By: Michela Sales, NJSOC Executive Assistant
Black History Month is a time to celebrate and recognize the individuals who have helped shape our nation’s story, including leaders who have protected land, water, and community health. Black environmental leaders have long advocated for access to clean air, safe water, and healthy places to live, helping shape our understanding of conservation and justice for generations to come. From early pioneers who practiced sustainable land use, to modern advocates fighting environmental inequality, to young leaders redefining what environmentalism looks like, their impact continues to grow. This Black History Month, we honor a few of their legacies and the future they are building.
Past: Laying the Foundation
Before environmentalism became a formal movement, Black leaders were using their knowledge of land and nature to improve lives and build resilience:
Dr. Noel Brown was a global environmental leader and former Director of the United Nations Environment Program’s North American Regional Office, whose work connected international environmental policy with education and public engagement. Through a professional partnership with former NJSOC Director, Dr. John Kirk, Dr. Brown became closely linked to NJSOC and was invited to speak at the organization’s 30th Anniversary celebration in 1979, where he presented The Global Dimensions of Environmental Education. Dr. Brown later expanded his work through the Environmental Sabbath Program, encouraging communities worldwide to view environmental stewardship as both a scientific and moral responsibility.
Present: Leading the Movement
Today’s Black environmental leaders continue this work by addressing modern challenges, like climate change, pollution, and environmental inequality:
Dr. Robert Bullard is known as the Father of Environmental Justice for his pioneering research showing how hazardous facilities and pollution disproportionately impact Black and low-income communities across the United States. Bullard’s publication of Dumping in Dixie helped launch the environmental justice movement by documenting how toxic waste sites, landfills, and incinerators were systematically sited near colored communities. Despite his work beginning in the Southern parts of the U.S., the frameworks Bullard developed had deep impacts on advocacy work and policymaking, including in the state of NJ, specifically in the areas of Newark, Elizabeth and Camden.
Future: The Next Generation
A new generation of leaders is expanding what environmentalism looks like, ensuring it includes diverse voices and lived experiences:
Chloe Desir is New Jersey-born environmental justice organizer, working at the grassroots level to improve environmental health and equality in NJ. She joined the Ironbound Community Corporation after receiving a Political Science degree from Rowan University, where she organizes residents, builds awareness, and advocates for policy changes to address pollution, waste, and unequal environmental burdens in overburdened communities. Desir has been active in opposing a proposed fossil-fuel power plant in Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood, advocating for cleaner air and stronger regulations, and also serves on the New Jersey Environmental Justice Advisory Council.
The three individuals highlighted here represent just a few of the many Black environmentalists who have shaped and strengthened the environmental movement over time. Their stories remind us that caring for the environment has always been connected to caring for people and our community. We are proud to honor their legacy and recognize the countless other leaders – past, present and future – whose work continues to inspire a more just and sustainable future for all.
References:
https://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/apha-calendar/environmental-justice-in-newark
https://njsoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Black-History-Month.pdf
https://cleanwater.org/2024/02/12/black-history-and-environmental-justice-movement?.com
https://njmonthly.com/articles/news/meet-three-gen-z-activists-who-are-fighting-for-environmental-justice/