Green is everywhere. Caring for the environment, also known as “being green”, has become a lifestyle and an industry. The changing weather patterns, threatened animal and plant species are forcing us all to take a closer look at our life on this blue, green planet Earth. Are we responsible for our action here? If we all contribute to the polluting of the planet, will we all contribute to its healing? If so, does race matter? A glance through most yoga magazines or a visit to many health-oriented activities reveals a lack of color. No, not colorful clothes, but people of color, melanated blacks and browns. On Feb. 28, 2008, Uptown Magazine presented “People of Color Don’t care About the Environment”. The night provided a wonderful opportunity to hear from some on the leading edge of including new faces and voices into the work of re-connecting man and nature.
The panel discussion was led by Simran Sethi, host of Sundance Channel’s The Green, and included Jarid Manos, environmentalist author of “Ghetto Plainsman”, Ludovic Blain, Racial Justice Entrepreneur, Omar Freilla of Green Worker Cooperatives of the South Bronx, Audrey Peterman, founder –Earthwise Productions and Sharon Levine of Concrete Safaris.
Opening with music by Marques Tolier and Rex Detiger, the discussion covered a wide range of areas. Some Key thoughts were: “The environmental movement is about all people.” (Simran Sethi); “We get the benefits of technology while the burdens go to poor people of color”(Omar Freilla) who are more likely to live near dump sites, electrical plants, water treatment facilities and the like; “The violence people do to the Earth mirrors the violence people do to each other.” (Jarid Manos); “Educating people about the environment is actually educating people about themselves.” (Sharon “Mac” Levine).
Although the hall was far from packed those who did attend were invigorated and motivated by the wide range of programs and activities presented by the panelists. I left agreeing with Jarid Manos who said, “ In the midst of so much devastation we can still celebrate . . . we grow as a society if we work to take care of others.” Others includes nature and the people we see every day.
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1 comment:
Hey, next time tell us about this stuff before it happens (wink)
As a not-very-melanated person myself, I can serve as a reporter for the kinda stuff white folk say to otherwhite folk (because they think it's "safe" to say to other non-melanites). They say, PR's just throw their stuff out the window. They say, blacks and latinos just don't give a flying f about recycling, they are completely uneducated by choice.
just to be clear, this is NOT my own sentiment, I am only corroborating for you what the perspective is out there. So it's good to hear about this Uptown Mag production, wish I'd seen it.
I also wonder at the invisibility of Native Americans in the newly faddish Green movement. These are some people who cultivated this land and practiced good husbandry over thousands of years before any of the rest of us got here by whatever means, deliberate immigrants or those stolen for the slave auctions or those imported for sweatshop labor. It seems the entire question of the Proper Care and Feeding of Our Planet hinges on the whole concept of land & resource ownership, and it seems that those who plunder for personal profit (which includes those who unconsciously plunder by means of starting up 2 tons of steel to drive 3 miles across a suburban landscape for 1 quart of milk) would have much to learn if they were encouraged to rethink this whole concept of "ownership" of the land, air, water, plants and animals. It seems we would all have a lot to learn from the deep spiritual connection of native people to the Turtle's Back (the planet).
Anyhow, thanks for this piece. Sustainability is an important piece of the grind!!
-- i.n.k.
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