Earth Day Honors Those on the Frontlines: People of Color
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the Action Network’s 350 Yakima is hosting Global Online Climate Strikes to recognize “people of color as the frontline victims of climate change, centering Indigenous people’s leadership and wisdom,” according to the event’s website.
“Saving the polar bears is important, don’t get me wrong, but we’re dying in our neighborhoods. What about saving people, too?” Kim Wasserman, executive director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO), told the Chicago Tribune in an article published on April 21. “We need to be talking more holistically about saving the earth in general.”
Studies have shown as much, with the American Lung Association reporting that Black residents in New Jersey living in lower-income neighborhoods were dying faster from long-term exposure to pollution.
To that end, Earth Day Live 2020 is hosting a plethora of online events around climate action, April 22-24, with topics focused on the Flint water crisis, why communities of color are on the frontlines, how best to take action against anti-Asian hate and more.
To learn more about the virtual climate strikes, view live stream discussions and view the complete two-day schedule of events, visit Earth Day Live.