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Fredric is a web developer based in Chicago who hopes to one day start a foundation to support young, Black males in programming and computer science.

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does black culture care about the environment?

September 10th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

global warmingi live in a nice neighborhood, adorned by 4 bedroom houses, trimmed lawns, and the occasional basketball hoop in the driveway. the neighborhood is a nice mix of different cultures and i notice that many of the black families in the area drive nice cars. being a car enthusiast, i can see that most of the models are of the high-end trim with the v8. i also see quite a few suv’s coming around the corner with one passenger inside. i often wonder, why no hybrid? is the chrysler 300c more of a status car than a toyota prius? can black people not look successful without their h3 or lx470?

many of our black politicians push social and economic issues to the forefront. the recent debate hosted by tavis smiley loaned an ear and voice to issues affecting the african-american community as outlined by ‘the covenant with black america’. i listened to concerns of healthcare, social justice, and financial equality. not once did i hear or have i heard any concerns about the environment. is not the higher concentration of black people in cities that may not have the cleanest air?

if you’ve been to rsspect.org, a syndication of many black blogs in the blogosphere, you’ll see that a majority talk about pop culture, politics, self-reflection, and culture uplifting. of the 20+ blogs syndicated, you’ll notice that only one centers on the environment (shouts to the aaea blog and ses blog). do all of us really not care to pontificate issues affecting our very livelihood?

when i get in discussions with my friends and family during those after-dinner moments, the ‘plight of the black man’ is always a fun topic, especially when guests visit. we’ll share experiences and laugh about the past, but in midst of reminiscing and joy, all of the lights will be on, the tv will go unwatched downstairs, and the air-conditioning will be on full blast during the 75 degree day. while one can afford the utility bill, why does it never cross our minds to forego some comforts in an effort to be efficient?

talib and common speak humbly and truthfully about a lot of topics. whether stroking a beat with lyrics emphasizing their mc prowess or feeding your soul about the realities of life, their wisdom and creative style is unmatched. not once, however, have i heard them, or lupe, black thought, little brother, or ‘insert artist here’ talk about al gore’s cause. is it not cool? can they not think of anything to rhyme with ‘pollution’?

i’m never one to point fingers, as i am guilty of many of these same critiques. my question to the community, really, is does the environment matter to black folk or is it at the bottom of a list of priorities we already have in trying to improve our lives?

after all, ‘we’ don’t own the big businesses that pollute and use the most energy, right? hmm…

Viewing 14 Comments

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    I don't think most people see how/believe that a "bad" environment directly affects their quality of life negatively. If people keep talking about environmental harms in the "this is what will happen years from now" sense, then that is how most folks will respond. We're not really futuristic thinkers. Blacks are just a microcosm of this group.
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    i guess my biggest concern is that i feel it is doing a disservice to our future generations.

    part of the reason why black culture is so strong today, despite the adversity, is because of the forethought our ancestors had for us.

    while its debatable the spectrum and magnitude of opposition and adversity, do we not owe it to our kids to continue the legacy of securing their future....even if it seems like a trivial subject?
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    As much as I agree with what you are saying, I am doubtful that enviromentalism will ever be a the forefront of topics black folk discuss. For a couple of reasons:
    1. There are so many other issues that negatively affect black life(economic disparity, inner city schools, racial profiling, etc, etc) that caring about the environment gets pushed to the back of the line
    2. This one may get some folks riled up, but I just speak the but naked truth--A good percentage of black folk are flashy. Our culture celebrates big cars, big jewelry and overall extravagance. I would even argue that this is not a new phenomena--black folks have always been very expressive and colorful in dress and act going back to African times.
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    I feel you Fred. And perhaps I was wrong to imply that we aren't futuristic thinkers. Perhaps it's better to say that we do think futuristically about certain issues.

    Whenever trying to put out fires, you have to prioritize. I believe blacks are doing that - just like our elders and ancestors. I just don't think most of us view the environment as an issue of urgency relatively-speaking. Perhaps that can change if it is presented in a manner that shows how it affects education, health and the economy.

    i guess my biggest concern is that i feel it is doing a disservice to our future generations.

    part of the reason why black culture is so strong today, despite the adversity, is because of the forethought our ancestors had for us.

    while its debatable the spectrum and magnitude of opposition and adversity, do we not owe it to our kids to continue the legacy of securing their future….even if it seems like a trivial subject?
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    Thanks for the shout out. We try very hard to be the best outlet on environmental issues anywhere in the world.

