In 2020, the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, by police officers sparked a social and racial reckoning in the United States. Public spaces became hubs for discussions and actions addressing the historical marginalization of communities of color and their relationship with public commons. Many governmental entities and private corporations pledged resources to create and implement strategic goals aimed at achieving racial and social justice.
Now, six years later, many of these pledges have either been abandoned or executed in a symbolic or tokenized manner. Efforts to meet equity goals often involve gathering a small number of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) individuals and assigning them the emotional and communicative labor of educating white Americans about diverse experiences. This has left many BIPOC participants feeling tokenized.
BIPOC environmental professionals face a unique form of tokenism that challenges their personal and professional integrity. Discussion leaders will share strategies for BIPOC park professionals and environmentalists to survive and thrive in increasingly dehumanizing workplaces.
BIPOC and other marginalized voices will be centered in this discussion, but all are welcome to attend.
