America the Beautiful for All published an op-ed from Justice Outside President & CEO Kim Moore Bailey, where she shares her motivation for joining the Coalition, rooted in her experiences as a Black woman leader in the environmental sector. Click here to read and here’s a brief excerpt:
The Coalition’s work and the process in which we are advancing change spoke to my experiences as a Black woman leader in the environmental and outdoors sector. Black, Indigenous, and Communities of Color often hold the solutions to the issues facing our world, from climate change to economic disparity. Through centuries of having to survive without consistent investment from the state, we have learned how to lean on each other and creatively find solutions that are rooted in mutual aid and community support. Yet, we’re severely underrepresented in the environmental and outdoor sector. That’s why my organization Justice Outside works to advance racial justice and equity in the outdoor and environmental sector through building organizational capacity, developing the outdoors workforce, grantmaking, and advocacy. We joined the America the Beautiful for All coalition because it is intentionally working towards not only meaningful representation but also towards centering the leadership of leaders of color.
