Activist Wawa Gatheru has identified a key roadblock to socially beneficial change, but she believes each person can participate in overcoming a common mental trap.
"I think that this idea of the 'perfect environmentalist' is keeping us as a movement from building the strongest team possible," Gatheru said at the Independent's Climate 100 List launch event in September in New York City.
Gatheru, honored by the Independent on its inaugural climate leader list, founded Black Girl Environmentalist in 2021 to empower emerging Black leaders, women, and non-binary people to effect change, including through supporting the establishment of green careers.
According to Gatheru's official website, her upbringing instilled within her a love of nature and a connection to the Earth. However, when she was 15, an environmental science class changed the way she thought about warming global temperatures — and their adverse impacts on society.
"I started to realize that environmental issues, environmentalism … had everything to do with me, and especially everything to do with my community," she told Essence.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the last 10 years are the hottest ever recorded. Even though heating and cooling periods are part of the Earth's cycles, the scientific consensus surrounding this warming is that human activities — and primarily dirty fuels — are causing an unnatural acceleration, contributing to food insecurity and supercharging extreme weather.
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While the problem is immense, Gatheru highlighted how each person can play a role in healing the planet, whether they take action in the workplace, at home, or within their communities.
"Ultimately, we're all flawed individuals. In order for us to apply ourselves meaningfully, we have to apply our unique talents, spheres of influence, and really bring ourselves to the table in authentic ways," she said at the launch event, per the Independent.
Gatheru also suggested people may be hesitant to get involved in climate issues because "they don't fit the narrative" and pointed to the need for more human connection.
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Yes — often 😬 "If you think of a worst-case scenario, a hurricane or a flood, not being able to call out for someone by name: that is a problem," Gatheru said, encouraging older generations to bring their energy to the movement along with the zeal of Gen Z — and for more representation from communities of color alarmed by the effects of a warming climate.
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In 2019, Gatheru became the first Black person honored with the Rhodes, Truman, and Udall scholarships for her environmental advocacy. And since its launch four years ago, Black Girl Environmentalist has collaborated with 55 corporate and nonprofit partners.
Gatheru has also served on the boards and advisory councils for organizations like EarthJustice, the National Parks Conservation Association, the Environmental Media Association, and the Environmental Protection Agency's National Environmental Youth Advisory Council.
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