Environmental Protection Is Impossible Without Social Justice

To Our Followers,

The soul of this country has been laid bare in recent days. The long history of systemic racism and violence against Black people in the United States now includes the killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, among so many others. The peaceful and organized actions in the streets around the country testify to that history and challenge all of us to change a broken and unjust system that unequally distributes opportunity, risk, and safety.

We stand upon a threshold. As advocates for environmental justice and equitable access to public lands, we must also advocate for social justice, including the end of police brutality and institutional racism. The very foundation of our democracy—and the moral integrity of this country—demands it.

Protecting wild places, plants, and animals is inseparable from the fight for human rights. We cannot conserve the natural world while people do not have safe and equitable access to these lands, let alone jobs, positions of leadership, government, education, and other basic and essential services because of the color of their skin.

To say that we are sickened and outraged is not enough. Like so many environmental and conservation organizations, we are unfortunately a relative newcomer to social justice advocacy. Today, more than ever, we commit ourselves and our organization to this work and to the support of our social justice allies who are leading the way. We will do better. We will be allies. And we call on others in the environmental community to join us in taking a stand. 

If you are able, we recommend supporting some of the amazing frontline organizations that work locally and regionally on these issues:

Black Lives Matter

NAACP

Outdoor Afro

Just Communities

Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE)

Public lands cannot be for all if all are not safe or welcome. We don’t have all the answers, but we do know that we have much work to do. We hope you will commit with us to fight for a more just and equitable future for all. The first step is to end our silence.

In solidarity,

ForestWatch Board and Staff


Want to learn more about how you can get involved or become an ally? As a place to begin, we recommend the following resources that you may find useful. Part of our commitment to fighting for social justice will include sharing ways to support this work and information that contributes to our growth as allies and advocates:

How to support Black Lives Matter and the protests against police brutality (Polygon – June 2, 2020)

Being Antiracist (National Museum of African American History & Culture)

How to be a good white ally, according to activists (Vox – June 2, 2020)

Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)

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