By Reginald Larkin
One’s ethnic background has always been a hot topic of discussion, in America. Despite the arrival of more pressing issues such as global warming, one begins to wonder when the waves of racism will subside. As a community, blacks have been trying to catch up with the majority society since post slavery; moreover, minority participation in the Green movement is almost non- existent. The rate in which global warming is occurring is quite alarming. Movies such as The Day After Tomorrow are now becoming reminders of the affects of global warming. There has been a sort of “call to arms” in response to the Earth’s climate.
Many have heeded this “call to arms”, however, people of color have somehow “missed the memo.” The Green movement lacks diversity for a number of reasons. The pressures of daily struggles tend to overshadow the need to worry about the environment. Never the less, there is a need for the effects of climate change to be properly communicated to ethnic people.
Urban communities are falling prey to environmental crimes that place their livelihoods and health at risk. Environmental crimes are white-collar crimes, which target ethnic or low-income communities and place health risks such as power plants near homes. Scenes such as this one are all too familiar thus, allowing the cycle to continue. Another common scene is the suburban area that does not have a power plant in the community.
The difference between these to two scenarios is the people in the suburbs go to their council members about environmental issues and they take an active part in their community. Meanwhile, people living in urban communities have to suffer. People of color want to get involved in the green movement, however they may not know how. The need to educate all people about the effects of the changing climate is one that is quite dire.
The Green Movement has always been a white movement but this can change with the involvement of minorities. Communication is a key factor in getting people involved in the environmental movement. The information should be provocative. People should understand how they are personally affected. If someone were writing a song, it would have a target audience in mind, during the creative process. Information should meet people where they are so it can be applied to their personal lives.
Minorities have to voice their concerns about their communities, or no one else will. Yes, the Green Movement is a wonderful thing that is getting people from all lifestyles involved. There are many different types of organizations dedicated to bringing more people of color into the movement, such as the Environmental Justice Climate Change Initiative (EJCC).
These organizations are trying to promote ethnic participation in the movement. There is a great need for the Latino’s, African - Americans and Asians to take part in the Green movement. If minorities fail to their voice their opinions, they will proceed to lose the rights in the process. There are many things to be concerned about, but we cannot be concerned about anything if we do not have a place to call home.
- Reginald Larkin is a fashonisto, rising eco-journalist and college student at Morgan State University in Baltimore. He is also the President and Co-founder of Green Morgan a campus group working to engage more youth of color on environmental justice. For more writings from Reginald "treehuggeRL" Larkin visit http://larkintips.blogspot.com/
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