People the Planet Needs Now - Voices for Justice, Science, and a Future of Promise

Find inspiration to affect global change with stories and perspectives from people the planet needs now: 25 Black and Brown scientists and activists. From climate change and industrial waste to social injustice and poverty, the challenges that our world faces are daunting. To make matters worse, many people are turning away from scientific fact in favor of their own beliefs and biases. Yet there is reason for hope. Heroes among us are fighting for a better world—and many of them are Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC). Acclaimed author and photographer Dudley Edmondson has interviewed 25 Black and Brown scientists, environmental justice activists, and social justice activists to inspire change on a global scale. People the Planet Needs Now is a compilation of personal stories and perspectives from across the United States (and one from the Philippines), as scientists and activists talk about the work they do and their life experiences. The 25 viewpoints are shared conversationally, as if the reader is having a one-on-one dialogue with each storyteller. You’ll learn deeply personal details about their childhood, physical- and mental-health struggles, and racist encounters—which influence everything, from science and what is considered knowledge to where one might live in a particular city and even one’s quality of healthcare and education. Complete with Dudley’s full-color photography, the book offers a rare opportunity to see and hear from BIPOC scientists and activists about problems with “traditional” science and the current methods of addressing everything from climate change to city design. Black and Brown people are often most directly affected by these problems, so their unique insights offer the possibility for new solutions. These interviews spark conversations about innovative ways to address social, environmental, and related issues. “It is an honor and privilege to share this collection of personal stories from Black and Brown storytellers with global origins and perspectives,” says Dudley. Black and Brown people around the globe have an interdependent relationship with nature, and their perspectives can help us push for positive change. People the Planet Needs Now strives to inspire current and future difference-makers to create a better world together.Table of ContentIntroduction Profiles Ibrahim Abdul-Matin and Fatima Ashraf, Brooklyn, NYMajora Carter, South Bronx, NYCorina Newsome, Atlanta, GARoxanne O’Brien, Minneapolis, MNDeja Perkins, Raleigh, NCQueta Gonzalez, Portland, ORDrew Lanham, Clemson, SCChad Brown, Portland, ORRue Mapp, Oakland, CAChristopher Kilgour, Madison, WINicole Jackson, Columbus, OHAlex Troutman, Austell, GASiqiniq Maupin, Fairbanks, AKNiko Alexandre, Cazadero, CARicky Defoe, Cloquet, MNJason Hall, Philadelphia, PAAshanee Kottage, Washington, D.C.Dr. Lorena Rios Mendoza, Superior, WIDr. Sebastian Echeverri, South Orange, NJCharlie Powell, Birmingham, ALRev. Edward Pinkney, Benton Harbor, MISharon Lavigne, St. James Parish, LAA.G Guerrero Sano, Manila, PhilippinesTamara Layden, Fort Collins, COBiographical NoteOver the past 32 years, Dudley Edmondson has become an established photographer, author, filmmaker, and presenter. His photography has been featured in galleries and publications around the world, most recently in Australia and Italy. His photographic work and travel adventures have taken him to amazing places, including the Arctic Circle of Alaska and the Bahamas. In 2006, Dudley set out to create a group of outdoor role models for the nation’s African American community by writing the landmark book, Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places. During the Obama Administration, Dudley's book landed him an invitation to the White House for the signing of America's Great Outdoors Initiative. Dudley currently serves on the board for the Bell Museum of Natural History on the University of Minnesota campus in Saint Paul. In 2021, the Minnesota House of Representatives appointed Dudley to the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, which makes funding recommendations to the legislature for the protection and restoration of Minnesota's prairies, wetlands, and forests, using funds from the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.Alex Troutman—Wildlife Biologist Austell, Georgia My Life, My Work I’m a wildlife biologist, working for the USFWS (US Fish and Wildlife Service) at the moment. Since I work with wildlife, habitat, and people, no two days are alike. In my role, I manage federal lands and monitor wildlife species to ensure population growth and stability. When managing or restoring lands, I get to use tractors to mow fields, trails, and waterfowl impoundments. We also do surveys before, during, and after large-scale land management activities to see how our actions have impacted wildlife. A Kid Constantly Distracted by Nature I grew up in Austell, Georgia. I was always interested in