Celebrating Black History Month
Trash Free Maryland celebrates Black History Month this February with both urgent commitment to do better and deep reflection about the reasons for environmental injustice and the need for environmental and social justice.
From the late Senator Verda Welcome, a prominent Black pioneer who fought for civil rights and became the Nation's first Black woman state senator when elected to the Maryland Senate in 1962 to former Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett who significantly advanced Maryland's efforts to curb stormwater flows in the 2000s, Maryland has a long history of Black leaders who fought, and fight, for better environments for us all. Senator Welcome began her early activism in Baltimore City with the Northwest Improvement Association fighting for, among other things, better trash pickups. Former County Executive Leggett led Maryland counties by forging deep commitments to reducing stormwater run-off and litter entering our waterways. Mr. Leggett is now leading the State’s Accountability and Implementation Board, overseeing the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, Maryland’s multi-billion-dollar education reform plan.
We are a mostly white organization working in a diverse state. Our organization is committed to diversifying our leadership, staff and programming. As we continue to advocate for policies and initiatives to reduce trash pollution in Maryland, we recognize these issues disproportionately affect marginalized populations. We know our work will not be successful until we include these populations in every facet of our work.
As we celebrate Black History month, we know we benefit enormously from past achievements of Marylanders such as Senator Welcome and County Executive Leggett. We honor their work and commit to work towards justice. We are very excited to support the Environmental Human Rights Amendment, a constitutional amendment to give all Marylanders the fundamental and inalienable right to a healthful and sustainable environment. This is one critically important step in our collective work toward justice.
