Take action to defend Black Lives

Introduction

Trigger Warning: Police violence, racism

Art courtesy of Instagram @shirien.creates

White supremacy and institutional racism rears its ugly head in countless ways: housing access, health outcomes, political power, and access to education. It manifests how and to what extent people are affected by climate change. It decides how communities are policed, and whether or not it is safe for Black people to exist, take up space, or thrive. In yet another act of anti-Black police violence, George Floyd was violently murdered by four Minneapolis police officers. He was killed, just like Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubery, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, and the overwhelming number of other Black people killed by police and white vigilantes because of the violent systemic white supremacy in this country.

The environmental community must not stay silent in the face of systemic injustice. We must act and speak in solidarity with the Black community and the movement for Black Lives. Fighting for a green and peaceful future includes speaking out against the unjust, racist, and systemic violence facing Black people in the US, especially when it’s at the hands of the police. Being silent is not an option.

We at Greenpeace believe that we cannot have a green and peaceful planet without justice—climate justice, economic justice, and racial justice.

Art courtesy of Instagram @shirien.creates

We demand action to confront the racism, police violence, and inequality in this country.

We support the Movement for Black Lives policy platform, which includes a future without jails, detention centers, youth facilities, and prisons. We also support the call for accountability by families of the slain, who are demanding that as long as we are forced to have prisons, police officers who murder should be in them.

We speak out because environmental and racial justice are inextricably linked. #BlackLivesMatter

The following resources have primarily been created by activists, thinkers, leaders, and organizations outside of Greenpeace. Where known, we have given credit to the creator. We have pulled them together here to amplify their voices.

While anti-racism is not the core mission of Greenpeace, it is a core value. We know that the environmental movement cannot achieve full justice for people and planet without anti-racism work embedded in the core of our mission and in the hearts of our supporters.

Take Action

Your action is needed now more than ever. Here are some ways to join our movement.

Join the Movement For Black Lives
Take action with Black-led organizations like Color of Change
Support the fundamental right to protest, and donate to bail funds nationally or locally to get those who are protesting police brutality released from detention as soon as possible

Self-Assessment

Racism Scale. www.racismscale.weebly.com

The diagram attempts to illustrate and group examples of Overt White Supremacy (Socially Unacceptable) and Covert White Supremacy (Socially Acceptable).

White Supremacy Diagram, Based on original graphic by Ellen Tuzzolo, courtesy of https://www.uuridgewood.org/white-supremacy-teach-in-ii-december-3-2017/

What to Read

Listen & Watch

#BlackLivesMatter
the next time u wanna say “all lives matter*” understand what the movement is actually about pic.twitter.com/t6PiY32uc7

— jite (@JlTEAGEGE) July 7, 2016