At that news conference Jealous couldn’t attend, Smiley went so far as to connect the fight MLK waged for racial equality to the current fight for the future health of the planet. Sure, it’s important to fight the good fight against efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs, for example, and against banning books on Black history in public schools. So when we say disproportionately impacted, that’s not just rhetoric.”And yet, politicians rarely bring up climate change or environmental justice as a true priority when they are talking to people of color. Because with every passing year, every extreme weather event that devastates an already vulnerable community of color and every generation that becomes more aware of the pollution that is ruining their quality of life, it becomes clearer that environmental justice is racial justice. “Poll after poll shows upward of three-quarters of us consider ourselves to be environmentalists,” Jealous said of Black people.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 15, 2024 19:17 UTC