Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper stands in solidarity with and supports all communities of color in the fight for civil rights, social justice, and against systemic racism. We too are outraged at the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others across our country and around the world.
Environmental justice is closely linked to social justice and we can never have a truly healthy community while oppression of black people continues. We acknowledge that we are not experts on these issues, but are committed to continue to work alongside community partners on ways our work and voice can be a force for positive change. We will continue to look for opportunities to amplify the voices of our neighbors in these communities in the planning for the future of our region. We will seek out new ways to listen to the voices of people of color, who have too often been left out of the environmental justice issues that impact their families and their communities.
We will continue to advocate for and pursue equitable access for all to our natural resources. This remains a top priority for Waterkeeper, whether it is reconnecting under-served communities to their waterfronts, or ensuring people of color feel safe to pursue their lives on our shared public lands. Most importantly, we will look within our own organization’s culture and structure to identify ways we can better represent and serve our entire community through the environmental movement. Black Lives Matter and until they do, nothing else does.
Respectfully,
Jill Jedlicka,
Executive Director
