Acknowledgment of the history of racism in the environmental movement

The Mississippi River Network (MRN) recognizes that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and their communities all along the Mississippi River are disproportionately and unjustly impacted by pollution, public health disparities, and economic injustices.

We acknowledge the history, patterns, and practices of racism and oppression that define the mainstream American environmental movement. MRN is committed to acknowledging, identifying, and dismantling systemic racism and anti-Blackness within our organization, network, and the larger environmental movement. We recognize the opportunity for environmental justice that exists in every River community from the headwaters to the Gulf.

We acknowledge that MRN’s work takes place on the ancestral and unceded traditional territories of numerous Indigenous peoples. We acknowledge this in recognition of the deep connections Indigenous people have (past and present) with the River and with the intention to work with Indigenous people wherever possible to overcome legacies of colonialism.

Equity in our workplace

At MRN a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace is one where all employees and volunteers, whatever their race, age, color, disability, faith, religion, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, social class, economic class, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, and all other identities feel valued and respected.

We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provide equal opportunity for employment and advancement in all our programs. MRN abides by an internal list of milestones to help promote diversity and inclusion in our workplace, and we assess our progress on a weekly basis through team meetings and annually through staff retreats.

Equity in our coalition and beyond

We aspire to be a visible presence that moves the conversation around justice and equity forward in the 10-state Mississippi River corridor.

We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard. We’re committed to modeling diversity and inclusion for the environmental nonprofit sector and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all.

By appreciating the importance of inclusion, we acknowledge that the collective and individual talents, skills, and perspectives of members, constituent groups, and partners foster a culture of belonging, collaborative practice, innovation, and mutual respect.

To provide informed, authentic leadership for an equitable Mississippi River for the people, land, water, and wildlife, MRN has an internal list of milestones and action items we hope will center equity in our larger Network. Some examples of this are:

• Maintaining and updated an anti-racism resources hub for Network members,
• Sharing and presenting information (through webinars to toolkits) about anti-racism to our Network members at least once a month, and
• Pooling and redistributing resources to underrepresented communities, frontline organizations, and non-MRN members engaged in community-level work.

We appreciate that environmental justice and equity work is a journey and not a destination. We recommit every day to this work and lean into our values as a learning organization.

MRN’S THREE OVERALL POLICY GOALS

• promote just, equitable, and resilient communities,
• reduce impacts of agricultural and urban runoff pollution, and
• protect and restore ecosystem form and function.

GUIDING IDEAS & TOPICS

• the Mississippi River is an interconnected system from headwaters to the Gulf,
• good River management builds climate change resiliency,
• floodplain and wetland restoration and reconnection protects people,
• nature-based solutions to flooding provide many co-benefits,
• nutrient pollution reduction and harmful algal blooms are 10-state issue needing 10-state solutions, and
• racial equity and environmental justice are central to environmental policy.

TACTICS & STRATEGIES

• engaging and educating Elected Officials (in Congress and in our state Capitols)
• engaging governmental agencies
• listening to and sharing resources with historically excluded communities,
  storytelling and uplifting the myriad of ways people enjoy the Mississippi River
• growing and supporting the River Citizen community
• supporting organizational anti-racism in action in our Network members
• generating public, private, and political will for the River.