For Immediate Release: May 25, 2021
Contact: Andrés Jimenez, ajimenez@diversegreen.org, 773-807-2181
Big Green Once Again Facing Allegations
Washington, D.C.— Following allegations from news reports that top executive leadership at the U.S.-based national conservation organization Defenders of Wildlife perpetuated a “culture of fear” aimed at staff members of color, Green 2.0 Executive Director Andrés Jimenez issued the following statement:
“Environmental organizations cannot continue to allow fear to define workplaces for staff of color,” Jimenez said. “Unfortunately, in the case of Defenders of Wildlife, as with many other environmental organizations, the intimidation and culture of fear came directly from the top. Leadership of environmental organizations cannot on one hand say they want to diversify and on the other suppress the voices of their staff of color and prevent real action on diversity, inclusion, and racial equity.”
“This pattern of behavior from environmental leadership is unacceptable. For far too long, it has been acceptable for CEOs and executive leadership to operate without transparency, trust, or basic cultural competence. Most importantly, it has been acceptable for them to operate with little to no representation from people of color. Institutional change can only happen when executive leadership stops focusing on how their diversity efforts appear to the public and starts turning their attention to meaningfully improving their internal organizational culture for their staff of color.”
Green 2.0 is a 501(c)3 independent advocacy campaign to increase racial diversity among environmental organizations. Green 2.0 believes in a powerful, winning environmental movement grounded in equity and inclusion. Follow Green 2.0. on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.