It is April so that means for many of us, we are considering how we can leave less of a carbon footprint on this planet as we get closer to Earth Day. We may consider using reusable bags for our groceries, walking instead of driving, or using old t-shirts as cleaning cloths instead of paper towels. On this 51st celebration of Earth Day, I also recommend you support environmental authors who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC). Every year, the support for Earth Day grows, but it seems that BIPOC struggles are not always represented. The plight could be toxic dumping affecting water and land, air pollution from factories, pesticide exposure to farmworkers, or the desecration of sacred sites. The list is longer than the years that Earth Day has been in existence.

Earth Day is our annual call to the public about the state of our planet. Although now it is a celebration, the first Earth Day was a protest. Former Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin created an event to raise awareness about environmental issues affecting the country—from individual responsibility to federal authority. Senator Nelson had been vocal about improving the environment for all people, but he did not receive much support initially. He was trying to find a way to ensure that the environment became part of the political agenda.

It was not until after the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara that mainstream America took notice of Senator Nelson’s pleas. Thousands of birds and marine life died due to an estimated three million gallons of crude oil spilling into the Pacific Ocean. It created a 35-mile-long oil slick along California’s popular tourist coast. There were concerns about the economic effects to Santa Barbara’s tourism and commercial fishing industries. People were upset about the animals and marine life, but I could not find one news story during the spill that referenced the impact to the nearby Indigenous community. Santa Barbara is in the original territory of the Chumash people. Although they may have been forced out of Santa Barbara, the Chumash people were living in surrounding areas. What was the impact upon them? Why were they left out of the conversation?

Senator Nelson used this spill to galvanize his continued support for environmental awareness for people of all races, cultures, and creeds. What initially was meant to be on-campus workshops for college students quickly broadened to include more people by collaborating with a wide variety associations, civic organizations, and faith groups, as well as increased media attention. On April 22, 1970, more than 20 million people protested the ecological and health impacts of industrial development within their communities. Senator Nelson said on that day, “Earth Day can, and it must lend a new urgency and a new support to solving the problems that still threaten to tear the fabric of this society…the problems of race, of war, of poverty, of modern-day institutions.” Senator Nelson’s goal for Earth Day was inclusion.

The Earth Day 1970 Protest was so successful that in December 1970 Congress authorized the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate environmental policies and protect our communities from environmental distress. Sadly, BIPOC discovered that Earth Day became less inclusive throughout the years, and more specifically, the EPA did not protect our communities.

More than 50 years later, President Joseph Biden signed an executive order in January 2021 to address the disproportionate impact of environmental (in)justice in BIPOC communities. While this attention is well deserved, many BIPOC authors have been writing on the environmental issues affecting their communities and the lingering impact of colonization for years. BIPOC communities have been more vulnerable to the effects of climate change and the hidden actions of the government and corporations. It was through BIPOC environmentalists who continually wrote, spoke, and advocated for justice in their communities that many became aware of the disparities that are known today. Their perspectives may have been influenced by culture, but their outcomes and (in)justices continue to have long-lasting effects. I challenge you to read a book by an author outside of your community so that you can expand your understanding of the issues facing marginalized communities throughout this country and around the world.