The Ucross High Plains Stewardship Initiative stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and all Black people and communities in the pursuit of justice and a world without police violence and all other forms of anti-Black racism. This movement is not a singular movement—it is part of a centuries-long history of Black resistance and struggle against slavery, racism, and violence.
It is also essential to recognize and actively unlearn the anti-Blackness prevalent in our own lives and communities. While the work and experiences of Black and Indigenous people of color are central to the field of environmental studies, they have often been silenced. But climate and environmental justice are racial justice. Romanticized conceptions of the United States and the American West in environmental studies often erase Black experiences and instead promote racist, anti-Black frameworks and narratives.
We refuse to separate environmental justice from Black justice. It is our responsibility to actively unlearn and condemn all forms of anti-Blackness and to amplify Black scholarship and experiences.
UHPSI encourages folks to consider donating to one of the funds listed here.
Additionally, we have compiled a list of readings:
The Rise of the American Conservation Movement by Dorceta Taylor
The Adventure Gap: Changing the Face of the Outdoors by James Edward Mills
Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage by Dianne D. Glave
There’s Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous & Black Communities by Ingrid R.G. Waldron
Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility by Dorceta Taylor
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoors by Carolyn Finney
Climate Justice is Racial Justice: A Reading List by Environmental History Now
Indigenous Climate Change & Climate Justice: Teaching Materials & Advanced Bibliography by Dr. Kyle Whyte
Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land by Leah Penniman
Celebrating Black Environmentalists during Black History Month by San Francisco Department of the Environment
A Terrible Thing To Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind by Harriet A. Washington
Black Environmentalists Talk About Climate and Anti-Racism NYT article by By Somini Sengupta
Why we must teach the ugly side of public lands history + a tool to help by Paul Sanford
Indigenizing the News May 2020: ITN x Ucross Collaboration by Meghanlata Gupta
Indigenizing the News June 2020: Black Lives Matter by Meghanlata Gupta