When we started drafting OurCounty, the regional sustainability plan for Los Angeles, we knew we wanted to center two things: people and equity. As we said then, we envision “a future where all residents throughout the region benefit from flourishing, pollution-free natural and built environments, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, income or other social differences.”
In 2020, many wondered if that vision could be possible as the country struggled through a pandemic and the simmering civil unrest due to centuries of unjust and racist policies that burden and kill low-income communities of color—especially Black communities.
At the Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office, we never questioned that vision, we simply realized that the urgency in our work reached a fever pitch. Black people in our country have been at the frontlines of building this country, civil rights, democracy, and environmental justice since arriving to these shores as enslaved people. Yet, policies, practices, and laws often place them at the most risk for COVID-19, housing instability, lack of access to parks and green space, and an inability to breathe clean air or drink clean water. This year during Black History Month, we wanted to take an opportunity to spotlight Black leaders in the sustainability and climate space who have led the way to a more sustainable future where our vision can be fully realized. We hope you’ll follow along on Twitter as we highlight some leaders who have been doing the work for years, some who are new to the fight, and all of them doing everything they can to center people and equity as they fight for justice.