Statement of Commitment with the Black Community

Richmond has changed significantly since YES was founded in 1999. Gentrification and other factors have rapidly shifted the city’s demographics and displaced many Black residents, leading to the Black population falling from 36% in 2000 to under 20% today. We’ve seen this reflected in a decline of Black youth and families participating in YES programs, once a majority, to 27% today [as of September 2024]. This dramatic population decline has resulted in a loss of community, access to resources, and safe spaces for the Black community. 

We are proud to call Richmond our home, and we know our city has a history of racism that still harms residents today. Things like redlining, pollution, the school-to-prison pipeline, the War on Drugs, and environmental injustice show how prejudice against Black people has diminished safety and quality of life for everyone in Richmond.

Most of the YES team have faced racism and discrimination and see colorism deeply rooted in our own cultures. By assuming collective responsibility for addressing the harms and injustices against the Black community, we recognize that Black liberation is essential for the liberation of all people.

In partnership with nature, YES nurtures leaders who champion the wellbeing of our community.

YES has always been influenced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as others who face oppression and exclusion from leadership and outdoor spaces. It is important to understand that our racial identity affects how, or if, we are seen as leaders and how we experience nature. 

As we work toward a vision of a healthy, connected Richmond, where everyone has equal access to nature, we are committed to partnering with the Black community and following their lead.

Laws that banned people of color, the history of lynchings in public parks and forests, and the inequity of land ownership have all led to Black people being the least represented group in public green spaces. Even though these places have had a troubling history that conflicts with safety, joy, and healing, many Black activists around the world have worked for years to claim their right to enjoy the outdoors. We’ve seen this bravery and passion in our own programs.

Below are some resources to help you learn about this history and the efforts to increase representation of people of color in outdoor activities and environmental education:

Nature Gap: Why Outdoor Spaces Lack Diversity and Inclusion

Breaking Down the Lack of Diversity in Outdoor Spaces 

Black Inclusion and Acceptance in the Outdoors, 60 Years After the Civil Rights Act 

Anti-Black racism is deeply ingrained in our individual thinking, social systems, and institutions. 

We know that in recent years our organization was not doing all it could to create a safe and welcoming environment for Black community members. 

In the fall of 2022, we announced a YES event just for Black families, but this decision quickly drew strong criticism from some members of our community. While we explained why we wanted to create a space for Black families, we could have done more to support them and protect their feelings from hurtful comments. This experience highlighted the prejudice and anti-Black attitudes in our community, and it inspired us to start working toward becoming an anti-racist organization.

Since then, we have dedicated a lot of time and resources to examining and improving many parts of our work. This includes our practices, curriculum, and procedures, as well as how we think and act as individuals in our community. Our learning journey has been both challenging and enlightening. We are committed to being stronger advocates for Black joy, healing, and community.

This work is forever ongoing. Below are some examples of the results of this commitment and what we plan to achieve in the future:

What we’ve done:

• Our staff has participated in ongoing training with Rise for Racial Justice to help uncover and address our individual biases and our areas of growth as an organization.

• YES’s onboarding training for staff and volunteers has been updated to include educational materials about systemic racism and non-violent communication.

• We have redesigned our annual fundraising event to be welcoming for all of our community, including the introduction of sliding scale ticket prices, a family-friendly venue in Richmond, and a strengthened focus on connection and relationship building.

What we’re doing:

• We’re following updated outreach procedures to explicitly prioritize enrollment for youth and families who identify as Black. 

• YES staff are continuing learning through readings, courses, webinars, and more that are specific to departmental work.

• We are adapting cohort curriculums to address the ways in which racism presents in areas of study.

• We are creating protocols that outline a unified response to racist incidents that occur at all types of YES events, including those that only include staff.

• We are actively prioritizing work with Black vendors, contractors, businesses, and partner organizations.

What’s in the future:

• As spaces become available, we aim to increase representation of the Black community on YES’s staff and Board of Directors.

• We’ll hold listening sessions with Black community members to advise further changes and measure the impact of what’s been done. 

• Onboarding for new Board members will include racial justice resources and education on the historical context of YES’s work.

We ask everyone in the YES community to come with love, compassion, and curiosity. YES is dedicated to creating an environment where everyone has the space and support to grow, learn, and unlearn.

You can help this work by:

• Supporting YES in ways that matter to you, like volunteering, sharing information about our work, or donating.

• Supporting Black-led organizations in our community.

• Challenging racist beliefs, words, and actions whenever you see them, whether in big or small spaces.

• Reimagining systems and environments to prioritize the health, safety, and joy of Black people.

• Reflecting on how anti-Black racism has impacted your own thoughts and actions.