Hi there,

It’s Black History Month and we wanted to shine a spotlight on Black environmentalist activists you don’t hear enough about.

As we know, collective change takes many voices rising together for a vision of a better world. These five Black environmentalists below have all been important members of this movement throughout our nation's history. One is an icon well ahead of his time, but the other four are current-day champions who are still leading the fight amid climate emergencies we are experiencing today.

• Dr. Robert Bullard, the father of the environmental justice movement, first articulated the ideas of environmental justice in his landmark book, Dumping in Dixie.
• John Francis, a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, became known as the “Planet Walker,” for giving up all motorized transportation for over two decades after witnessing a massive oil spill.
• Majora Carter, a Peabody Award winning broadcaster and urban revitalization consultant, works to connect community development with ecology, economics and social degradation.
• George Washington Carver, widely regarded as one of the greatest agricultural researchers and educators, understood even in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the interconnectedness between the health of the land and people.
• Quentin James, a former National Director of the Sierra Club’s Sierra Student Coalition, is the Founder and President of The Collective PAC.

Read our blog post to learn more about these five inspiring voices in the environmental movement.

- California Environmental Voters
(formerly California League of Conservation Voters)

California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters), formerly California League of Conservation Voters, exists to build the political power to solve the climate crisis, advance justice, and create a roadmap for global action. To protect our air, land, water, and future, we organize voters, elect and train candidates, and hold lawmakers accountable for bold policy change. Our vision is to solve the climate crisis, build resilient, connected, healthy communities, and create a democracy and economy that is just and sustainable for all.