Penniman chronicles the long history of Black environmental action in the face of white land theft, habitat destruction, extractive capitalism, and a racist wilderness preservation movement that ethnically cleansed Indigenous peoples to create national parks and then banned Black families from visiting them. Penniman and the interviewees offer a staggering range of reparative projects ... It’s clear that Penniman and her contributors view Black environmentalism as healing therapy not only for Black individuals but for the planet.
The author weaves together the experiences and stories of this diverse group of individuals with respect to their relationships with “Mother Earth” and their perspectives on how to listen to her better ... A powerful and passionate collection of instructive perspectives on nature.
Soulful, spirited, and often joyful, this is sustained by a deep reverence for the Earth and its 'symbiotic living ecosystems.' The result is a potent look at the overlap between the environmental and racial justice movements.
