Though mostly celebrated for his role in the civil rights movement and nonviolent protests, environmental justice is a common theme reflected in Rev Martin Luthur King Jr’s legacy.
The day before Dr. King was assassinated, he supported Black sanitation workers who were striking in Memphis, Tennessee. Paid far less than their white counterparts, Black workers routinely performed the most dangerous work and bore disproportionate health and safety risks (Source: Grist.org/King Institute). Such advocacy led to cornerstone environmental and worker safety legislation passed in the years after his 1968 death, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the Clean Water Act of 1972, and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974.
We celebrate Dr. King by working to eliminate the gap in environmental health risks between whites and Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). MyRWA is working to identify and overcome systemic racism in our own work. Below are some of the resources we are reading/watching/listening to/doing. We hope you find them useful.
READ
Why Climate Change Would have Alarmed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. , Marshall Shepherd
Racism Derails our Attempts to Fight the Climate Crisis, Dr. Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson
How to Unite the Fight for Racial Equity and Environmental Action, Marie Beecham
Communities of Color Hit Hardest by Heat Waves, Reann Gibson
Racial Justice, COVID-19, and the Environment: Why It’s Connected, MyRWA
WATCH
Climate Justice in the Mystic, Melanie Gárate, MyRWA’s Climate Resilience Project Manager
LISTEN
‘How to Save A Planet’ podcast with Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Alex Blumberg. Episode: Black Lives Matter and the Climate
ACT
Donate to national or local organizations focusing on climate and racial justice. Some examples: Chelsea GreenRoots, Harborkeepers, NAACP Environment and Climate Justice, Alternatives for Community and Environment.
Support statewide and federal proposals that address climate and environmental justice like reintroducing and passing the Climate Roadmap Bill. Sign up for our action alerts—we’ll let you know when there is an opportunity to call your legislators or the Governor!
