What Happens When Young People of Color Lead the Movement to Solve Environmental Challenges
Our future depends on including youth in career and community efforts
The research is clear – communities of color are being disadvantaged through environmental racism. They have been marginalized into segregated areas where the air and land are full of pollution and the community is more likely to be exposed to industrial waste and chemical dumping sites. Black and Latinx children are much more likely to have heightened levels of lead in their systems due to ecological neglect, while Indigenous children are packed into areas adversely impacted by mining and other polluting industry practices, contaminating the life-giving soil and water.[1]
Distressing reports show that, in low-income neighborhoods of color, there is 21% less plant and tree life to combat the greenhouse gasses released by industrial plants in those areas.[2] The lack of tree cover in these communities leads to elevated temperatures and reduced air quality, increasing mortality and illness rates in children and the elderly.[3] The divestment of green resources from vulnerable communities also results in a loss of biodiversity and an increase in disease-carrying insects and rodents. Thus, the conversation surrounding environmental challenges in communities of color is in desperate need of a shift.
Youth leadership can lead to visible action
Communities of color have had to be skilled in resiliency, adaptation, and innovation. Because systemic racism is built into their indomitable spirits, Black and Brown young people are well-positioned to overcome the obstacles thrown their way. So, who better to institute creative solutions to climate change-related problems than those disproportionately living with the consequences of such problems? Despite the tendency to treat youth of color as unknowledgeable, incapable, and disinterested, these youth are an energetic force at the forefront of developing inclusive, sustainable solutions to many of societies’ ills, including climate change.
These young people come to the movement with a lifetime of lived experience as they have encountered the disastrous effects of ecological segregation firsthand. Realizing that environmental injustice can no longer go unaddressed, they’re increasingly engaging in conversations and careers focused on climate change action. And they are far more likely to actually take action via preventative measures; 32% of Generation Z youth – 48% of which are people of color – took political action regarding climate change in 2020.[4] Young BIPOC grads entering green career paths are hungry to make a real difference in the world; as such, they have the dedication and determination needed to become thought leaders and changemakers in green spaces.
Youth of color are also not afraid to take action on climate change. In one example of BIPOC youth brilliance in green leadership, Irsa Hirsi and Alexandria Villaseñor, who were just 16 and 14, co-founded US Youth Climate Strike, an alliance which encourages young students to participate in #FridaysforFuture.[5] The group organized youth all over the United States to leave school every Friday and protest, demanding that adults address climate inaction and injustice. The movement has since been expanded by various other youth environmental organizations and has driven communities of color to increase their engagement and understanding of environmental racism.
Propelling young people to the forefront of environmental action can also help an entire community reconnect to their sacred land. In Angoon, Alaska, the Indigenous Tlingit people have inhabited the region for thousands of years and witnessed the devastating effects of capitalism and consumption throughout their pristine natural habitat. The Alaskan Youth Stewards program, supported by MobilizeGreen, puts Indigenous youth on the frontlines and charges them with the cleanup of waterways and trails. These youth-driven efforts align with the tribe’s desire to protect their ways of life (e.g., fishing, hunting, and subsistence harvesting) and their mission to join with other Indigenous tribes to invest in conservation activities.[6]
Bringing passionate young individuals to positions of prominence in green organizations renews the urgency of the mission and amplifies the concerns of their communities, expanding conservation and climate change approaches from white, middle class-focused solutions into ones that address environmental racism for all. Creating career pathways for young people of color as green leaders also helps to restore their communities’ sacred connection to the earth, erases the misconception that BIPOC youth don’t belong in nature, and catalyzes both individual and community action. Furthermore, various communities of color become galvanized in their shared commitment to the fight against climate injustice. In this way, the youth don’t merely try to solve environmental challenges – they are solving issues by creating a domino effect of engagement and action. They know that their futures depend on the disruption of today’s status quo.
About MobilizeGreen
MobilizeGreen is committed to bringing about change so young people of color can solve the challenges faced by their communities and create a more just and equitable planet for all. In order to address the “diversity leadership gap” in green, MobilizeGreen is on a mission to help develop young people of color into future environmental and green sector leaders. By eliminating barriers and providing access to career opportunities, MobilizeGreen connects emerging professionals to the hands-on work experience, soft skills training, and professional development needed to successfully launch their careers. Through this strategy, we believe underrepresented youth and communities of color will be equipped to tackle climate change and other environmental issues head-on, promoting a sustainable future for their communities.
1. Jessie Laurore, Yuko Yadatsu Ekyalongo, Salomon Villatoro, Deana Around Him, and Kristin Anderson Moore. February 9, 2021. To Protect Children of Color, Leaders Must Understand and Address Environmental Racism. Child Trends.
2. Thin Lei Win. August 13, 2020. How and why systemic racism harms the environment. Thomson Reuters Foundation News. https://news.trust.org/item/20200813181850-kem2r
3. Thin Lei Win. August 13, 2020. How and why systemic racism harms the environment. Thomson Reuters Foundation News. https://news.trust.org/item/20200813181850-kem2
4. Tyson, Alec, Kennedy, Bryan & Funk, Cary. May 6, 2021. Gen Z, Millennials Stand Out for Climate Change Activism, Social Media Engagement With Issue. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2021/05/26/gen-z-millennials-stand-out-for-climate-change-activism-social-media-engagement-with-issue/
5. Iverson, Adam. February 27, 2019. 10 Things You Need to Know About the Students Skipping School to Fight Climate Change. Green Peace. https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-students-skipping-school-to-fight-climate-change/
6. Masterman, Stephanie. May 18, 2020. How Tribes of the North Are Taking Climate Matters into Their Own Hands. Last Real Indians. https://lastrealindians.com/news/2020/5/14/how-tribes-of-the-north-are-taking-climate-matters-into-their-own-hands-by-stephanie-masterman