No justice, no peace, no sustainable world.

Dear Ecochallenge.org Community,

All of what is taking place in our world right now is connected.

Our hearts are with the loved ones of George Floyd, all who have needlessly and unbearably lost their lives or loved ones to racist acts or state-sanctioned lynching, the Black communities who have waited generations for true justice, those who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, those who still can’t breathe.

We mourn with you, and we are working for change with you.

Ecochallenge.org is committed to anti-racism. Racism is systemic, and as a historically white-centered environmental organization, we have been complicit over and over again. We have failed to listen to and believe communities of color - particularly Black communities - when they told us what they needed. We have failed to see how what we advocated for contributed to injustice and oppression. We have used our privilege to reinforce inequity. We have been paternalistic and unseeing of our own complicity in systemic oppression.

We want to do better. We must do better.

Donate to support systemic change here:

• Bail Funds
• Reclaim the Block
• Black Visions Collective
• ACLU Nationwide
• Black Lives Matter

Here are some things you can do right now to make a difference:

• Elevate Black voices and the voices of other people of color
• Protest in your own city
• Organize in your jobs and in your community for fair and equitable practices
• Donate to a bail fund
• Donate medical supplies to protest organizers
• If you are an ally, continue to educate the people around you - this is emotional labor that should not be on people of color, particularly Black people
• Feed people: donate homemade or store-bought food and water to protest organizers
• Volunteer to supply food and water at non-hot zone areas
• Provide transportation to and from protest events
• Offer to watch kids if their parents are organizers/protestors
• Train to be a Legal Observer

We continue to listen and learn while we take action to bring about larger systems change for a better world for everyone. #BreonnaTaylor #GeorgeFloyd #AhmaudArbery #BlackLivesMatter #TonyMcDade

Sincerely,

Ecochallenge.org