17th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service:
Creating a Beloved Community
With MLK Day fast approaching, I've been reflecting on Dr. King's vision of a Beloved Community and its alignment with our values as environmentally-minded community members. dr. King believed that all life was interrelated in a "network of mutuality"; as such, impacts on one part of this web ripple throughout it, impacting all. I see these principles echoed in the environmental justice movement, where negative impacts on the environment, like air pollution or industrial development, often disproportionately impact vulnerable communities.
The City of Richmond in West Contra Costa County has one of the longest continuing legacies of grassroots environmental justice in the country, born from the impacts of Dr. King and civil rights activists. The Richmond Greenway, a space bringing community parks, free fresh produce, native plants, and wildlife habitat to the city, is a culmination of this legacy. The project actively combats environmental disparities like pollution, urban heat island effects, and lack of green space access for a population that is predominantly people of color.
Collaborating with Richmond community groups, I've helped coordinate an MLK Day volunteer event on the Richmond Greenway. Taking charge of volunteer efforts in CCRCD's pollinator garden, we'll focus on cleaning up litter and planting native flowers to attract monarchs, bumblebees, hummingbirds, and other native pollinators.
MLK Day is a day of action to forge an equitable future for all people and the planet. Together, let's embody Dr. King's values and create a resilient, equitable, and thriving Beloved Community for generations to come.
Where: Between 7th St and Ohio St on the Richmond Greenway
When: January 15th, 2024
Time: 9AM-1PM
To learn more or register to volunteer, visit this link.
For additional questions, please email jmackey@ccrcd.org.
