Together we are Ringing the BEL for Environmental and Economic Justice.

Our Strategy

Advocate, Incubate and Inform (AI²)

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Advocate

  • Develop standards to inform policy

  • Maintain formalized, intentional and proactive messaging and communications

  • Leverage and amplify the interconnected vision of the BEL membership

Incubate

  • Foster education regarding the natural and built environment for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Communities

  • Facilitate a safe space to explore racial justice through authentic engagement

  • Host and sponsor conferences

  • Distribute relevant publications and content

  • Build membership capacity through shared resources and experiences

  • Facilitate BIPOC representation on governing boards, advisory commissions, consulting contracts and employment referrals/recommendations

Inform

  • Provide trusted data for members

  • Share relevant data for BIPOC communities

  • Interpret data at the intersection of equity, the environment and economic justice

  • Inform the larger environmental community using contextualized data, with a focus on issues impacting BIPOC and underrepresented communities

Our Tribes

In honor of Africa’s fascinating tribal traditions and vibrant cultures, Black Environmental Leaders Association operates using a shared leadership model.  Shared leadership involves maximizing all of the human resources within BEL by empowering individuals and giving them an opportunity to take leadership positions in their environmental solution areas of expertise.


We have established five (5) tribes based on Environmental Solutions Areas, two (2) affinity groups and one overarching area that all members contribute to and learn from, to facilitate collaborative decision making. In addition, Adinkra Symbols have been selected to reflect the work of each tribe.

Built Environment, Energy Waste Reduction, Green Building & Healthy Homes

Equitable Clean Energy, Economic & Workforce Development

Sustainable Transportation, Electric Vehicles & E Mobility

Healthy Neighborhoods, Land, Air, and Water

Debt reduction, entrepreneurship & multigenerational wealth

Natural Environment, Vibrant Green Space & Recreation

Council of Tribes

comprised of the leaders from the seven BEL tribes

Council of Allies

comprised of the BEL allies

AYA

AYA

Our Values

We believe that by coming together as members of the Black Environmental Leaders Association, we amplify the opportunities for collaboration and progress of environmental and economic justice exponentially. 

These are our values:

+ Consistency

I choose to make decisions in harmony and solidarity with others committed to economic and environmental justice.

+ Courage

I choose to exercise my ability to speak up and speak out about injustice, sometimes getting into “good trouble”, in an effort to impact transformative change in America.

+ Dependability

I choose to be trustworthy and constant, carefully managing the thoughts and actions, shaped by my unconscious bias.

+ Efficiency

I choose to reduce my carbon footprint by consuming less energy, sooner than later.

+ Environmentalist

I choose to advocate for the protection of the air, water, animals, plants and other natural resources from pollution or its effects.

+ Fitness

I choose to practice, to the best of my ability, soundness and vigor of my body and mind.

+ Good Humor

I choose to engage others with a cheerful or amiable mood.

+ Honesty

I choose to be an upright member of the BEL community regarding where I am on my journey of racial reconciliation, striving to communicate and listen with truthfulness, sincerity and frankness.

+ Open-Minded

I choose to respect and celebrate each of our cultures, languages and beliefs about the natural world and our roles in healing ourselves by being receptive to new ideas or perspectives that may be different than my own.

+ Optimism

I choose to look on the more favorable side of who America strives to be, while expanding my understanding of where we have been.

+ Perseverance

I choose to remain steady as an Equity Broker, with the aim of creating equitable and transparent policies within the natural and built environment.

+ Reliability

I choose to be a resource for reducing the harm created by our racialized society.

 

+ Respect

I choose to acknowledge the rights of all people to have a say in the local, state and federal decisions that affect their lives in the policy making process.

+ Service to Others

I choose to authentically be helpful in environmental and economic justice efforts.