Four months into working at Coalitions and Collaboratives (COCO), we have been settling into our fellowship roles with the Community Navigator Initiative. Jedidiah integrates into COCO’s wildfire-focused work to support frontline communities, and Mikayla is using her communication skills to revamp organizational documentation and outreach materials to ensure climate information is broadly accessible. In June, we had the opportunity to attend We Are One, a gathering for the BIPOC environmentalists from across the country hosted by PGM ONE in partnership with Justice Outside and the Next 100 coalition in Atlanta, Georgia. This event allowed us to connect with and learn from others working to support frontline communities addressing the most critical challenges of the climate crisis.

The Experience of We Are One from Mikayla Pryor:

It was nice to be back in Atlanta after moving away from the Southeast. As a professional new to the environmental industry, I’m realizing how rare an opportunity it is to be in a space filled with people who look like me. Also, how rare it is to share the same overarching goal to make a more sustainable and accessible environment for frontline communities like my own. Being Gullah Geechee, I grew up around nature, but I have been witnessing the home of my ancestors be slowly encroached upon for years. My community has been continuously pushed off their land for transplants and second homeowners, destroying the resources we use to survive. At We Are One, I greatly appreciated knowing I was in a space where I could speak about my community, talk about my experiences, and be understood. 

Prior to attending the conference, I had created an audience survey as part of my fellowship capstone project to improve COCO’s Community Navigator Initiative (CNI) outreach. My top priority in attending We Are One was to promote and collect responses for my survey. Since creating my survey for CNI, COCO found this to be a highly valuable tool to use to broaden COCO’s audience for all of its programs.

COCO’s external communications reaches a small portion of the population, largely centered in Colorado and exclusive to fire mitigation partnerships; the audience is inundated with Colorado “front rangers” and wildland fire professionals. Hoping to broaden our reach, we faced the question of, “How can we reach the people who could benefit the most from our program?” The intention of the survey is to understand how communities across the country tap into climate information and climate information services that target communities. From the survey data we collect, I hope to tailor our outreach to the priorities of the communities we serve and share resources through the platforms in which they consume media. We Are One was the perfect space to find participants. It was my first time surveying and I was eager for responses. We created QR code flyers and organizers were supportive in sharing it in announcements and in the conference app.

Upon reflection of sessions that left lasting impressions, I remember the panel, Radical Philanthropy led by Blue Sky Funders. The panel topic was specifically on how to obtain funding for underserved communities, bridging the gap between the larger, normally white-led foundations and smaller organizations that cater to disadvantaged communities. I learned that sustainable options for disadvantaged communities include; trust-based funding opportunities with less restrictive measures on how the work is reported; developed relationships between grantors and grantees; and also include community-based shared funds. This session reminded me of why my outreach survey is so important. Even with good intentions, there can be discontent between the organization providing the funding and the people who need it. What we hear back from survey participants could potentially alter how we support grantees with funding.

Another favorite panel was Leaders of Color Advocating for Equity in the Environmental Sector. The panel encouraged environmentalists of color to avoid shying away from leadership roles. We are obligated to ensure that affected people are heard and there isn’t any guesswork causing misunderstanding or unsuitable results. I feel lucky to be on a team that has given me the opportunity to find a way to create my own project to implement meaningful, lasting change. The feedback from my survey will do that for COCO, its mission and vision, and the field we work in.

Speaking more on leadership, I envisioned being on a board of directors, but I didn’t realize how soon it would happen. The panel discussion was led by Green Leadership Trust (GLT) which offers mentorship, fellowships, and a talent roster for aspiring leaders wanting to build a reputation in the field. I signed up for the talent roster as soon as I could! I’m excited about the skillset I’ll gain from GLT, bringing me leadership opportunities much sooner than expected.

Overall, I was pleased with all that I learned from We Are One but happiest to be in a space with people who look like Jedi and me, a space where we can network, share resources, and share perspectives that do not involve feeling out of place or misunderstood.

The Experience of We Are One from Jedidah Lomax:

Much of my overall professional experience has been shaped by the outdoor industry, but I have never seen as many people who look like me in this field as I did at We Are One. Heading to Atlanta, I was excited to learn how other people of color are navigating this space and working to improve the representation and participation of people of color. That motivation influenced the sessions and panels I gravitated toward. 

The first few sessions I attended focused on getting BIPOC youth reconnected with the outdoors and involving them as stakeholders, encouraging them to become invested in environmental career paths. A presentation by Deja Jones, head of a New Jersey Montessori school, was one session that particularly made an impression on me. Jones referenced her study on understanding inner-city youths’ perception of nature before being exposed to what we conventionally understand as “outdoor” spaces (national parks, beaches, lakes, prairies, etc.) compared to what the urbanized outdoors look like (playgrounds, courts, and sports fields). The findings showed that inner-city youths’ idea of outdoor spaces and the possibilities around them expanded once they were exposed to forests, grasslands, beaches, and other similar outdoor spaces.

As the conference progressed, I had the opportunity to view an early draft of an illuminating short film called SordoRican, documenting the story of a deaf community in Puerto Rico and the need to improve accessibility hearing-impaired tools on the island. The film particularly highlights the revelation of the need for sign language interpreters in the aftermath and recovery efforts of Hurricane Maria. Having been engaged in disaster relief efforts myself, it led me to reflect on how different communities, such as the deaf community, are often left out of direct services necessary to disaster relief and recovery.

Beyond those sessions, I attended other wonderful sessions and performances the conference had on the agenda. The two keynote speakers were eloquent and inspiring. The keynotes, Emira Woods, Executive Director of Green Leadership Trust, and Leah Thomas, author of The Intersectional Environmentalist, highlighted the need for a shift in how we engage in environmental justice practices to account for the complexities and barriers many people of color face and how we, as BIPOC environmentalists, need to work together to create a better future for everyone. 

Overall participation was wonderful, connecting with a diverse group of environmentalists from all across the county to uplift each other’s cultures and experiences. I made many connections for myself, and I also enjoyed supporting my colleague in circulating her survey to as many organizations as possible.

Leaving Atlanta, I reflected upon how I would like to better connect with communities at risk while ensuring my and COCO’s efforts aren’t irrelevant, are understandable and relatable, and benefits sustainability for generations to come. Professionally, I will navigate within the environmental field so that my mission aligns with the conference theme, “to nurture our communities, activate coordinated action and mobilize collective commitment to environmental justice and equity.” – We Are One 

Jubilantly,
Mikayla Pyror &  Jedidah Lomax