Climate justice must be actively anti-racist. Making clean energy equitable is critical for racial justice and racial justice is critical to building sustainable, resilient communities. As we continue to advance our mission of clean energy for all, we are doing internal work as an organization and as individuals to be actively anti-racist.
Racism and white supremacy are deeply rooted in our nation’s history, and while the media coverage on this movement may be fleeting, the work to undo systemic racism needs to continue to be a part of our daily lives as individuals, as an organization, and as a country.
We acknowledge that unconscious biases and prejudices have long guided our organization, and that internal acknowledgement and active conversations of these issues is only the beginning of a long, challenging, and imperative process towards fully embodying our value of equity.
We acknowledge the intersectionality of racism with homophobia, transphobia, gender inequality, dis/ability, and colonization. We must amplify marginalized voices in our society - not just for one month or one day of the year - but every day.
We invite you to join us on this journey.
Here is a list of resources that have helped informed our staff members’ personal anti-racist practices. We hope that these will help inspire conversations and action steps.
- Intersectional Environmentalist
A platform for resources, information and action steps to support intersectional environmentalism and dismantle systems of oppression in the environmental movement. People can self-identify which community they belong to (e.g. Black, LGBTQ+, allies, etc.) for specific resources. - Ava DuVernay’s 2016 documentary, 13th
Available for free online, providing a historic framework for understanding racism today. Named after the U.S. Consitution’s Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery except as a punishment for crime. - There Is No Climate Justice Without Racial Justice
A YES! Magazine article explaining that meaningful work on climate change must also correct injustices. - Addressing Systemic Racism Through Meaningful Workforce Investments
Last month, our GRID Greater Los Angeles team hosted a webinar, exploring how to approach inequality in a moment of change through workforce development.