Black Girl Environmentalist is a national organization dedicated to addressing the pathway and retention issue in the climate movement for Black girls, women and gender-expansive people.
By empowering emerging climate leaders of color, we are committed to supporting Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people realize their full potential in climate leadership.
Together we can create a representative climate movement made in the image of all of us.
1800+ Members and Counting
1800+ Members and Counting
Theory of Change
Community Empowerment
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While early career Black women and gender expansive individuals are well positioned to contribute to climate solutions, lesser access to resources and community spaces restrict many from achieving their full potential.
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We understand that the voices and visions of Black women & gender expansive people are inherently needed to cultivate a just climate future in which all people have power, security, dignity, and prosperity.
Through our multi-city HUB program, we cultivate location specific opportunities for our community to unite around environmental justice and co-create the regenerative future that we require
Our HUBs are located in: NYC, LA, DC, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, Miami, Detroit, Knoxville, Philadelphia, the Bay Area (SF/Oakland), Columbus, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta.
Narrative Change
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Interlocking systems of oppression have created sociopolitical conditions that distinguish Black girls and women as an at-risk group to environmental crisis. Yet, environmental scholarship has traditionally sidelined our unique positionality.
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We seek to
A. Highlight the contributions and legacy of Black women environmentalists and
B. Create and disseminate educational resources that center the lived experiences and expertise of Black women and gender expansive individuals
Green Workforce Development
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While many early career Black girls, women, and gender expansive people are interested in pursuing green career paths, concerns around obtaining well paying jobs, the availability of diverse work environments, and the lack of green job visibility reinforces the gap between access and representation in our community.
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Through in-person and virtual programming, we aim to equip our community with the skills, resources, and connections necessary to enter and stay in the climate sector.
Guiding Framework
Guiding Framework
The Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship
Our 10-week climate internship pipeline program that focuses on increasing opportunities for emerging leaders of color to learn about, engage with, and enter the environmental and climate sectors with adequate funding, mentorship, and community building.
The HUB Program
Located in 12 cities, our rapidly growing HUB program facilitates opportunities for our community to convene, network, and build community. Each HUB city hosts monthly convenings that include: clothing swaps, author meet-and-greets, plant-based potlucks, and more. Our HUBs are currently in: Los Angeles, NYC, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington DC, the Bay Area (Oakland/SF), Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Columbus, Knoxville, and Philadelphia.
Black Girl Environmentalist follows the Black Women Best framework.
Coined by Chief Economist at the Department of Labor Janelle Jones, the Black Women Best (BWB) framework argues that if our government brings Black women from the margins to the center and intentionally creates policies that pull Black women out of economic precarity and into economic prosperity, then everyone will benefit.
Countless studies demonstrate that Black women are both among the last to recover and benefit during times of environmental crisis and of the least supported in the green workforce.
By nourishing Black women-led environmental solutions and leadership through the lens of “Black women best,” we can collectively to cultivate a just climate future in which all people have power, security, dignity, and prosperity—in the climate crisis and beyond.
Who We Serve
Black girls, women, and gender expansive environmentalists seeking a supportive community of like minded peopleBlack girls, women, and non-binary people interested in learning more about joining the climate movement and/or pursuing green careersOrganizations and recruiters seeking diverse talent for internships, fellowships, and jobsInstitutions and partners committed to increasing the recruitment and retention of emerging Black talent
Join Our Community
Gain a national community of Black women and non-binary folks invested in building collective power in the climate movement