The last couple weeks of historic protests over police violence against black Americans have renewed efforts to understand the links between racism and environment. The pandemic has already highlighted links between long-term exposure to air pollution and Covid-19, which has disproportionately claimed the lives of minorities. One note of optimism is that climate activists are now starting to speak out against institutional prejudice. Many environmental NGOs globally are moving beyond conservation to focus on climate politics and environmental justice. The number of people of color on the staff and boards of major green groups in the U.S. has increased, and the number of organizations specifically focused on environmental justice is on the rise. Racial justice is at the heart of climate justice, and the environmental justice movement is gaining momentum.

Here are just a few resources to better understand these connections:

• NY Times list of articles, essays, and books about climate change and social inequities
• Greenpeace: how racial and environmental justice are connected, as explained by the Vision for Black Lives
• CLF statement and list of organizations supporting minority communities in New England

Additional books on my list to become more educated on the historical context behind racism:

• How to be Less Stupid About Race – Crystal Fleming: On how systemic racism exposes us to racial ignorance, and how we can transform our knowledge into concrete social change
• So you want to talk about race – Ijeoma Oluo: Honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life
• White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide – Carol Anderson: On the powerful forces opposed to black progress in America; reframes our continuing conversation about race

“There is no just recovery for climate, without addressing the systemic extraction, harm and violence towards Black communities.” –350.org