Our Racial Justice Statement
As environmental educators, we know that natural communities thrive on diversity and are less resilient as diversity diminishes. So too with our human experience. The desire for a white monoculture, so prevalent since Europeans first landed in this country, has weakened our society. We believe that human society needs to use nature’s own systems as a model in which each element plays an important role in the health, resilience and diversity of the entire community.
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) have suffered, and continue to suffer, from systemic racism and injustice. The last few weeks have shined a light on the pervasive oppression and dehumanization of BIPOC in all aspects of daily life across America including feeling unwelcome in outdoor activities, parks, in the natural sciences, and the environmental movement.
The Nature Museum’s field of expertise is education and experiences of the natural world, and thus we feel impelled to acknowledge the history of racism in our field. This has resulted in “nature” being perceived by BIPOC as a white person’s domain. As an organization we abhor this outcome. Racism is a human construct and not part of the natural world. We are one interconnected species.
We are committed to making a positive contribution to healing the racism that impacts the opportunities for BIPOC to experience the beauty, serenity and wonders of the natural world. Connecting all people to nature is at the heart of our mission at The Nature Museum.
We, therefore, pledge to:
Educate ourselves about the history of racism in our field. This article is a start. https://www.outsideonline.com/2142326/environmentalism-must-confront-its-social-justice-sins#close.
Listen to leaders in the BIPOC communities and learn how best we can create a more diverse and inclusive organization.
Evaluate all aspects of our educational offerings and work to include more inclusive topics and presenters.
Expand our present programs on the indigenous people of New England.
Use our social media accounts to highlight organizations working to overcome the historic lack of inclusion for BIPOC people in outdoor education and recreation and magnify their messages by including hashtags like#OutdoorAfro,#DiversifyOutdoors, and #BlackWomenWhoBird.
Expand our search for new employees to include more diverse venues.
We hope that you will work, listen, and learn alongside us as we support everyone’s right to have a personal relationship with the earth.
Laurie Danforth, Leslie Goldman, Will Danforth, Ken Finch, Andrew Tolve, Rick Cowan, Kate Lunde, Vanessa Stern, Jay DeGregorio, Nick Katrick
June 2020
