerome Ringo, and Van Jones, are making their rounds discussing various aspects of diversifying the movement. Organizations, like the Diversity Matters and the Center for Diversity & the Environment, have been created specifically to deal with the issue. Numerous trainers, such as Iantha Gantt-Wright and Angela Park, are making headway working on cultural change within mainstream institutions. An amazing series of gatherings, called Diverse Partners for Environmetnal Progress, has been gaining traction in comprehensively moving the issues forward and organizing numerous change agents.
So let's not give up on diversifying the movement just yet. There are a lot of exciting things happening. Let's be hopeful. In order to truly be committed to the cause, we all need to start taking action within our own spheres of influence.
Marcelo Bonta
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bookerly Posted 12:56 pm
06 Feb 2008
Dear Marcelo,
Thanks for your optimism!! I am admittedly not as close to the issue (being out of the US) as I was when I lived in the states. This may tend to make me more pessimistic, since I am influenced by the mainstream media and their style of environmental coverage (yech!).
I agree with you that we must all take action within our own spheres.
In Hope,
patrick in Beijing
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EnvironmentalDiversity Posted 4:37 am
08 Feb 2008
You are touching upon one of the challenges to diversifying the movement. The environmental media needs to do a better job of elevating diversity issues in its stories. Grist has been doing a great job by the way (although there is always room to do better:)) When is the last time you heard of some of the efforts, people, and organizations that I mentioned in my previous post? Maybe with the exception of Van Jones, I would be pleasantly surprised if you have heard of some of the others.
Good luck, and I appreciate your comments in pushing this issue.
Marcelo
"We are the change that we seek."
-- Barack Obama
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