By Erin Krauss and Maggie Bennett
This past Sunday we had the privilege of attending the Sierra Club’s “Women Leaders in Sustainability” virtual event. As young women eager to join the mission to end the eco-crisis, it was inspiring to hear from so many empowered female leaders in the community.
The night began with music from local folk artist This is LEA and highlighted female leadership within the Sierra Club and allied organizations in Maryland.
The first speaker was Delegate Brooke Lierman who discussed the important impacts of lobbying and community outreach from the perspective of a state representative.
Dr. Rose Brusaferro then explained her current project, Backyard Base Camp, and its mission to reconnect urban communities with nature and sustainability within their own backyards. Dr. Brusaferro also touched on the importance of acknowledging and honoring the historical context of underrepresented communities.
Rabbi Nina Cardin reflected upon the state of the environment from her youth and emphasized the importance of restoring and healing the natural world. Cardin, director of MD Campaign for Environmental Human Rights, feels that every human has a right to protect the environment and “enjoy the fruits of Earth equally.”
Ruby Stemmle, founder of ecoLatinos, spoke on the environmental focus of the Latinx community and talked about her group’s projects and plans to restore the natural environment. The mission of Stemmle’s foundation is to “empower the Latino community in the pursuit of social and environmental justice through engagement, education, and activism across the Chesapeake Bay Region.” Almost every program she has is in Spanish, and she designs these programs for the whole community.
Writer and poet Ailish Hopper shared her work included in the anthology “All We Can Share.” Hopper’s moving poem spoke on humanity’s negligence and lack of responsibility towards the natural world. The poem, “Did it ever occur to you that you’re falling in love?” calls for its audience to rethink their attitude towards the nonhuman world and establish a positive relationship with nature. It was an awe-inspiring poem that had the audience focus on the importance of how we need to clean the environment, we need to fix the problem.
Staci Hartwell serves as co-chair for Environmental and Climate Justice with the NAACP Maryland State Conference. Hartwell focuses on inclusion and justice in the eco-community and currently offers scholarship opportunities for HBCU Maryland students to attend solar training to help them advance their education in the importance of sustainability.
Spice sang the closing song which discussed the importance of fighting for equality and never-ceasing until true justice is obtained and everyone can share the Earth equally.
Overall, the fundraising event was a success that showcased intelligent, diverse, and capable women making real changes for a better future. We look forward to future Sierra Club events that continue to amplify underrepresented groups in their fight for a healthier and happier Maryland.