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Hi CLCV Member,  

Today is Juneteenth – the oldest holiday marking the emancipation of the
last enslaved Africans in the United States. It’s a day not only for
celebration, but for reflection; on Juneteenth, we take time to consider
the destructive legacy of slavery –even more than 150 years after
emancipation– and examine the role of white supremacy in our daily lives.
Above all, today is a day to commit to anti-racist work to create the
equitable world we all deserve. 

The recent protests across the United States have forced a long-overdue
reckoning with the white supremacy at our country’s core. Despite whatever
progress we might believe we’ve made, racist ideas, assumptions, and
practices infect every element of American life. If we’re going to address
the moral failure of our country, then we all have to take an honest,
difficult, look in the mirror.

That means that we, members of the environmental movement, need to face
some hard truths.

Racism permeates every part of our culture, society, and interactions.
It’s in the air we breathe. We need to stop being scared of being called
racist, and we need to be more concerned about how we are perpetuating
racism. Educating ourselves, understanding how we contribute to white
supremacy, and actively working to dismantle racism, is part of the
process.

We are planning a series of educational emails and blog posts on white
privilege, the intersectional approach necessary for our movement, and
tools for your own digital organizing. On social media, we will continue
much of our messaging to uplifting Black, Indigenous, people of color who
are working to protect our planet and our communities.

We’re refusing to look away from these facts, CLCV Member, and more
importantly, we are committed to building an environmental movement that
fights for all people – a movement that sees climate action and
anti-racism as inextricably linked, and that searches for integrated
solutions.  

CLCV is focused on putting our resources behind policy action to directly
address our racist and unjust criminal legal system. We are doubling down
on the racial justice and equity work we’ve been doing internally with our
staff and board, and we are working with our endorsed candidates to
connect them with education and training required to directly serve all of
their constituents.

We must bridge the gap between learning and action, and we cannot fight
for climate justice without fighting for racial justice. We will continue
to provide our members the necessary resources, and we ask for your
courage to address racism and environmental injustice in your own
community. Today, on Juneteenth, we pledge that we will be listening,
learning, and taking action right beside you.  

As always, we’re proud to stand by your side in this movement, and this
moment.

Best,

Mary Creasman
Chief Executive Officer 
California League of Conservation Voters

 

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We believe that radical change is necessary and only by transforming our political system will we create the opportunity to take bold action on climate change. We elect and cultivate environmental champions, turn election victories into policy wins, hold our lawmakers accountable, and build political power for change. We inspire hope and action and fight for equity and justice for all Californians. We are in the business of changing what’s possible.

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