nature. Growing up, I was lucky to have had a creek in my backyard. We would spend a lot of time back there looking for water lizards, which we didn’t know at the time were salamanders. We would also build up a dam to pool up the water so we could fish. Many times, my chores, like raking leaves or cutting the grass, were often extended because I would see a snake or a frog run in front of the lawnmower. I would chase and study it to see what it was. Or I’d spend time sifting through raked leaves to see what different grubs and things were hiding in them. I spent many Saturdays fishing with my father, uncle, and brothers on a lake in southern Georgia. I saw my spark bird, the Red-tailed Hawk, while fishing there. The red glow of the tail soaring over and seeing the sun rays come through was memorable. Growing up with No Role Models That Looked Like Me I grew up in the era of Jack Hanna, Steve Irwin, and Jeff Corwin, so for a long time, those were my idea of a wildlife biologist. Obviously, they’re not Black, so I didn’t have that true connection that this was something I could do. Originally, I thought I was going to be a veterinarian because that was one of the only representations of a black person working with animals that I saw. Growing up, going to zoos and national parks, I didn’t see any Black people working as zookeepers or biologists. It wasn’t until I worked for the National Park Service that I saw a person of color who was a biologist and who wasn’t me. I was going to make it work regardless. I knew that there weren’t any Black people that I could connect with, at least so I thought. Thankfully, I found things like Black Birders Week and BlackAF STEM on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. People there had similar backgrounds to mine. It helped me realize there are many of us out there. Through social media, I am able to show that Black people are scientists and enjoy the outdoors. I started showing what I regularly do as a Black biologist, whether it’s just bird banding, working with sea turtles, or looking for butterfly eggs. I hope that other people will see my work, especially young people. The Tainted Table A lot of people say there are plenty of seats at the table doing conservation and science work. But the people who built that table promoted and committed genocide and slavery through colonialist systems that treated people horribly. So even if we, as people of color, come and sit at that table, it is already tainted. If we come and do something good, the white people will take all the credit for it because they built the table. So that table needs to be destroyed, torn down, and burned, and a new table needs to be built by everyone coming together in equality. Getting rid of old ways of thinking and embracing coming change and Indigenous perspectives is important because they’ve been here longer and know best how we should reestablish habitat for wildlife. Nature Is For Everyone I truly believe that nature is for everyone, and we should all be able to have the same privileges that our white counterparts have without worrying about having the police called on us. Or even sometimes having to dress a certain way in order to not look too intimidating to white people. I’ve had many experiences where people have questioned my presence. One time, I was working for the federal government in my full Fish and Wildlife Service uniform, and someone came up to me while I was nailing down a sign on federal property and asked me what I was doing, even questioning if I belonged in the area. I had to show them my federal identification to get them to leave me alone, but I should not have had to do that. Educational Mentors and Friends I received a degree in biology from Georgia Southern University. It was during that time that I started taking field biology, ornithology, and mammalogy courses from two professors, Dr. Michelle Cawthorn and Dr. Ray Chandler. They became my unofficial mentors. They got me into the field, helping me to understand that studying birds was a career option. I ended up taking multiple classes with both. If I hadn’t taken their classes, it would have been a lot longer before I figured out that wildlife conservation or studying wildlife was something that I could do. They helped me decide on being a biologist. Don’t Let Anyone Tell You You’re Not Good Enough One of the top things I’d like to do is help students like professors Cawthorn and Chandler helped me, even being a mentor to students who are struggling like I did. Someday, I’d like to have a foundation that bridges the gap for people of color and those of lower economic status to help them pursue careers through STEAM education. During my education, I learned that professors have leeway in selecting students that they want in their lab. Some would say to me, “Oh, looking at your GRE scores, I don’t think you’re the best fit for my lab,” even though I had tons of experience. I know there are going to be instructors who will take the place of those who told me I wasn’t good enough.