The Vermont Natural Resources Council’s commitment to clean air and water; clean, affordable energy; accessible open spaces; sustainable communities; and functioning ecosystems reflects our desire for all people to be healthy and safe.

Sadly, Black people and communities of color disproportionately experience the effects of pollution, climate change, and the health effects of COVID-19, while also facing ongoing harassment and violence by public officials amid the other hardships of institutional racism. 

The most recent high-profile example of this occurred in Minneapolis last week with the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer, and the subsequent attacks on peaceful protesters and journalists by law enforcement agencies across the nation.

VNRC stands among those individuals and organizations calling for justice, accountability, and an end to racist violence.  We must work to create a just, inclusive, healthy and equitable society, and a better future for all.

We encourage Vermonters concerned about racial justice to speak up, and consider supporting organizations like Justice for All (JFA), which works to dismantle systemic racism in Vermont and beyond, and ACLU Vermont, which focuses largely on criminal justice reform. 

These groups recently joined VNRC, Vermont Conservation Voters, and others to send a letter urging Vermont legislators to proactively address equity issues in COVID-19 response and recovery.