In honor of Black History month, we’re spotlighting black environmentalists who’ve been leaders and trailblazers working to protect our planet. From sustainable agriculture and reforestation to ocean conservation and climate change, these experts, educators, innovators, and policymakers are paving the way for positive changes. Here’s a short list of these incredible eco-pioneers from both the past and present.
Historic Leaders
Wangari Maathai (1940-2011)
Reforestation
Born in Kenya in 1940, Wangari Maathai was a member of the National Council of Women of Kenya and is most well-known for her grassroots movement to plant trees in local communities. The Green Belt Movement encouraged women to get involved in reforestation, and today some 51 million trees have been planted in Kenya.
In 2004, she became the first black woman to earn the Nobel Peace prize, and the first person ever to earn this honor in the name of environmental efforts, paving the way for future conservationists.
George Washington Carver (1864-1943)
Sustainable Agriculture
Considered a pioneer in organic agriculture, George Washington Carver was a horticulturist who developed methods for crop rotation and sustainable farming. Born into enslavement, he would go on to earn a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a master’s in science from Iowa State University in Ames. He was the first black student to attend. As a professor at Tuskegee Institute, Carver developed the Jessup Wagon, a mobile laboratory that brought agricultural lessons and information to budding farmers.
Hattie Carthan (1900-1984)
Environmental Education
Nicknamed “The Tree Lady of Brooklyn,” Hattie Carthan led community efforts in New York’s Bedford-Stuyvesant and planted more than 1,500 tree saplings around the neighborhood. She also cared for older trees — such as a 45-foot magnolia that became a national landmark in 1970.
Hattie founded the Magnolia Tree Earth Center, an environmental educational center to get the youth involved in conservation. The community center is still open today and offers horticulture classes and resources for local residents.
MaVynee Betsch (1935-2005)
Coastline Preservation
Known by many as “Beach Lady,” MaVynee Betsch was raised in an affluent household but would rather be outdoors with nature than at a fancy dinner party. Betsch worked tirelessly to protect American Beach on Amelia Island, Florida, a retreat for black vacationers during the era of Jim Crow. MaVynee donated her fortune to environmental charities and put all her attention on the beach – she even slept there at times. She also planted trees to beautify the town and was successful in campaigning against the development of “Nana Dune,” the tallest sand dune system in Florida.
Modern Environmentalists
Warren Morton Washington
Climate Change
Warren Morton Washington serves as senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and is an expert on climate change and atmospheric science research. Warren has more than 40 years of work studying climate systems and has advised five different presidential administrations on environmental issues. He developed the first climate model and was honored with the Tyler Prize for environmental achievement.
Dr. Beverly L. Wright
Environmental Justice
Dr. Beverly Wright is the founder of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, a first of its kind that addresses environmental and health inequities — particularly along the Mississippi River and coastal regions of Louisiana (that are home to petrochemical plants and refineries).
Through collaborations between communities and universities, the organization addresses both environmental and health concerns, as well as job placement for those affected by climate change and racially disproportionate pollution. Dr. Wright was also appointed to the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council in 2021 to aid the Federal Government in its efforts to monitor and enforce environmental justice.
Michael Regan
Environmental Justice & Policies
In 2021, Michael Regan became the 16th Administrator of the EPA and the first black man to lead the agency. With more than 20 years’ experience as an environmental advocate, Regan has the monumental task of fixing the broken agency. Prior to this leadership position, he served as secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
During his time at the DEQ, he combated the release of PFAS (forever chemicals that are linked to a slew of serious medical conditions), into the Cape Fear River. He also reached a settlement with Duke Energy to clean up toxic coal ash waste that was entering the Dan River.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson
Ocean Conservation
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist and co-founder of the Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank that works to develop policies in coastal communities affected by sea level rise, and to restore wetlands, mangroves, and seagrasses.
A policy expert, Johnson helped to co-author the Blue New Deal, (the ocean restoration version of the Green New Deal), and as an executive director for the Waitt Institute, she co-founded the Blue Halo initiative for education and restoration of marine habitats throughout the Caribbean. You can check out her podcast, “How to Save a Planet,” on Spotify.
Danni Washington
Ocean Conservation & Education
Miami native, Danni Washington works to educate the youth about the importance of our oceans and scientific advancements. At just 21 years old, she co-founded Big Blue & You with her mother, Michelle Swaby-Smith, to help students become ocean ambassadors through ocean clean ups as well as joint efforts with environmental organizations and schools to reduce single-use plastics.
Washington also co-founded Sea Youth Rise to empower and mobilize the younger generation to engage lawmakers to move toward policy change. In addition to many speaking engagements about ocean conservation, Danni offers tips and tricks for sustainable living on her blog.
Vanessa Nakate
Climate Change
Climate activist, Vanessa Nakate, provides a voice for Uganda and in 2022, she was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She was the first Fridays for Future activist in Uganda, an international movement of students protesting for change.
Vanessa is the founder of the Rise Up Climate Movement to inspire and mobilize activists from Africa, and also organized the Save Congo Rainforest Campaign alongside Remy Zahiga. She was a speaker at COP25 in Spain and COP27 in Egypt, and is currently working to bring solar energy to schools through the Green Schools Project (which accepts donations on GoFundMe).
Karen Washington
Sustainable Agriculture & Food Justice
Since 1985, food justice advocate, Karen Washington, has supported urban and community gardens in New York to promote small-scale agriculture. She’s the former president of the New York Community Garden Coalition and is also on the board at the New York Botanical Gardens.
In 2010, Karen co-founded the Black Urban Growers, an organization that helps communities reclaim their food source. Karen leads workshops on food justice issues and operates an organic farm, Rise & Root Farm, in Chester, N.Y.
This list is just the beginning! There are so many influential black conservationists leaving their mark on history!
