Black knowledge creators who've shaped how we think about & experience ECOLOGY, NATURE & CLIMATE. A (large yet nonexhaustive) THREAD.
This is part of our "Spotlighting Black Scientists & Ways of Knowing" series, check out the previous part on Technology⬇️
This is part of our "Spotlighting Black Scientists & Ways of Knowing" series, check out the previous part on Technology⬇️
We’re sharing these threads as part of our #ScientistSolidarity Drive which ends TOMORROW, calling on non-Black scientists to support orgs/funds doing grassroots racial justice and abolition work. We're only $300 away from our (updated) $6110 match goal!
First up, Black Radical Ecology teaches us that environmental destruction stems from white pursuits of power/the Eurocolonial capitalist idea that humans rank above all in nature. @RantzFanon says: "To save ourselves & the planet, we must oppose all forms of (white) authority…
… We need an ecological science that is revolutionary and anti-colonial. [One] that reveals how the ecological problem is not an apocalypse, but is about the need for Massa’s house to burn.” - @RantzFanon (find their essays in Red Voice) content.redvoice.news/burnin-down-ma…
Ecowomanism, pioneered by folks like Melanie Harris & Shamara Shantu Riley, foregrounds the eco-wisdom of women of African descent, and honors eco-spiritualities & cosmologies from African and Indigenous peoples.
In Harris’s words, ecowomanism “insists on race-class-gender analysis to examine climate injustice, expose environmental racism, and explore ecological reparations” reflections.yale.edu/article/crucif…
Harris points out that Billie Holiday’s song “Strange Fruit" highlights the connection between the colonization of the earth and the colonization of Black and Brown peoples
Lead to Life, an Oakland-rooted and trans-local collective led by Black and queer artists, decomposes systems of oppression through what they call “applied alchemy” — they melt weapons down and transform them into shovels to be used in healing ceremonies.
They host ceremonial tree plantings at sites impacted by violence (to Black folks / to the land) with the hopes of widening collective imaginations and “orienting towards a Black eco-feminist politic of liberation in the midst of climate collapse.” Info: leadtolife.org
Alexis Pauline Gumbs is a self-described Queer Black Troublemaker & Black Feminist Love Evangelist whose community building & care ethics encompass all sentient beings. Read her meditation for social movements based on guidance from marine mammals: wordupbooks.com/book/978184935…
Soil Generation is a Black and Brown led coalition of growers and farmers cultivating a people’s agroecology movement in Philly. They are building up food sovereignty and community control of land through their “Threatened Gardens Campaign.” Learn more: soilgeneration.org
Black Earth Farms is a Black and Indigenous led agroecology collective. blackearthfarms.com In their words: “We need clean land, clean water, clean air, and reparations for all colonized and oppressed peoples on the planet...
… Relationships with soil, plants, food, and medicine are direct lines of communication and connection with our ancestors. Denying people food sovereignty is an act of systemic genocide.”
