E3 Washington Response to Systemic Racism

Imagine you are at a conference. Speaking at this conference is a White woman. She asks you, “If you, as a White person, would be happy to receive the same treatment that Black citizens do in our society, please stand.” Would you stand?

Race educator, Jane Elliot, has done this very exercise, and not surprisingly, nobody stood. She continues, “Nobody’s standing here. That says very plainly that you know what’s happening. You don’t want it for you. I want to know why you are so willing to accept it, or allow it to happen to others.” This was years ago.

As individual participants in our society, most of us have a lot of work to do. Racial inequities have always existed in the United States. We’ve always known they existed, and while we may not have acted outwardly racist in the past, many of us were not being active anti-racists. Only anti-racist action will dismantle the systemic racism that exists in our communities.

Here at E3 Washington, we too have a lot of work to do. Our organization, along with the broader environmental education community, is not immune to systemic racism. It is painful to admit that we are part of the problem (e.g., here, here, and here), that our inaction contributes to a racist society. In order to move forward we need to recognize the problem. Calling it what it is gives us the power to change that thing.

Recent events in our country have been a catalyst to awakening for many people. The day is long overdue, and we recognize that silence is complicity. We must acknowledge our perpetuation of a racist society, and act from this day forward as intentional anti-racist environmental and outdoor educators.

E3 Washington stands in solidarity with the Black community. We vow to support the fight against historic and ongoing systemic oppression and violence against Black people across America. To those in our community who have felt this directly and who have joined the masses in speaking out against systemic injustice, we see you, we hear you, and we stand with you.

We will continue to look inward, to evaluate our system, and to do the work needed to change ourselves and dismantle the barriers that contribute to a system that doesn’t work for all of us. We will hold ourselves accountable for acts that contribute to inequities in our community. We will make changes to create a world where people who enjoy nature, and teach and benefit from our programs, are representative of our entire population. We believe that all people have the right to feel safe in the outdoors and to be part of the environmental education community.

Here is what we are doing

Since 2019, E3 Washington has taken the following steps toward becoming an anti-racist organization:

Evaluated our organization based on the Continuum on Becoming an Anti-Racist Multicultural Organization originated from the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond. The organization has completed this evaluation twice, and is currently “A Transforming Institution”.

Elected people of color as co-chairs to guide the organization, to whom the board and committee members are accountable;

Chartered an equity committee that advises on all activities to ensure inclusion and access for all;

Established a Slack channel to share Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) resources within the board and committee members; and

Added a track on JEDI in our annual conference and a section on JEDI in our newsletters.

Call to action

We are calling on everyone in our community to do their part, and to stand up for fairness, for equity, and for inclusion. We are calling on you to join us in learning to recognize and actively stand against racist systems and acts. We are calling on you to join us in amplifying underrepresented voices, experiences, and perspectives, and to listen and learn from them. This is the first step in educating yourself. Put the time in to understand how we got here, how you fit into the ecosystem in which we live, and how you can be part of the solution. There are many amazing resources out there that guide people through activism and through the practice of solidarity with oppressed communities.

Together we can break down the systemic barriers that have disproportionately affected communities of color for far too long. While we must be prepared to continue the lifelong and generations-long struggle, we must not squander the opportunity we are given today to act. The liberation of Black people and the collective liberation of all peoples is at hand. With continual pressure, and by supporting the work that is happening right now, we can dismantle systemic racism in our society. Every one of us needs to do our part, take a stance, and act.

In the words of racial justice activist and writer Ijeoma Oluo: “Act now, because people are dying now in this unjust system. How many lives have been ground up by racial prejudice and hate? How many opportunities have we already lost? Act, and talk, and learn, and f*** up, and learn some more and act again and do better. We have to do this all at once. We have to learn and fight at the same time. Because people have been waiting far too long for their chance to live as equals in this society.” We at E3 Washington stand with this message and are committed to action.

Authors and Contributors:

Curtis Ludwig

Rachel Han

Amy Wilson

Kathryn Kurtz

Elizabeth Schmitz

Claudia Ludwig

Derek Hoshiko

Mike Cline

Dana Bowers