Happy Black History Month! Sierra Club Connecticut will be hosting a few events about Black History this month, and I hope you will join us. 

 

Black History Month is a time to reflect on and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans, contributions that were and still are left out of mainstream education. You can read more about the origins and themes of Black History Month here. Environmental justice is central to the work of Sierra Club and is tied to Black History because it began as a protest in North Carolina when a group of African-American activists and organizers advocated for clean air. This kicked off the beginning of the environmental justice movement we see today. Learn more here: A Movement Is Born: Environmental Justice and the UCC - United Church of Christ. 

 

On February 13, we will host an online meeting from 12 to 1:00 p.m. about tenant rights in Connecticut. A commitment to environmental and climate justice requires a commitment to tenant justice. Tenants are disproportionately lower income and Black and Latino. Black and Latino tenants are disproportionately evicted from their homes and face significantly higher energy burdens than white households. Low-income tenants face the highest rent burdens of any group and disproportionately experience rent increases after disasters. Sign-up here to learn more and join in on this very important conversation. 

 

On February 14, our Chapter’s Environmental and Racial Justice Committee will meet. All are welcome. 

 

Three BioBlitz events are planned in February. BioBlitz is part of a global effort to document biodiversity and highlight the importance of community science and it’s also a chance to create a safe and welcoming space for Black adventurers, naturalists, and outdoor enthusiasts to connect and contribute to conservation. Find these events on our calendar.

 

On Wednesday, February 26 from 1 to 3:00 p.m., we’ll hold an online meeting focusing on the history and impact of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Ida B. Wells-Barnett was an African-American journalist, civil rights advocate, and African-American feminist who believed in women's rights to vote and have bodily autonomy. In this event we will discuss the contribution that Ida B. Wells-Barnett made for racial, social, and environmental justice from the past to the present. Check out these articles here that will be discussed: Jackson Water Crisis | NAACP and The Devil's Punchbowl in Natchez, Mississippi - Alabama Gazette.  There will be poetry, conversation, and fun! Sign-up here and join us to learn more.