Resiliency Gardens is an initiative in Richmond, VA by Duron Chavis, developed during COVID-19 as a tool for deeper levels of resiliency. The collaborative delivers raised beds to community members so they can grow their own food beautifulrva.org/building-resil…
Soul Fire Farm is a BIPOC-led community farm striving to end food apartheid. In their words: “With deep reverence for the land & wisdom of our ancestors, we work to reclaim our collective right to belong to the earth and to have agency in the food system." soulfirefarm.org
Self-described “memory tracer” Lauret Savoy is an environmental studies professor and author of “Trace: Memory, History, Race, and the American Landscape.” Check out her syllabi challenging traditional narratives of environmental history here: lauretsavoy.com/teaching/
Carolyn Finney (@finneyoutloud) is the author of “Black Faces, White Spaces,” which highlights the history of how slavery, Jim Crow, and racism have shaped the underpresentation of Black people in environmentalism, nature, and the outdoors. uncpress.org/book/978146961…
Catherine Flowers's work addresses environmental racism/water & sanitation crises in poor rural communities, esp in the U.S. South. She's a leader in many capacities, including as founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise & Environmental Justice centerforearthethics.org/team/catherine…
Beverly Wright is a sociologist & founder of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, which serves those experiencing frontline impacts of the climate crisis. She wrote this book abt Hurricane Katrina w environmental justice pioneer Robert Bullard books.google.com/books/about/Ra…
Na’Taki Osborne Jelks is a @SpelmanCollege professor who co-founded the Atlanta Earth Tomorrow Program, which engages urban youth in environmental stewardship & supports teens from heavily polluted neighborhoods to create solutions for urban sustainability spelman.edu/about-us/susta…
.@LaBucketBrigade is an environmental health & justice org in Louisiana that helps fenceline communities collect local pollution data that they can use to fight neighboring petrochemical plants and hold governments accountable to a just transition labucketbrigade.org
Mary Annaïse Heglar @MaryHeglar is a climate justice writer and podcast host. Her recent essay “What Climate Grief Taught Me About the Coronavirus: How to find humanity amid an ever-present dread” moved us. Read it here: newrepublic.com/article/157059…
Heglar also co-hosts “Hot Take” @RealHotTake, a podcast and newsletter that delivers a “no-bullshit look at the climate crisis.” Subscribe to the newsletter here: realhottake.substack.com
.@AyanaEliza is a marine biologist & policy expert passionate abt ocean & climate justice. She founded @OceanCollectiv, which designs conservation solutions grounded in justice, and @UrbanOceanLab, a think tank for coastal cities. Read her recent op-ed: washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/0…
Charise Johnson @charisejeanine_ is an environmental policy expert, now with the British Academy, previously w/ @UCSUSA. She helped lead @500womensci, is passionate about environmental justice & community partnership-building, and frequently tweets about racial justice & science.
Self-described network weaver and nature hacktivist @RueMapp founded @OutdoorAfro, which reconnects Black people to nature and builds Black leadership in outdoor spaces. outdoorafro.com
People of the Global Majority in the Outdoors, Nature, & Environment @PGMONESummit has the mission of creating intentional, celebratory & healing space for Black, Indigenous, and POC in movements for environmental/ climate/ food justice, land sovereignty, conservation & more
In lieu of their 2020 Summit, which was postponed due to COVID19, @PGMONESummit has been holding virtual sessions and affinity groups. Their next in-person summit is planned for 2021 in Chicago pgmone.org/2020
Sparked by Christian Cooper’s experience in Central Park, #BlackBirdersWeek was a whirlwind week(+) organized by @BlackAFinSTEM to celebrate & boost the visibility of Black folks w/in white-dominated birding circles, and to encourage more diversity in conservation & the outdoors
Corina Newsome @hood_naturalist is a Black naturalist, biologist, and co-organizer of #BlackBirdersWeek. She is a student of avian conservation and runs the blog Hood Naturalist: hoodnaturalist635144784.wordpress.com
.@hood_naturalist on her handle: “I didn’t want people to think that when they saw a Black girl in nature that I had to be someone who grew up in nature or the sticks. It’s important you know I grew up in the 'hood. I don’t come from here." inquirer.com/news/corina-ne…
Here’s an interview with Newsome about #BlackBirdersWeek: thecut.com/2020/06/interv…
Some others who made #BlackBirdersWeek happen: @Afro_Herper, @itsAfronomics, @BeanieJean_, @Rhiannon_Kirton, @BellzisBirding, @ChelseaHerps, @NaturallyWild_, @ScientistSymone, @JuitaMartinez, @Melliferocity, @WildlifeGirl09, @CherokeeSita, @KasstheFish, @Backyard_Base ...
... @Ranger_Bri, @TheWildlifeHost, @Sasha_Melanated, @WoodruffSidney, @DELaneII, @SipNSciPod, @JDMonroe210, @Tykee_James, @AlHendiify, @JasonWardNY + more folks you can find on this list: twitter.com/i/lists/126615… - follow & support their work!
(As a note, we're really hoping #BlackBotanistsWeek happens too - and see these replies for folks to follow!)
