California Environmental Justice Alliance

Environmental Organizations in the United States show an astronomical lack of diversity within their leadership. Despite the fact that communities of color and other marginalized groups (who are those most likely to be heavily affected) within the United States statistically show overwhelmingly more concern for/about climate change, environmental degradation and the corresponding and resulting human health risks, over 80% of leadership and organization positions within environmental organizations are filled by white individuals, according to a recent study published by Green 2.0. However, in more recent decades, environmental justice organizations dedicated to combating exactly that have grown in popularity and visibility. One of the most prominent among these groups is the California Environmental Justice Alliance, or CEJA.

The California Environmental Justice Alliance was founded in 2001 and approaches achieving environmental justice for low income communities and communities of color primarily through pushing for the advancement of policy based solutions. Although people of color make up 38% of the U.S. total population, POCs are now the California majority, and this organization is dedicated to centering the voices of these communities and allowing them to speak for themselves, putting the people most heavily impacted by environmental policies in the position of influencing and shaping them. These policies will not just lead to decreased environmental impact but will also serve to alleviate some instances of poverty, pollution, and human rights violations. A quote from their mission statement reads “CEJA is working to build democratic, equitable solutions to pollution, poverty and racism that do not reproduce ecologically and socially harmful systems. We start with the communities who have borne the burden of pollution for decades, and lift up the leadership of those who have been impacted the most. We are working for a democracy that values and respects the voices and needs of our most vulnerable communities and holds polluters accountable. With smart policies linked to authentic community leadership, our kids can grow up healthy, with a clean environment and access to opportunities like good careers and safe, affordable housing.”

Since their founding, CEJA has spearheaded many instances of effective pollical action in the name of environmental justice, and supported in the collaboration of countless others. CEJA took a leadership role in the coalition that successfully defeated an attempt by the oil industry to overturn California’s current laws regarding climate change, known as proposition 23. In large part this success was due to CEJA’s work to help mobilize communities of color to be able to get to the polls in order to vote “no” on prop. 23. In 2010 they advocated to the California government regarding the state’s plan for renewable energy, on behalf of local energy generation and distribution rather than the building of more massive and inefficient transmission lines. In 2013, CEJA prevented the approval of San Diego Gas and Electric’s initiative to construct two additional power plants that, if approved, would have been major polluters, causing an uptick of health issues such as asthma that are directly linked to already high levels of pollution in that area. CEJA has also stood behind and advocated with and on behalf of indigenous communities battling land grabs and toxic dumping. Additionally, one of CEJA’s largest projects is what they refer to as their Green Zones initiative, which aims to alleviate toxic conditions from overburdened communities plagued with excessive amounts of pollution, and help transform these areas into thriving and healthy neighborhoods, in a manner that allows for the community itself to identify its needs, problems, and solutions going forward. In their own words, CEJA approaches achieving this by working to create “policy that follows community priorities”.

As stated above, mainstream U.S environmentalism has historically been, and continues to be, dominated by white individuals with white perspectives. The environmental justice movement is an offset of mainstream environmentalism, which was founded and brought to fruition by people of color, and approaches the climate crisis in an intersectional manner, cutting across the boundaries drawn between this issue and issues of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. Additionally, CEJA’s specific intersectional approach goes beyond just a socio-political approach, to encapsulate the intersections of economics and economy as well. For example, they are helping communities that have polluting corporations at the heart of their economy rebuild their economic structure to support the needs of the community, as well as ensuring that jobs created in the wake of successful demand for renewable energy (and other job producing initiatives) go to community members rather than outside contractors and/or engineers. Although some of the leadership positions within the CEJA are filled by white individuals, I believe that the actions of these folks encapsulate the ideals of using one’s privilege to lift the voices of marginalized groups. Furthermore, through their efforts to center the priorities of the communities being affected by these environmental policies, this organization combats the top down structure of U.S policy making that so often leaves room for the exclusion of marginalized communities.

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