Let’s be honest—the environmental movement does not consider all people. In fact, minorities including Black, Indigenous, and POC communities have been largely silenced throughout this movement, yet are the ones most impacted by it. That’s exactly the mission behind Intersectional Environmentalist, the platform that gained virality last year through open, honest, and factual information behind the oppressive systems in the environmental movement. As we celebrate Earth Day today, we spoke to Leah Thomas and Sabs Katz of IE to share more about the mission, platform, and how you can get involved. Let’s amplify the voices of those who’ve been silenced.
Can you tell our audience more about IE and your mission?
IE is a media and resource hub and community platform focused on amplifying the voices of those who have been historically silenced in the environmental movement. Through our educational resources, consulting services, mentorship program, and community platform, IE aims to dismantle oppressive systems within the environmental movement.
How did you get started and what’s your ultimate goal with your platform?
Intersectional Environmentalist was founded in June 2020 after Leah Thomas defined and popularized the phrase ‘intersectional environmentalism,’ following the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and inspired by Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw’s work with critical race theory.
On May 28, 2020, Leah shared an Instagram post with the intention of bringing social justice to the forefront of the conversations within environmentalist spaces and the post went viral. Leah then asked fellow voices in the environmental community, Diandra Marizet, Philip Aiken, and myself, to help build the movement and community.
The goal of IE is to show the many ways environmental and social justice issues are connected and amplify the voices of those who have historically been silenced. We are dedicated to dismantling systems of oppression in the environmental movement that continues to exploit both the planet and people.
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What are some of the main topics you find that your audience is most interested in?
Our audience really resonated with the resources we have on our website, especially when we break down nuanced topics and intersections that are not often explored within the environmental movement, whether that’s agriculture, education, sustainable fashion, and the true intersectional history of environmentalism.
How can others get involved in spreading your message?
IE: Check out our social platforms and share our work!
- Instagram (@intersectionalenvironmentalist)
- Website at intersectionalenvironmentalist.com
- YouTube page (Intersectional Environmentalist)
- Twitter (@isxenviro)
- Podcast, Dismantled, which is on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.