Hey friend,

Do you know who the mother of the environmental justice movement is? Or who coined the term “environmental racism” for that matter?

Black climate champions’ impact and legacy on the environmental movement are monumental and yet often under-recognized. This Black History Month, we’re shedding light on leaders who have put themselves on the frontlines of the fights to protect their communities and the environment, and whose vigilance and dedication inspire us every day.

Hattie Carthan was an environmental and community advocate who lived and organized in Brooklyn in 1964. She formed the Magnolia Tree Committee to fundraise within the community and secured matching funds from the New York Horticultural Society, raising the $5,000 needed for construction. Carthan’s advocacy not only focused on more accessible housing but also emphasized the need for green spaces in urban areas. Her legacy was nothing short of influential — especially as an early voice that influences how urban green spaces are talked about today.

Reverend Benjamin Chavis Muhammad joined protests against the illegal dumping of contaminated soil in rural Warren County, North Carolina in 1983. These monumental efforts from communities in Warren County eventually stopped further landfill deposits and would soon influence environmental policy at the national level. He called the dumxping environmental racism: “I began to define the term as racial discrimination in public policy making, as the deliberate targeting of people of color communities for toxic waste and hazardous waste facilities, as the exclusion of people of color from public policy making.”

Hazel M. Johnson founded People for Community Recovery to address environmental issues in Chicago’s public housing. The mother of the environmental justice movement, Johnson investigated links between environmental problems, high cancer rates, and respiratory illnesses. The organization continues working on environmental education, climate issues, and community organizing for environmental justice.

Colonel Charles Young became the first Black national park Superintendent in 1903, overseeing Sequoia National Park. Young simultaneously served as a captain to an all-Black regiment at San Francisco’s Presidio, contributing to wildlife preservation efforts and preventing illegal activities like poaching and logging. His dedication to duty, work ethic, and academic leadership made him a respected figure of his time, serving as a role model for future generations.

We hope to continue their legacies by centering frontline communities in our climate justice work here in California. Please make sure you’re following @envirovoters on social media to learn more about our climate justice work and the leaders who’ve inspired us:

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Thank you, friend, for being part of this vibrant community.

- California Environmental Voters




California Environmental Voters
1111 Broadway, Suite 300
Oakland, CA 94607
United States
+15102710900 | [email protected]

EnviroVoters is hiring! Join us to work on critical climate legislation work.

California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. To protect our air, land, water, and future, we organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. Our vision is to solve the climate crisis, build resilient, connected, healthy communities, and create a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all.

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