River Network believes all people have a right to clean and safe water, and the right to feel safe everywhere. We are committed to inclusion as one of our core values and to promoting a sense of belonging for all, regardless of race.

We recognize that our own work on water equity is but one piece of a larger and unjust national puzzle and that inequity in natural resources is one of many faced by Black, Indigenous, and communities of color. We also recognize that those same communities are leading the movement for equity in in the outdoors and beyond, and we are honored to support and learn from the work of groups like Outdoor Afro, Latino Outdoors, and so many others who are working to ensure our natural spaces are safe, welcoming, and can be enjoyed by all. We encourage all of our partners – both individuals and organizations – to join us in learning to recognize and to challenge the ways in which racism, inequality, and privilege intersect with our work in conservation. We invite dialogue with others working on these issues to seek guidance and develop collaborations. We also commit to sharing  resources that help us all be catalysts and partners in building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive movement for our nation’s waters.

On this page you’ll find these resources, across a variety of sub-topics. This page is a living, evolving resource that is updated regularly.

Have a resource you’d like to share with the network? Let us know.

River Network’s statement on Central Park racism, published May 29, 2020.
River Network’s statement in solidarity with the Black community, published June 5, 2020.

Table of Contents

White Privilege & Racial Equity

• “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack,” by Peggy McIntosh via racialequitytools.org
• “White people assume niceness is the answer to racial inequality. It’s not.” by Robin DiAngelo in The Guardian
• “Paying Attention to White Culture and Privilege: A Missing Link to Advancing Racial Equity,” by Gita Gulati-Partee and Maggie Potapchuk via racialequitytools.org
• “75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice,” by Corinne Shutack on Medium
• Anti-Racism Resources, Google Doc compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein
• Whites for Racial Equity
• Anti-Racism Resources from Urban Waters Learning Network
• “Systemic Racism Explained” from act.tv
• “The Anti-Racist Reading List” by Brea Baker in Elle
• “Diversity Toolkit: A Guide to Discussing Identity, Power and Privilege” from MSW@USC

Conservation, Environmentalism, & Race

• “‘Environmentalist’ Doesn’t Just Mean White and Wealthy,” by Linda Poon in City Lab
• Black Faces, White Spaces: Reimagining the Relationship of African Americans to the Great Outdoor, by Carolyn Finney (find at your local bookstore or from one of the Black-owned bookstores found here and here)
• “Environmentalism’s Racist History,” by Jedediah Purdy in The New Yorker
• Leaking Talent: How People of Color are Pushed Out of Environmental Organizations report from Green 2.0
• An Indigenous People’s History of the United States, by Roxanne Dubar Ortiz (find at your local bookstore or from one of the Black-owned bookstores found here and here)
• Whiteness in the Outdoors, a compiled guide by Pattie Gonia and others
• “I’m a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet.” by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson in The Washington Post
• “Challenging the Narrative and Amplifying Voices: Resources for Education and Inclusivity in the Outdoor Industry,” from The Trek
• “The Melanin Base Camp Guide to Outdoor Allyship,” by Danielle Perry
• Intersectional Environmentalist

Organizational EDI

• White Supremacy Culture, by Tema Okun via Catalyst Project
• “Four Ways White Supremacy Culture Hinders J.E.D.I. Progress,” by Marcelo Bonta on J.E.D.I. Heart
• “How to Integrate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into Everyday Operations,” by Maria Hernandez on The Bridgespan Group
• Organizational DEI Part 1, webinar from Avarna Group and River Network
• Organizational DEI Part 2, webinar from Avarna Group and River Network
• DEI: Holding Ourselves and Each Other Accountable, webinar from Training Resources for the Environmental Community
  
• Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture, report from Equity in the Center
• DEIJ Guide from Choose Clean Water Coalition
• “Maintaining Professionalism in the Age of Black Death Is….A Lot,” by Shanequa Golding on Medium
• “Have nonprofit and philanthropy become the “white moderate” that Dr. King warned us about?” by Vu Le on Nonprofit AF
• “Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay — Chances Are They’re Not” by Danielle Cadet on Refinery 29
• DEIJ Toolkit for Organizations from Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed
• Equity Assessment Tool, a working draft by River Network

Becoming an Ally

• Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement, from US Department of Arts and Culture
• Pronouns and Their Importance from mypronouns.org
• “15 Ways to Strengthen Anti-Racist Practice,” by Catalyst Project

The Intersection of Water & Equity

• Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States: A National Action Plan, from US Water Alliance
• Threats on Tap: Widespread Violations Highlight Need for Investment in Water Infrastructure and Protections, from National Resources Defense Council
• EPA’s Role in Addressing the Urgent Water Infrastructure Needs of Environmental Justice Communities, from National Environmental Justice Advisory Council
• Watered Down Justice, from National Resources Defense Council, Coming Clean, and Environmental Justice Health Alliance
• “Turning the tide toward equity: making federal flood programs work for low-income people” by American Flood Coalition on Medium

Other Resources

• The BIPOC Project
• Project Bias’s Implicit Association Test
• “Understanding Micro Aggressions” video by Fusion Comedy
• The Great Unlearn
• “Healing Resources for BIPOC Organizers & Allies Taking Action for Black Lives” by Irresistible on Medium
• Police Budget Breakdown from Action Center on Race and the Economy
• Call the Halls Guide by Emily Ellsworth
• Mississippi River Network’s Anti-Racism Resources Hub

To download this page as a PDF, click the Resource File link below. Last updated June 16, 2021.