Dear John,

How can we possibly expect to achieve our vision of clean, healthy rivers everywhere for everyone if members of our society are oppressed, silenced and killed with impunity?

I want to make American Rivers’ position clear: We cannot fight for the environment without also fighting for justice. White America, and the conservation movement, have a responsibility to speak out against the injustices perpetrated against Black people, as well as Indigenous people, Latinx people and other marginalized communities.

At American Rivers, we continue to examine our operations, culture and conservation priorities to disrupt cycles of systemic injustice — even those we perpetuate unwittingly. We recognize there is more we need to do to fulfill our mission and commitment to our core values, which include diversity, equity and inclusion. We also know we’ll misstep at times. But we’re listening, we’re learning and we’re taking action. Click here to read our president Bob Irvin’s blog, “Fighting for rivers means fighting for justice.”

As Bob writes, “I’m not naïve enough to think that American Rivers will, on its own, achieve the justice our society needs. But I’m idealistic enough to know that unless American Rivers does its part to fight for justice in all we do, we will continue to experience the horrors we have seen this spring and we will not achieve our mission. That outcome is unacceptable.”

I’m also writing to invite you to join us in conversation.

June is National Rivers Month, and American Rivers is teaming up with NRS and Orvis for Just Add Water, a campaign to break down barriers and elevate the importance of racial and ethnic diversity in the outdoors.

We’re following documentary film producer and outdoor enthusiast Faith Briggs, and avid kayaker, former river guide and all-around outdoorsman Adam Edwards, as they share their adventures and lead conversations about making the outdoors safe and accessible for all.

In Faith’s words:

“The world is hard. All of the inequities that we deal with daily have boiled over. It is past time and we can’t pretend things are ‘normal.’ I’m glad, because normal hasn’t been normal or just for many of us for a long time.

While we keep getting into the important conversations about identity politics and environmental justice, we’re also going to keep celebrating joy through representation in the outdoors. We have a stellar line up of films and folks in the next few weeks who will guide us through hard and important conversations about how we engage and protect the places we love and each other.”

We invite you to join us in a series of virtual film screenings and discussions. You’ll enjoy excellent films and dig into a rich and necessary conversation about the importance of ensuring everyone can enjoy our rivers and trails — no matter the color of their skin or where they come from.

Please visit NRS’s Just Add Water page to learn about details and dates, and sign up.

We hope you will join us.

For the rivers,