From Mac Post, State Chair
I had originally drafted an article for this newsletter about how perfunctory Earth Day has become and that we needed to regain the political consensus that led to the enormous environmental progress 50 years ago with the bipartisan passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. However, in recent weeks, the chronic issue of police killings against Black people across the country has, again, escalated to a boiling point and resulted in protests. I have decided to use this article to reflect on what this means for our organization.
What is so enraging is that the reasons for these protests are not new. Abusive police practices coupled with state-sanctioned violence has resulted in systematic brutality since our nation's founding, not only on Black people, but also Native Americans, Brown people, and other people of color. Sure, progress has been made—slavery, and overt segregation are now illegal, and affirmative action laws have made some progress in ending some specific forms of discrimination. However, recent history shows that this long cycle of lawlessness against Black people continues and leads to protests time and again from the Watts riot in Los Angeles in 1965 and nationwide riots in 1967 to protests in Ferguson in 2014.
It is abundantly clear that we need Congress to pass meaningful police reform legislation now. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is advancing several specific proposals to Congress and the Movement for Black Lives is promoting actions for local communities: m4bl.org/week-of-action. The Sierra Club publicly supports these proposals. But this is only the beginning. We must go beyond outrage and work for justice by confronting the racism that enables police violence across our country.
Why is this important to Sierra Club members? Environmental issues cannot be separated from racial and social justice—we can’t fulfill our mission to enlist humanity to protect the planet while racism continues to divide us. As Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune recently pointed out, “The companies that have profited from fossil fuels and accelerated the climate crisis are the same ones who have benefited from environmental injustice, colonialism, and racism.”
I am a privileged white man who is beginning to understand the many ways Black people have such a different experience of life in the United States than mine. I am learning how to identify and confront my own racist ideas. I have much to learn in my personal journey towards antiracism and championing antiracist ideas and policies. I invite you to join me. Together we must confront inequality embedded in our society and continue to fight for the dignity of all people. This year let’s support and vote for representatives that will unite us, not divide us. Only together can we tackle ecological crises and ensure environmental justice in this country.
Please read the Sierra Club's statement below.
Here are some resources I have found useful:
- Search "Showing Up for Racial Justice" on Facebook
- Antiracism Resources for White-led Organizations
- How To Be Antiracist
Contact Mac at mpost3116@gmail.com
A Statement from the Sierra Club
In Solidarity with our Black and Brown Family, Friends, Neighbors, Partners, and Communities
Our hearts are heavy with the deep grief, pain, violence, and death our Black and Brown family, friends, neighbors, partners, and communities continue to experience as a result of systemic racism, inequity, and police brutality in this country. As an act of solidarity, we paused our usual stream of social media posts, text messages and outbound email communications, including advocacy alerts, fundraising appeals, Insider and Green Life news- letters, and Daily Ray of Hope and are committed to uplifting Black and Brown voices and experiences.
The faces of Black people killed by police
are displayed at a vigil for
George Floyd on June 8 in Knoxville
An important element of our mission at Sierra Club is to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment. Environmental issues cannot be separated from racial and social justice - we can't fulfill our mission to "enlist humanity" to protect the planet while racism continues to divide us.
We are pausing, listening, and learning in the ongoing journey towards anti-racism and invite you to join us.