Today is Juneteenth. This year the holiday is especially meaningful, as people of all backgrounds have gathered to raise their voices and declare: Black Lives Matter. EWG stands in solidarity with Black, Indigenous and other people of color and redoubles our commitment to support and join leaders in the fight against racial injustice.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day word finally reached Galveston, Texas, home of the most remote enslaved people in the U.S., that the Civil War had ended and they were free – nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation formally ended slavery.
Although slavery wasn’t legally abolished until December 1865, and although today incarcerated people continue to be forced into labor, Juneteenth has become a day to celebrate the end of slavery in this country.
To that end, we’re using our email and social media platforms to highlight organizations we believe are leading the way with their focus on racial injustices and environmental racism. For decades, communities of color have been forced to bear a far greater burden from pollution, and a lack of access to food and consumer products free from ingredients that are inferior and harm their health.
In honor of Juneteenth, please consider finding out more about these environmental justice organizations and making a donation.
National Black Farmers Association
NBFA's education and advocacy efforts have been focused on civil rights, land retention, access to public and private loans, education and agricultural training, and rural economic development for black and other small farmers.
Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families harmed by pollution and vulnerable to climate change in the Gulf Coast Region through research, education, community and student engagement for policy change, as well as health and safety training for environmental careers.
Black Women for Wellness is committed to the health and well-being of Black women and girls through health education, empowerment and advocacy.
WE ACT’s mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low income residents participate meaningfully in the creation of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices.
The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.
Photo credit: Tippman98x / Shutterstock.com
