This article is part of our "Round Ups" series, where we share things that inspire us, guide us, or are just really cool. Today, a brief discussion of where we're at, plus our newest Sustainable Book Club contender.
Just in time for the arrival of “take a book and blanket to the park” weather, our April book club pick is here. If you’re interested in learning more about the need for intersectionality in environmentalism, grab a copy of activist Leah Thomas’s debut book The Intersectional Environmentalist.
We’ve been saving this book’s book club debut for a special occasion, and Earth Month is as special an occasion as they come! We share IE’s POV on intersectionality’s important role in the sustainability and climate conversation, and it’s one that doesn’t get shared often enough. People and planet are less separate and more intertwined than we often think… and if you’re curious about how and why intersectionality and racial justice are at the core of the climate crisis conversation, you’re in the right place.
Leah Thomas, along with Diandra Marizet, Sabs Katz, and Phil Aiken, launched Intersectional Environmentalist, a nonprofit that serves as a resource and media hub that centers the environmental narrative around people and the planet—and this month’s book club read’s namesake. Intersectional Environmentalism is highly inspired by the work of Kimberlee Crenshaw, a civil rights advocate and scholar of critical race theory who coined the term “intersectional” in 1989 to describe the overlap between the oppression of black women within the feminist movement. IE’s media and educational partnerships focus on spotlighting and protecting the marginalized communities affected by climate change.
Piqued your interest? This book is a great place to start whether you’re a beginner and new to the climate justice conversation, or if you’re a seasoned climate marcher just looking for a jumpstart of inspiration to get back in the groove.
Need more book recs? Click here for March’s read (habit building, anyone?) or our full list of sustainable book club reads from 2021.