reading
Garrett Hardin: Extremist Info
This article from the Southern Poverty Law Center addresses the work of Garrett Hardin, who was a anti-immigrant extremist and a prominent ecologist. This is one example of a prominent environmentalist from the 1960s and 1970s who promoted a xenophobic ideology under the guise of fears of over-population affecting the environment. For more read here.
People of color, we need to address our own anti-Blackness and how we may be perpetuating injustice
This post addresses how non-Black people of color can and do perpetuate anti-black racism. It provides examples of ways non-Black POCs can benefit from anti-black racism and provides tangible actions that non-black POCs can do to address their anti-blackness. The author also provides an important reminder that black liberation helps remake a more just society for everyone. For more read here.
Why We Need to Talk About—and Recognize—Representation Burnout
This article talks about the issue of “representation burnout”, the stress that comes from being the “only one” of a marginalized environment within a given space. The author writes that while the “first” person from a group to do something, such as the “first” Native American congresswoman, is often celebrated, we need to do more to honor the stress and vulnerability that comes from feeling alone in a space. For more read here.
Why climate action is the antithesis of white supremacy
This article discusses the ideological underpinnings of the climate change movement and white supremacy, arguing that they are fundamentally at odds. The author suggests fighting against means acknowledging the interconnectedness of environmental systems and society whereas white supremacy rests on creating and maintaining difference. For more read here.
Can Native Americans Protect their Land if They’re not Recognized by the Federal Government
This article discusses the challenges that non-federally recognized Native American tribes face in trying to preserve their native lands using examples in California. The author explores the history of how the US government terminated their recognition of 109 recognized tribes in the 1950s and the effect of this policy on the present. They also provide examples of how tribes have negotiated land agreements with the California state government to create land trusts to preserve their land. For more read here.
What is Decolonization and Why Does it Matter?
This articles defines decolonization as a goal of moving towards a tangible unknown through everyday acts of decolonization. The author provides examples of decolonization efforts, such as Indigenous resistance of oil pipelines, and examples of colonialism, such as the appropriation of Indigeneity within North American activism. For more read here.
Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education and Society
This journal has a number of publications, creative writing pieces and articles on the many aspects of decolonization work. For more read here.
This is not a Diversity Report
The company Tala, which offers access to loans in the developing world, published this letter as an type of internal diversity report and a public-facing effort to improve equity within their company. This offers a helpful framework for how companies can think about presenting their own DEI efforts using a growth mindset. For more read here.
Solutions Privilege: How privilege shapes the expectations of solutions, and why it’s bad for our work addressing systemic injustice
This blog post discusses the phenomenon of “solutions privilege”, in which people with positions of power and privilege criticize presentations about inequities as not being “solutions-oriented”. It provides examples of how people ignore solutions that are presented that involve resource redistribution, infantilize people of color and look to them to provide solutions rather than take on the challenging work themselves. For more read here.
White People: We Don’t Have Solutions for You
This blog post discusses how there is no easy solution to equity work and it necessarily requires white people to be entangled in often messy and challenging work. It also offers a critique of white people who really solely on people of color for equity solutions, without being willing to engage in the challenging work themselves. For more read here.
Designing for access in outdoor spaces doesn’t mean paving pathways
This article discusses considerations for designing accessible outdoor spaces for people with disabilities, drawing on examples from projects making mountain bike trails, hunting land and hiking trails wheelchair-accessible in Montana. People involved in those projects emphasize that small considerations, such as the size of gates and switchbacks on trails can make a significant difference in physical access. They also challenge the notion that physically disabled people want access to a different style of recreation and say that access should not be limited to paving paths. For more read here.
‘Environmentalist’ Doesn’t Just Mean White and Wealthy
This article discusses a study on perceptions of environmentalists and concern about the environment that challenges stereotypical notions of environmentalists. The study found that while the most common image of an environmentalist is a wealthy, college-educated white person, people of color and people from low-income backgrounds express a higher level of concern for the environment. They go on to discuss a need for the environmental movement to move towards environmental justice and become more inclusive. For more read here.