To the MBA Community:
The Energy Club at Ross wants to state unequivocally that Black Lives Matter. We stand with BBSA and the broader Black Lives Matter movement demanding much-needed reform, and express our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have suffered as a result of police brutality and hate crimes, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others.
The Energy Club at Ross recognizes that racism and injustice exist all around us. We support BBSA's Call to Action, and in response to their ask that "Michigan Ross professional club leaders should incorporate a racial justice lens into relevant club education curriculum," we are committing ourselves to the following items:
Additionally, as future leaders in the energy industry, we believe it is imperative that we recognize and educate our club members about the ways that racism is manifested in the energy sector, which is part of a concept known as environmental racism. Environmental racism is exhibited in many ways, from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans to the Flint Water Crisis here in Michigan, to the exposure of hazardous pollution from burning fossil fuels that disproportionately impact communities of color.
A focus on energy justice is necessary to fight environmental racism. Energy justice is comprised of (1) understanding how the hazards and burdens of energy systems disproportionately affect communities of color; (2) understanding how access to modern energy services is highly uneven; and (3) pushing for decision-making on energy policies that are just and democratic. As such, we are committing ourselves to the following items:
We are motivated to do our part in the fight against racial and energy injustice. For a broader overview of energy justice and environmental racism,we have provided a list of additional resources below as well.
-Your Energy Club at Ross Board
Green Causes are not Always Colorblind: Racial Disparity in Energy Issues, Chester Energy and Policy
Environmental Racism is Real, the Atlantic
How Racism Manifests in Clean Energy, GreenBiz
Breathing While Black: Structural Racism, Coronavirus and Pollution Are Part of the Same Story
MN350's Sam Grant on Fighting Climate and Racial Injustice in Minneapolis
Heat or Eat, by University of Michigan Professor Tony Reames
Fighting Energy Injustice and Coronavirus in African American Communities
Center for Biological Diversity
An incandescent truth: Disparities in energy-efficient lighting availability and prices in an urban U.S. county, by University of Michigan Professor Tony Reames