Long before she embraced the label of “environmentalist” at just 19, Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru spent her formative years digging in the soil, cultivating plants alongside her mother and grandmother in Connecticut’s Quiet Corner. She hails from a lineage of Kenyan immigrants with ancestral roots in farming, spanning generations as far back as oral histories can reach.
Despite a childhood that fostered a profound relationship with nature, Gatheru, who later established the nonprofit Black Girl Environmentalist (BGE), initially found it challenging to connect with the broader environmental movement.
“I assumed that being an environmentalist meant you had to be affluent and partake in activities like hiking or wearing Patagonia gear—luxuries my family couldn’t access,” Gatheru recalls. “I struggled to see how my love for the outdoors or gardening tied into environmental advocacy.”
A pivotal moment in her journey occurred during a high school environmental science class that she did not anticipate enjoying. A lesson on environmental justice resonated deeply with her personal experiences.
“That class shifted my perspective on environmental challenges, making climate change feel immediate and personal,” she explains. “It illuminated how the climate crisis leads to new issues while exacerbating existing social injustices. I understood that if I wanted to create impactful social change, I needed to focus on climate.”
Climate Injustice in Black Communities
Research indicates that the adverse effects of climate change are not uniformly distributed, with marginalized communities disproportionately bearing the brunt. This discrepancy is supported by data.
A 2018 study in the American Journal of Public Health revealed that Black individuals are exposed to particulate matter—such as soot and smoke—at rates 1.54 times greater than the general population, leading to severe health implications.
While Black Americans make up only 13.6% of the U.S. population, they are more likely to reside near coal plants, natural gas facilities, and other pollutants, resulting in direct health consequences related to environmental degradation.
Such inequalities have significant impacts, with heightened mortality rates among Black individuals due to environmental-related diseases, and Black women and girls facing even greater vulnerabilities stemming from both racial and gender biases.
“Women, in general, bear the main burden of environmental injustices and climate crises, largely because patriarchal structures infringe upon fundamental rights,” Gatheru notes.
“For women of color like Black and Indigenous women, the intersection of systemic racism, colonialism, and imperialism adds to the physical and political vulnerabilities faced when encountering environmental hazards,” she adds.
Environmental science ranks among the least diverse disciplines within STEM. In 2021, a mere 138 Black women obtained degrees in this field, compared to 2,945 White women and 2,248 White men.
This lack of representation is exemplified by the concept of “the green ceiling,” which posits that while people of color represent nearly 40% of the U.S. demographic, they account for less than 16% of environmental organizations’ workforce.
These inequalities frustrate Gatheru, and when she first became aware of them in her teenage years, she felt daunted. Discovering environmental justice almost serendipitously and realizing how under-discussed it was sparked a desire to take action.
The Narrative Challenges in the Environmental Movement
Upon entering the environmental movement at the age of 15, Gatheru quickly observed that she was often the youngest participant by at least two decades and frequently the sole Black attendee. She was often met with surprised reactions when people learned of her commitment.
Recognizing the need for diverse voices in the movement, she felt compelled not just to persist in the realm but also to motivate others to join her. This realization ultimately led to the founding of BGE.
“If you search ‘environmentalist’ online, you won’t find many who resemble me,” Gatheru highlights. “That’s not inherently a bad thing, yet it does illustrate the need for diversity in environmental representation. Our narrative change aims to ensure that many more varied interpretations of what it means to be an environmentalist surface.”
BGE addresses this narrative challenge by creating pathways for Black girls, women, and those with gender-expansive identities to engage in the climate movement and find reasons to remain involved. Their approach consists of three main strategies:
1. Green workforce development, focusing on recruitment to establish a pipeline for individuals entering the climate sector.
2. Community empowerment, hosting both in-person and virtual events to connect attendees and encourage ongoing participation in the movement.
3. Diversity and inclusion through narrative change, instilling a sense of identity within future activists as environmentalists.
“With BGE, I aim to make the broader environmental community aware of the significant contributions Black women and women of color have long made,” says Gatheru.
“The organization serves as a channel for me to cultivate the next generation of potential environmental and climate leaders, who, regrettably, have not received adequate recognition as pivotal stakeholders.”
Empowering Future Climate Leaders
BGE’s offerings range from the Hazel M. Johnson Fellowship—an immersive 10-week paid internship program—to the HUB initiative, designed to foster community engagement across 12 U.S. cities.
The unifying theme of all initiatives is creating opportunities for individuals to bond with fellow environmental advocates dedicated to making a difference. A significant advantage is that these young participants, grappling with eco-anxiety regarding climate change, find avenues for expressing their concerns.
Gatheru emphasizes that during HUB events, individuals struggling with eco-anxiety realize they are not alone. Building community in the face of shared challenges can be profoundly impactful.
“One of the most effective ways to navigate climate anxiety is to acknowledge it and foster community through collective action,” she notes. “Coming together enables us to harness collective power and create positive changes for our communities and the future of our planet.”
This article was originally published in the September-October 2024 issue of Intomodel magazine (US edition).
