“What is the point of clean air, clean water, and green grass if the people of the world are dying at the hands of social justice ills?” – Nakisa Glover
At EarthGen, our mission is to support students and school communities to be leaders for a healthy environment. We must prioritize justice for people at the same time as we protect the environment. Unfortunately, in Washington and throughout the world, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) continue to suffer from the impacts of structural and environmental racism.
At EarthGen, we are working to ensure that BIPOC communities do not continue to bear the brunt of pollution and climate change. We are also working to close gaps in the educational system that disadvantage People of Color in schools across Washington. As we collaborate with these communities to activate students, teachers, and schools around the environmental issues they face, we are listening and learning about local injustices. We strive to be allies for healthy and just communities, while building our own knowledge and capacity to do this work.
As a white-led organization, we recognize that we still have a long way to go. In 2017, our Board of Directors adopted a Racial Equity Policy and implementation plan, and we have more to do to realize our vision of becoming an anti-racist organization. Our board and staff are committed to learning about personal, systemic, and institutional racism through training, study, reflection, and building meaningful relationships.
BIPOC-led organizations, such as Dream Corps and Front and Centered, are shaping a more just and inclusive environmental movement. They inspire us and are leading the way. We urge you to learn from their resources, invest in their work, and be a force for change in your own community.
EarthGen condemns the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the millions of Black people who have died over decades at the hands of police brutality and racist violence. Friends and supporters, please hold us accountable to our commitment to dismantle racism and environmental injustice – now and in the future.
Yours in progress,
Meredith Lohr
and the EarthGen Team
June 2020