    The issue must be approached differently for Blacks though because of our history and current circumstance. We have not been allowed until very recently to fully participate in capitalism and the great wealth of America. So we are flashy consumers to the extent we can afford it. And that is usually a big flashy car. And lately big flashy houses. So we want to consume a lot before we get a conservation ethic. And AAEA agrees with this ethic. So we need innovative technologies to address environmental issues. We would like to see that big SUV powered by a plug-in hydrogen fuel cell hybrid (lithium ion) electric vehicle. The brothers and sisters could still profile but the exhuast would be water vapor instead of greenhouse gases and smog forming gases. I could go on but I think you get the idea.
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    The issue of African-American involvement in science, specifically environmental issues is one of utmost importance to me. The fact is we’re non-participants in most global or national conversations –especially those that have to deal with science, environmentalism, global warming, etc.

    Let’s examine this issue. African-Americans and those from lower SES groups participate in municipal recycling programs at much lower rates than other demographic groups. However, studies of environmental attitudes and behaviors of these groups (conducted before 1990) concluded that concern for environmental issues may be less an issue of race and more about educational background and socio-economic factors. Initially, I would agree with this. Most issues of class or welfare or political engagement come down to access to resources (this includes educational opportunities) and regrettably these problems seem to be magnified among poor communities and people of color. And it doesn’t escape me that it is often poor people, with few political and financial resources, who are typically the victims of large companies and greedy municipal leaders who commit environmental justice breeches.

    Interestingly, encouraging reports from studies conducted since 1991, indicate that African-Americans, notably the middle-class, are as concerned about environmental issues as whites. However, the statistics seem to be in stark contrast to my personal observations and interactions with college educated middle class African-Americans. And it is not lost on me that ybpguide readers are of the same cloth and you all seem to be a bit agnostic about environmental issues yourselves. I have found it very difficult to engage my fellow African-American young professional friends on this topic. Attempts to initiate meaningful discussions about environmental education/advocacy, or global warming, or fossil fuel prices and consumptions are failures. Most admit to not recycling, not composting or even modifying their gas consumption when prices rise. They seem completely ignorant of how their actions relate to larger environmental and economic issues. Even proposals to complete environmentally-centered service projects are typically coolly received and followed by a comment that indicates that as black people we are excused from such considerations because it’s not important enough. Dash’s comments co-sign these thoughts.

    This ignorance, refusal, denial or distraction, to address larger environmental problems isn’t restricted to small social networks. African-American civic organizations, almost never address issues related to the environment, or any other issue that can be placed in a larger scientific context, such as quality science education resources or science research. More often than not, such organizations prefer to address issues that are deemed more socially and economically relevant to the "Black Community".

    That’s the most distressing fact of all. When African-Americans excuse ourselves from participating in global matters, we alert other groups that we aren’t to be taken seriously. It sends the message that as a group we are not important or worse uniformed and not ashamed to be so. Our contribution is insignificant.

    Furthermore, remaining uniformed of recent events, such as the climate crisis and important scientific discoveries, makes us vulnerable. We risk being left out, overlooked. Returning to the matter of environmental advocacy -- environmental issues are societal issues, something that affects everyone in some way. And history has taught us that anything that negatively affects everyone affects poor people (of color) worse. In fact, I find very distressing that minority advocacy groups don't take the time to weigh in on national or global issues unless these issues somehow specifically address the "Black Agenda". How can we/minority advocacy groups expect to be taken seriously in our effort to obtain parity if we're not willing to make contributions to some of our society's most widespread/serious issues? If we/minority advocacy groups are serious in our efforts to create a more pluralistic society, then we’ve got to educate ourselves on subjects beyond the typically-defined “Black experience”.
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    Just to clarify-- I never said that black people SHOULD be excused from participating in enviromentalism discussions but that in REALITY that's what has happened. I'm very much pro-conservation and pro-green but the reality is that there are issues that are higher on the priority scale. You would be hard pressed to convince anyone, black, white, yellor or green that they should recycle when 1.they are disadvantaged economically, socially and politically. 2. They dont see a benefit from being pro-earth. If you cant pay your rent, your neighborhood is full of crime, the schools you send your kids to are subpar and nobody gives a damn about it, why should you care about Mother Earth?
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    Dash, you're right..maslow's hierarchy of needs does apply. So, this isn't about why disadvantaged people are environmental. Fredric's essay and my comments are about why aren't even well-off blacks taking environmental issues seriously?

    Lack of awareness or pure ignorance doesn't pan out. For the most part, middle-class people (of any color) know better, have the means to act, but just don't. That's the crux. Why doesn't the African-American community - and by this I mean the whole diaspora - at least address these issues more often? How often do our media outlets (BET, Tom Joyner, Michael Basden, Tavis Smiley, ybpguide, etc) present these types of issues tot he public?

