The future of environmental justice is true equality
Illustration by Glenn Harvey In May 2020, Amy Cooper, a white woman walking her dog off-leash in Central Park, called the police in hysterics and reported that an African American man was threatening her. In reality, Christian Cooper, a Black man who is an avid birder and a board member of the New York City Audubon Society, had only asked her to follow park rules and leash her dog to protect the birds nearby.
It was Christian Cooper's tone—authoritative—that triggered a call to the police. And while most environmentalists can rightfully claim that they would not react the way Amy Cooper did, many Blacks and other people of color who operate in environmental spaces are often reprimanded when they speak, especially if they speak with authority.