To our community,
Recent events have forced us to face that racism, police brutality, and systemic inequities continue to prevail. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others are symptoms of the unsustainable nature of our relationships. Over the past couple years, our partners have been pushing us to incorporate and lift up equity as a key focus of our work. As an organization committed to co-creating schools and school districts that are just, equitable, and sustainable, we can no longer sit back, be silent, and wait until we get it exactly right. We acknowledge that co-creating a sustainable future begins with equity and justice. We will never have green, healthy, or sustainable schools without addressing the inequities and systemic racism that exist in the relationships and communities that shape our schools.
To this end, we commit to stand in solidarity with the #blacklivesmatter movement and those fighting for justice. We will go beyond listening and learning and act to implement the following:
- Ensure that the green schools movement includes more diverse voices, starting with our peer-reviewed journal, Green Schools Catalyst Quarterly, and GreenNotes blog.
- Uplift more Black and Brown leaders who will challenge what we think, do, and say, so that the green schools movement reflects ALL our communities.
- Highlight social justice and environmental justice curriculum that supports place-, project-, and problem-based pedagogies.
- Publish a special issue of the Green Schools Catalyst Quarterly that exposes the biases and barriers that prevent all schools from joining the green schools movement.
- Prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion as we build our team, including staff and members of our board of directors.
We will do our part to ensure that “Equity” in the triple bottom line of sustainability (Environment, Economics, and Equity) is no longer overlooked in conversations concerning sustainability. A three-legged stool cannot stand without solid footing from all its legs.