    Pointing to 'greater or pressing problems' such as crime, bad neighborhood, financial, food, or shelter insecurity doesn't pan out for this demographic either. Yes, these are important issues, but these issues don't trump climate change or environmentalism. In fact, environmentalism is the foundation of environmental and social justice causes.

    WHY?
    1) a changing climate alters our ecosystem and we are dealing with decreased crop productions. Damaged or descreased crop output means less food and higher prices -> Food insecurity.

    2) Wasting resources such as electricity or water or fuel decreases the already limited supply of them we have. Yes, water and fuel are re-newable, but at a MUCH lower rate than we consume. Less efficient use of a resource means we deplete it faster. Limited supply of anything -> increased demand -> higher prices.
    Those from lower SES will lose first and suffer the worst.

    3) There is only so much liveable space. And urban areas still need clean water, electricity, fuel, and food. Trash is inevitable, but trash doesn't just GO AWAY. It goes to a landfill, so reducing, re-suing and recycling decreasing landfill space. Also, being careful about the quality of products we use means having less to worry about later when its decomposing in the landfill. As trash breaks down it releases gases and other chemicals. Who wants to live next to a landfill? Nobody. But it is often the poor (i.e. those distracted by the day to day hustle to just survive) to speak out against it or know how to fight it off effectively.
    Lack of understanding and use of natural resources -> poor political voice and action -> crappy/unhealthy neighborhoods. Those who can afford to live in healthier or cleaner neighborhoods are typically financially well-off, real-read, and politically engaged. They surround themselves with others who are like them. bright/wealth flight -> poor get left behind -> neighborhood with a high concentration of poor, undereducated citizens -> poor neighborhoods, services, -> schools that can't attract top-notch teachers, doctors, etc. -> neighborhood instablity.

    Being pro-green or environmentally conservation isn't necessarily more expensive, but it is inconvenient. It's a committment to separate your trash, make phone calls to companies, town hall, and etc to make things better, following up, reading labels, setting your air up or heat down a few degrees, taking your own bags to the store, driving less. I think this is the reason why black culture isn't so involved in the environmental movement.

    Let's just call it for what it is... It's too much work. And most people just don't want to bother. Invoking 'better things' to worry about is a convenient, well-prescribed and long-accepted excuse.
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    Exceptional points on how NOT being green further disadvantages the already disadvantaged. I've been schooled.
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    Solution rhymes with pollution...too easy?

    For more info on how this issue affects blacks, see my throwback post on Environmental Racism
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    Random Environmental Hip Hop song - Mos Def - New World Water
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    true!

    another interesting conundrum:

    blacks have the highest proportions in the military. one of the reasons we're in iraq is because of oil and america's consumption of it.

    yeah, black families can claim that 'we have other issues, thus i want my escalade', but that same consumption is contributing to the death of our people in an oil war.

    comes back...full circle.
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    I think I was added to rsspect.org after this entry, but I also blog about the environment - but I focus on education - such as environmental education, environmental science, and recycling. My site targets "young" people - teens and young adults. But I'm hoping that teachers and mentors and even advocates like you and your readers will find the site informative, because I focus on awareness - just trying to help people understand the environment and appreciate it, even in urban areas.

    I focus on "urban ecology" and "urban audiences" because this topic and these audiences are often 2 ships in the night. Most people don't appreciate the natural spaces in cities and towns and metro areas. Yes, such areas are small and managed, but they are there and provide some shelter and green space for animals and people alike. Urban audiences often are unaware of just how much 'green' is around them, of the several species and number of wild animals, insects, trees, and flowers that are their neighbors. If we can re-focus our attentions and behaviors locally - and I mean very local, like your front and/or back yard or neighborhood park - then collectively our efforts to salvage (and respect) the earth/environment on a national and global scale become much easier.

    Thanks for re-posting this.
    DNLEE (which stands for Demystifying Nature, Letting Everyone Experience)

    P.S. Purple Zoe is a bit of a Greenie, too.
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    Halloween, the time of neighborhood young ones going out dressed up for hedonistic amounts of candy, cool costumes, and booze besotted college students smashing pumpkins and listening to Thriller. Just because the holiday is over, don’t think that the negatives associated with it are. You know all that candy that they went on a Roman conquest for? Well, the consumption of that many sweets is a surefire way to give their little teeth a nasty cavity. There are preventative measures, of course, but not every one can be prevented, so don’t get too surprised if they turn up with one during their next dentist's visit. You can try everything in your power to be able to afford it, but dental work gets expensive, and fast. You might be ready for it, but if you find yourself come up too short, remember that brushing up to installment loans can be the way to help yourself through dental adversity.
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