This year, Greenpeace Canada is honouring Black Excellence and Black Resistance. Black Excellence, the Canadian 2024 theme, requires that we celebrate Blackness in all of our achievements and the ways we take up space. But, while it’s easy to celebrate Black celebrities, it’s important to remind ourselves that this is not where Black excellence begins or ends. Collectively, we need to do more than consume media and mistake this visibility for true representation. For this reason, Black Resistance is a theme we’re adopting as climate activists taking action to co-create the world we want.
Black communities have resisted oppression in all its forms for hundreds of years. Our leadership in social movements has demonstrated the Power of the People in creating a world where there is justice for all. Through this continued resistance, the world bears witness to the definition of radical love for collective liberation.
There are common misunderstandings about the ways Black communities have engaged in the environmental movement. The truth is that Black, Indigenous, and racialized folks all over the world have always worked to center justice in climate action.
The environmental justice movement, largely led by Black people, Latines, Asian and Pacific Islanders, and Indigenous communities, originated from a stark reality: the disproportionate impact of pollution on communities of color and low-income individuals in North America. Thanks to the efforts of environmental justice advocates, we now know this as environmental racism, and it’s precisely what communities of color have been battling for decades.
Intersectionality in climate justice is necessary because of these disproportionate impacts. As a Greenpeace is a white-led organization, our climate action is only complete if it uplifts the voices of diverse communities; not just for the sake of representation, but as our duty to demand justice for all.
Speaking on behalf of communities most affected by environmental and climate change injustices, instead of facilitating platforms and giving space for these communities to express themselves, is a common criticism of white-led environmental organizations. De-centering whiteness in climate activism is a collective responsibility that requires us to make space and take the lead from equity-deserving communities.
Climate action is not a new space for Black leadership in resistance. And while Black communities have long been stewards of the land and protecting ecosystems, their voices are often stifled and altogether silenced in rooms where decisions are made. Recognizing this includes affirming Black experiences, such as Black farmers and land stewards, who combat violence and prejudice to protect our cultures and Earth.
Our existence is not limited to resistance. We have surpassed and surmounted every obstacle in our way to achieve excellence in the face of adversity. And despite stereotypes, racist policies, and socioeconomic factors that deny Black people access to nature, we remain deeply connected to our environment.
“It’s not a stretch to use elements of Mother Nature as a lens to explore and appreciate the beautiful, complicated reality of the Black experience” – Rachel Cargle
Silencing Black voices is a climate justice issue. Black excellence and resistance will save us all.
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH: