At Urban Green Lab, we join the Black community in the fight against racism across our country and specifically here in Nashville.
We believe that education is the first step toward change of any kind, including the advancement of social equity, which is a pillar of living a sustainable life. In addition to listening and learning, here are three ways Urban Green Lab is taking action now on this important issue and continuing our own journey.
1. Self-Examination
After a year of deliberation, Urban Green Lab launched its 2025 Strategic Plan this spring, which includes a goal of better responding to the needs of diverse communities. To us, this means listening more closely to minority and underrepresented voices, exploring how to better integrate them into our teams and daily work, and holding ourselves more accountable to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
2. Environmental Equity
Because racial justice can also be linked to environmental justice for marginalized communities, we will continue to train classrooms, households, and workplaces about the importance of social equity and how it relates to sustainability overall. Our next edition of the Nashville Sustainability Roundtable, for example, will focus on this issue. Stay tuned for more about how we plan to further integrate equity into our work.
3. Giving to the Frontline
We encourage all Nashvillians to engage and give to local and national organizations making a difference on this issue. Here are a few that the Urban Green Lab staff and board have personally supported for you to consider as well: Bail Fund, Gideon’s Army, Nashville Cares, The Loveland Foundation, Know Your Rights Camp, the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, and the ACLU of Tennessee.
In the months and years ahead, we will continue to listen and grow so all of us can thrive together, and we hope you’ll join us in this cause.
The Urban Green Lab Team
