This year, ILFI is proud to be a Conservation Member Organization for the Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Diversity Fellowship Program, a two-year paid fellowship that supports recent college graduates of color in conservation and clean energy-related careers. While the lack of racial diversity within the green sector is becoming widely recognized as a problem, this recognition is only the beginning of the work needed to support a diverse community of environmental advocates. It is imperative that the green building sector centers the voices and perspectives of people of color, which will in turn make its work in the built environment more inclusive, relevant, and impactful. 

While social justice has long been at the core of ILFI’s mission, we recognize that we have much work to do to ensure that people of all races and backgrounds are included in our work to create a Living Future for all (you can read about some of the steps we’re taking here).

Please join us in welcoming one of our two RAY Fellows, Kelly Baker. We are so grateful to have her expertise, experiences, and skills at ILFI.

How has the RAY Fellowship impacted you thus far?

KB: The RAY Fellowship has greatly impacted me within the last year. This fellowship is inspired by promoting diversity in the environmental sector and it has meant the world to meet with and learn from some of the brightest environmental leaders of color. I am beyond fortunate to be a part of the 2020 RAY Fellowship cohort, working to promote social equity within the environmental field and other industries alike.

What are you excited to work on as the Certifications Manager for Just at ILFI?

KB: I am incredibly interested in learning how organizations approach social equity in the workplace. As Certifications Manger, I have had the opportunity to work with many organizations across varying industry types and based around the world. They each have unique visions of how they can contribute to bettering employee equity practices and contribute to society’s betterment. It is truly a pleasure to meet people who showcase their dedication to our mission at ILFI and see ways to become more equitable within their organizations. I am also excited about exploring the complexities of the 22 social and equity indicators (under the categories of diversity + inclusion, equity, employee health, employee benefit, stewardship, and purchasing) showcased in Just. I am interested in approaching these topics regarding different complex international, cultural, and ecological lenses as the needs and understandings of equity change and evolve.

What are you most passionate about within the field of sustainability?

KB: I am incredibly passionate about the fight against Environmental Racism and Environmental Classism, phenomena in which government-enacted policies target minority groups for undesirable land uses and result in communities disproportionately exposed to toxic and hazardous waste. Environmental Racism and Environmental Classism can be seen across the United States from Flint Michigan’s Water Crisis to Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, where hundreds of petrochemical plants live between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. These instances of communities suffering from extremely hazardous polluted air, drinking water, and soil are often governmentally approved to occur in communities with high percentages of people of color and in low-income communities. 

I have had the privilege of travelling across the Colorado Plateau, home to the Indigenous tribes of the Hopi, Navajo, Zuni, Hualapai, Havasupai, Ute, Apache, and Southern Paiute, to meet and develop relationships with many phenomenal beings of Indigenous heritage. I have listened to their stories of how their people are currently being murdered, undervalued, and disrespected at the United States Government’s discretion. As I am writing this, million-dollar fracking companies are polluting these communities’ potable water sources and disturbing the bedrock that prevents natural disasters like mudslides. These fracking operations bring man camps that normalize patriarchal and colonial culture, sexual violence, and murder against two-spirit and Indigenous women. Many abandoned uranium mine sites degrade Northern Arizona ecosystems while affecting nearby Indigenous tribes. It is unacceptable that people, animals, and the land have suffered from sickness due to exposure to uranium’s toxicity for decades. I cannot imagine a life not fighting for environmental, social-cultural, and economic justice. I share this story out of solidarity with Indigenous communities and all that are suffering from environmental racism.

Do you have any recommendations for books, podcasts, blogs, etc. for the Living Future community?

KB: A fantastic book recommendation that I have is Black Faces, White Spaces by Carolyn Finney, which showcases the relationship between race and the environment from an African American perspective. While many of us are aware of social unrest, police brutality, racism, climate change, and environmental degradation, the book illuminates the intersections between many of today’s problems, especially the interconnections of social and ecological injustice. This book captures the essence of reimagining the relationship between African Americans and the outdoors.

Thank you to Kelly for taking the time to share her story with us. Check out the following links to learn more about ILFI’s Just Program and the RAY Fellowship, and read about our other amazing Fellow, Inonge Mubita!