Pandemic stories: Meet Black Girl Environmentalist founder Wanjiku "Wawa" Gatheru
This edition of Pandemic Stories was written by guest author Rachel Sarah. For a jolt of hope and inspiration, do yourself a favor and pre-order her latest book, Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists are Saving the Earth, coming out April 2021.
I first saw Wanjiku “Wawa” Gatheru's name in a byline in Glamour magazine in 2020 and I wanted to know more about this then-21-year-old environmental justice advocate and founder of Black Girl Environmentalist.
Wawa grew up in a rural and mostly white town in Connecticut as the daughter of Kenyan immigrants. When she joined environmental clubs and programs — as the only Black person — there were sparse mentions of Black history.
Today, she is an environmental justice scholar who's passionate about empowering BIPOC communities in the environmental decision-making process. As a recent alumnus of the University of Connecticut, Gatheru graduated with magna cum laude honors in Environmental Studies and attained a minor in Urban and Community Studies. She is the first Black person in history to receive the Rhodes, Truman, and Udall scholarships.
“I've felt
as a Black girl that being in the environmental space has often been trauma-tizing.”
Rachel: You recently landed at Oxford during the pandemic, and you're currently pursuing a master’s degree in environment and political science, yes? How's your new home feeling?
Wawa: I came here a bit later than my classmates, right as term started. I was in self-isolation for 12 days, which was very difficult. Then I had a week and five days of non-isolation where I could go outside, before we went into lockdown. So, my new home still feels like a new home. It still has that new car feeling because I haven't had the opportunity to get to know Oxford much. There are so many places I want to explore. I'm really excited about my upcoming terms in the next two years, when my new home will just feel like home.
Rachel: What do your days look like so far? Are you quarantining alone, or with others?
Wawa: There are 8-week long terms here, so compared to undergrad, everything feels a lot more compact. So my days look like: waking up, going to class, doing readings between classes, making myself some food, and then dividing my time between studying alone and going to the Rhodes House. They have socially distanced seats and tables, so I can read over there and study at a distance. Then I usually go on a walk or work out. Then, maybe Netflix and/or a call with a friend, and then bed.
Rachel: Can you talk about your current work? For example, I love what you said on the 52 Hertz podcast about being "the only black person in this space. I am the only person of color in this room.”
Wawa: The reason I'm here at Oxford is to focus on BIPOC representation, and my angle is Black girls, women, and nonbinary folks in the environmental movement. I will do a dissertation here, and I will be focusing on how colorism serves as a deterrent and a barrier for Black girls and women to want to partake in outdoor recreation and outdoor education, and to want to spend extended time outside.
This is a very personal project. This is still something that I work through to this day. I find that if we're going to create equitable programs to try to ensure that all people have equal access to public land and green space, we need to be cognizant about the way that white supremacy serves as a deterrent, even if it's not as visible for people who don’t experience colorism or colorist statements directed to them.
Rachel: Tell me more about founding Black Girl Environmentalist, "a supportive community of Black girls, women and non-binary environmentalists." In a recent post, for instance, in celebration of Black History Month, you said: "We envision a world in which Black environmentalists are centered in the sustainability narrative. We hope to change this with Reclaiming Our Time."
An article Gatheru wrote for VICE (click to read)
Wawa: This is a love project, something very personal to me. I've felt as a Black girl that being in the environmental space has often been traumatizing. I have not always been prioritized. The things I've had to say — especially regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion — have been put to the side until it's sexy. I could go on and on about this.
I've found — especially after my VICE article, "Erasing Black People,” went viral — so many women and girls and nonbinary girls reached out to me, and said, “This is the first time I've seen myself as a Black environmentalist. This is the first time I've seen myself on paper. This is the first time I've seen myself in an article.”
They also told me, “I feel alone in my community, too.” This really compelled me and my sister friends to come together and create this platform, Black Girl Environmentalist.
For Black History Month, three Black-led environmental organizations (@blackgirlenvironmentalist, @generation__green,and @passthemicclimate) launched the #ReclaimingOurTime campaign, an initiative to highlight Black climate activists at the forefront of addressing the climate crisis.
In mid-February, I posted to the #Climate and #Environmental folks on Twitter: "I have a bone to pick with y’all. Frankly, I’m tired of the way y’all erase/ignore/sideline Black youth in this movement. The campaign I’ve been working on for the past month is experiencing this now and it’s shitty."
I do this work out of survival. I think so many Black girls do. It's necessary.
