Women experience climate change with disproportionate severity because enforced gender inequality makes us more susceptible to escalating environmental stresses. Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people in particular, bear an even heavier burden from the impacts of climate change because of the historic and continuing impacts of colonialism, racism and inequality. Due to this proximity, Black women have a unique role to play as indispensable actors in the climate movement.
However, Black women continue to be underrepresented across the environmental and climate sectors and have the lowest retention rate of any demographic. Black Girl Environmentalist aims to address the pathway and retention problem in the climate movement for Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people through: community empowerment, green workforce development, and narrative change.
We follow the Black Women Best framework coined by Janelle Jones, Chief Economist at the Department of Labor. Black women have a long standing track record of creating and sustaining solutions representing social, economic, and political power. By empowering and resourcing Black girls and women across the climate movement, BGE is committed to realizing the full, collective power of Black girls, women, and gender-expansive people in climate leadership. Because we understand that the voices and visions of Black women& gender expansive people are inherently needed for all of us to cultivate a just climate future in which all people have power, security, dignity, and prosperity.
Our Story
In 2021, environmental justice activist Wawa Gatheru founded Black Girl Environmentalist to address the recruitment and retention problem of Black girls, women, and non-binary people in the environmental field.
Having been in the climate space for almost ten years, Wawa could not help but notice that while Black girls and women experience the brunt of environmental injustice, they were amongst the least resourced or platformed in the climate movement. It was clear - limited access to the climate movement for Black women and gender-expansive individuals was an environmental injustice.
Today, BGE is a national organization dedicated to empowering Black girls, women, and non-binary individuals across the climate movement. By empowering and resourcing our community through community empowerment, green jobs development, and narrative change we seek to help cultivate a climate movement made in the image of all of us.
We have worked with 55 corporate and non-profit partners and hosted 38 events across our 10 HUB cities. Our work has been recognized in Vogue, the New York Times, NPR, Forbes, Essence, Teen Vogue, and Axios.
We are collectively committed to centering Black women and gender-expansive folks in the environmental movement while shifting inequitable power structures that create barriers to access environmental disciplines.
Meet the Team
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Wawa Gatheru
Founder / Executive Director
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Elsa Mengistu
Director of Programs
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Kwolanne Felix
Fellowships & Community Manager
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Janiah Miller
HUB Coordinator
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Cara Anderson
Chicago HUB Lead
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Autumn McNeill
Atlanta HUB Lead
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Bobbie Green
New Orleans HUB Lead
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Cori Johnson
New York City HUB Lead
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Madelyn Collins
Knoxville HUB Lead
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Wesleigh Wright
Knoxville HUB Lead
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Unique Vance
Los Angeles HUB Lead
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Olivia Wilson
DC HUB Lead
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Deja Newton
DC HUB Lead
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Jasmine Walker
Columbus HUB Lead
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Danielle Brito
Bay Area HUB Lead
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Zoie Bills
Detroit HUB Lead
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René LaPointe Jameson
Boston HUB Lead
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Maura Javis
Philadelphia HUB Lead
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Lorena James
Charlotte HUB Lead
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Maya Espinosa
Charlotte HUB Lead
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Sydney Dubose
Pittsburgh HUB Lead
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BGE primary serves Black girls, women and non-binary environmentalists seeking a supportive community of likeminded people and/or folks interested in learning more about sustainability, environmentalism, and/or green careers
However, we recognize that our unique programming and resources are of interest to others also interested in building a more inclusive environmental and climate movement. We welcome support, partnership and collaboration with allies that are invested in helping us build an environmental and climate movement that is made in the image of all of us.
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At the moment, the majority of the team is volunteer led. A one time or recurring donation to BGE makes a HUGE difference in helping us continue to develop programming and resources more accessible to our community. However, financial support is not the only way to get involved. Here are other much appreciated methods of support:
Follow BGE on Instagram, Tiktok and Twitter to ensure that our resources and programming are accessible in the midst of suppressive algorithms.
Donate your space! As part of our BGE hub program, we coordinate several events across the country and in the United Kingdom that allows our members to build place-based connections. We are always looking for opportunities to connect with value-aligned community spaces, libraries, coffee shops or stores interested in donating their space for our monthly meetings and other events. Connect with us heere:
Connect us! Carry the mission of BGE into your unique sphere of influence - personal connections, workplace and conversations - to ensure we get connected to other BGEs and allies invested in helping us create an environmental and climate movement that is accessible, relevant and inclusive to us all.
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A central focus of BGE is to help create opportunities fo Black women and non-binay environmentalists to get connected with more green opportunities and experiences. We are compiling a growing list of qualified BGE across environmental disciplines. If you are interested in getting connected with members of our community, please submit an inquiry here.
We are also in the process of developing a virtual portal for our community and recruiters to network, share resources, and job opportunities. We are seeking partners that would be interested in funding and developing this networking hub. If you are interested in getting connected, please submit an inquiry here.
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Black Girl Environmentalist is a fiscally sponsored project of the Nafasi Fund.