Environmental Justice has long been a Black issue, our communities have historically, and even now, been disproportionately impacted by environmental issues. From chemical companies to contaminated water, Black and poor neighborhoods are far too often in close proximity to environmental hazards. Despite that, our communities have fought and continue to fight because we understand our lives and the environment are intertwined.
Check out these five Black environmentalists who dedicated their lives to advocating for environmental justice throughout history.
Hazel M. Johnson 1935 – 2011
“For so long, environmental activism has been primarily a white, middle-class issue, far removed from the daily reality of inner-city life.”
Affectionately known as the mother of the environmental justice movement, Hazel Johnson became a leading voice on the environmental racism impacting Black communities. After the Louisiana-born activist moved to Chicago, she became an influential figure in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood she called home. Following the death of her husband from Lung Cancer, Johnson became concerned about a similar pattern of lung-related ailments plaguing other residents. Through her own investigation she learned the Altgeld Gardens was surrounded by several environmental hazards, including having been built over a landfill. Johnson eventually founded the People for Community Recovery, an organization to support Altgeld Gardens tenants and focus on environmental justice. Her persistent advocacy played a crucial role in President Bill Clinton signing an executive order to address environmental issues impacting minority and low-income folks.
Wangari Maathai 1940 – 2011
Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, speaks during the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, Friday, March 10, 2006, at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.ASSOCIATED PRESS
“When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and seeds of hope. We also secure the future for our children.”
Internationally renowned Kenyan human rights activist and environmentalist, Wangari Maathai devoted her life to making this world a more peaceful, equitable and greener place. In 1977, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an organization focused on supporting women, alleviating poverty and planting trees to conserve the environment. The Green Belt Movement resulted in the planting of over 30 million trees across Kenya. Maathai’s advocacy and impact traversed the continent and ultimately the world with her becoming the first African woman and first environmentalist to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Margie Richard 1941 –
Goldman Environmental Prize winner Margie Richard, of Norco, LA., smiles in San Francisco, Saturday, April 17, 2004.AP Photo
“The environment is everything around us—the air, the water and the land. The Earth is the foundation of life. Environmental issues should never be ignored.”
Margie Richard grew up in a historically Black neighborhood in Norco, Louisiana which is a part of a region known as “Cancer Alley.” Richard’s own house was just a few feet away from a Shell chemical plant. Witnessing her community be afflicted by health issues primed her for a life of activism. However, what solidified her journey into environmentalism was the 1973 Shell Pipeline explosion that killed two people. Another Shell plant explosion would happen in 1988 killing seven workers, and a year later, Richard founded Concerned Citizens of Norco. After a decades-long campaign led by Richard, Shell agreed to buyout the neighborhood and reduce its toxic emissions by 30 percent. Richard’s advocacy expanded beyond her Norco neighborhood earning her the honor of becoming the first African American to win the Goldman Environmental Prize.
Robert D. Bullard 1946 –
Robert Bullard, the founder of the environmental justice center, poses in his office on the Clark Atlanta University Campus in Atlanta, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2004, between enlarged versions of two of his books.AP Photo
“America is segregated, and so is pollution.”
Often regarded as the father of environmental justice, Robert Bullard has been a prominent scholar and activist in the environmental justice movement spanning four decades. An award-winning author of 18 books, much of his work has been focused on environmental racism, sustainability, urban land use, and climate justice. Bullard is also the founding director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice and the HBCU Climate Change Consortium. Bullard’s advocacy and leadership has earned him dozens of prestigious honors, including receiving the 2020 Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award and being appointed to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council by President Joe Biden.
John Francis 1946 –
“We are the environment and how we treat each other is really how we treat the environment.”
Inspired by the 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay, John Francis made a decision to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. One of the big changes he made was giving up motorized transportation and instead walking. After receiving pushback for his decision, Francis took a 17-year vow of silence. During that time, he remained committed to the cause, founding Planetwalk, a non-profit environmental awareness organization. Over the years, Francis, nicknamed Planetwalker, trekked across the United States taking detours along the way for several degrees, including a Ph.D. in Land Resources. In addition to journeying through the United States, he walked and sailed through the Caribbean, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. As the National Geographic Society’s first Education Fellow, Francis continues to spread awareness to the masses about the importance of taking care of the Earth.
Check out our Earth Day Reads on the Black Joy Bookshop to learn more!