Asia Murphy @am_anatiala is a wildlife ecologist and self-described cameratrapqueen. We will never forget this epic thread she put together on conservation and colonialism
.@am_anatiala also does stunning wildlife photography and writes fiction - currently working on an ecologically-inspired fantasy novel. Find her art and ways to support her on Patreon and Etsy here: asiajmurphy.com
Christopher Schell @CSchell_Canids works on carnivore evolution in cities to examine how race and class shape carnivore distribution. Community participation in data collection and incorporating cultural and historical practices from his community is integral to his research.
Here's a blog post where Schell talks about how urban biologists can involve local communities with research: urbanevolution-litc.com/2018/11/19/the… (Related to our community-based science/ research justice thread from yesterday!)
This is a cool feature on @CSchell_Canids: magazine.washington.edu/feature/ecolog…
.@RaeWynnGrant is an ecologist who studies large carnivores, including bears & lions. She’s a science communicator, STEM equity/justice advocate, and she enjoys working with orgs committed to giving youth their first experiences in nature raewynngrant.com
.@JessicaLWareLab studies the evolution & ecology of insects, esp dragonflies, damselflies, termites, cockroaches & mantises. She mentors & encourages underrepresented folks in entomology! amnh.org/research/inver…
We were happy to see her recently answer this call from @ldijch
Who else should be added to this list of Black folks making knowledge around nature, ecology, and climate? Add to this list in the replies!
And follow @VanguardSTEM #CiteBlackSTEM #AmplifyBlackSTEM #BLACKandSTEM @CiteBlackWomen
#BlackintheIvory #BlackinNature to find more Black scientists and knowledge creators vanguardstem.com
#BlackintheIvory #BlackinNature to find more Black scientists and knowledge creators vanguardstem.com
Thanks @ChelseaHerps for pointing out to us A) that we used the wrong handle for #BlackBirdersWeek co-organizer Deja Perkins - she's @naturallywild__ ! and B) that there are LOTS of articles abt #BlackBirdersWeek co-organizers to share — here are some:
Staring with a feature on Deja Perkins aka @naturallywild__: news.ncsu.edu/2020/06/nc-sta…
Meet the lizard biologists who helped make #BlackBirdersWeek happen! Chelsea Connor @ChelseaHerps and Earyn McGee @Afro_Herper: anoleannals.org/2020/06/13/mee…
An interview with Sheridan Alford @beaniejean_ on the importance of representation in nature: pbs.org/wnet/nature/bl…
Here’s a convo with Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman @itsafronomics: theverge.com/21279801/viral…
This post has short stories about @JuitaMartinez, Atiya Wells @Backyard_Base, @Tykee_James, Alex Troutman @N8ture_AL, and Kassandra Ford @KasstheFish: la.audubon.org/news/black-peo…
Ela-Sita Carpenter @cherokeesita on how it feels surveying birds in white neighborhoods: “I hesitated to use binoculars to ID birds – could I be mistaken for someone scouting for a place to rob? Would a cop believe me if I said I was doing bird research?” baltimoreecosystemstudy.org/2020/06/02/bir…
Dive into this monthly show about ocean topics that #BlackBirdersWeek co-organizer Symone Johnson Barkley @ScientistSymone hosts every full moon: oceantoday.noaa.gov/every-full-moo… via @NOAAoceantoday
Here’s an interview with Danielle Belleny @bellzisbirding on the @SheExplores podcast: stitcher.com/podcast/she-ex…
Nicole Jackson @wildlifegirl09 talks about the perils of enjoying the outdoors while Black in this feature: columbusalive.com/news/20200602/…
This @PhillyInquirer story features #BlackBirdersWeek co-organizer Brianna Amingwa @Ranger_Bri, along with Lamar Gore and Corina Newsome: inquirer.com/science/climat…
Check out this article @Rhiannon_Kirton and Kassandra Ford @kassthefish co-wrote on the importance of #BlackBirdersWeek! gearjunkie.com/what-is-black-…
This list would be incomplete w/o @Sue_Pierre, ecologist, biogeochemist & creator of @CriticalEcology, a space for unearthing how marginalized communities experience the environment & science. Read this essay in which she asks: Who gets to be outdoorsy? freerads.org/2017/06/15/env…
