Black Lives Matter — Lauren Eckert Conservation

This post was co-written with fellow colleagues in the ACS Lab, and originally appeared on the ACS lab website on June 3, 2020.

Image credit: BlackLivesMatter — Image credit: **BlackLivesMatter**

As Conservation Scientists in the Applied Conservation Science Lab, we acknowledge the pervasive racial and socioeconomic disparities and systems of oppression that have and continue to harm Black people (and Indigenous peoples and POC). We recognize that there is no successful conservation, no empowered science, no justice anywhere while injustice prevails.

We also understand that, as a group of predominately white scholars, we will never fully understand. We understand that our white privilege shields us from violence, aggression, pain, and rage felt regularly by Black people and clears our career paths of barriers they face. We acknowledge that environmentalist and conservation-oriented movements have ugly histories of racism that require constant confrontation today and always. We understand that this is our work. We understand that our work is to listen, learn, confront, be uncomfortable, and support Black people today and every day. But we will never understand the experiences of Black people.

A core operating value of the Applied Conservation Science Lab is social justice. We offer resources in this article to support that value and to amplify Black voices, leaders, and people. We offer resources to those, like us, learning and listening; aware of our immense duty now and always. Black Lives Matter.

Tools to Educate Yourself and Others

Dear White People: Here are 10 Actions You Can Take to Promote Racial Justice in the Workplace – Dana Browniee

10 Steps to Non-Optical Allyship – Mireille C. Harper

Black and Brown People Have Been Protesting for Centuries. It’s White People Who Are Responsible for What Happens Next. – Savala Trepczynski

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice – Corinne Shutack

First, Listen. Then, Learn: Anti-Racism Resources for White People – Julia Wuench

How to be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi

Me and White Supremacy – Layla F Saad

White Fragility – Robin Diangelo

White people have to step up to identify systemic racism, in Canada – Roshini Nair

Racism In Canada is Ever-Present, But We Have A Long History of Denial – Maija Kappler

‘Racism Exists in Canada’ – Star staff