Rooted in community and the Potomac Region – Black Girl Environmentalist is stepping up for our waterways
/Creating change with community ties
Black Girl Environmentalist in washington, dc
Building relationships with each other and the environment is the heart and soul of Black Girl Environmentalist (BGE), a national nonprofit with a hub here in the DMV. They create spaces for Black women to come together through their passion of the earth. Our regional hub is led by Deja and Olivia, two locals who call the Potomac River region home.
Deja and Oliva have been leading the hub for 2 years, creating spaces for members to grow their love for the environment and our Potomac region. They plan and host events like meditative yoga, environmental films screenings, gardening, and hiking.
“Sometimes we’re not directly outside, but rooting ourselves in us because we are part of the environment too.” - Deja
From community gatherings to collective action
BGE at community event at loyalty bookstore
Deja and Olivia are passionate environmentalists who are working to share their love of our earth with more people in our region through BGE. “I live in the environment so I want to make sure that my individual self is healthy, and I can only be as healthy as what's around me so making sure that the places I’m living in are sustainable enough for me to survive.” - Olivia
One way BGE works to make the Potomac River region more sustainable is by partnering with Potomac Conservancy for litter cleanups. These are one of the most popular events for BGE because it gives their members a chance to chip in and protect the environment they live in. “You feel like you’re doing something good for the environment when you’re cleaning up.” - Deja
Not only are cleanups a feel-good moment for volunteers, but it also gets their members out near waterways. “There’s something about water that just makes us feel connected to it and I think our members feel that too.” - Deja
Uplifting the most affected communities
BGE at Potomac conservancy litter cleanup event
Part of the work Deja and Olivia do with BGE is to influence others to have more compassion for the environment. “There's so many injustices that we tend to overlook because it doesn’t happen in our own backyard, but we forget that just because it's not happening in our own backyard, that doesn’t mean it isn’t affecting the world as a whole.
I think the emphasis on that is making sure when it comes to environmental injustices, we all feel equity at some level, not just when it matters or when it feels right, or when we have the money for it but making sure that every chance that we get we can make some difference.” - Olivia
BGE is committed to increasing representation of Black women across the environmental field. Despite experiencing climate change with disproportionate severity, Black women are underrepresented across the environmental and climate sectors and have the lowest retention rate of any demographic. By creating these pockets of community across the country, BGE is making our movement for the environment stronger and more resilient.
