In the summer of 2018, Whitney McGuire, 33, and Dominique Drakeford, 30, put their heads together to figure out a solution for better representation in the environmental movement. As women of color, they never saw themselves reflected in its leaders and community, yet environmental issues disproportionately affect communities of color. They took it upon themselves to start Sustainable Brooklyn, an organization that brings sustainability to communities that are often left out of the conversation.
On a recent Monday morning, McGuire’s one-year-old wobbled to the beat of “head, shoulders, knees and toes,” sung by the Sesame Street puppets on TV and his dad. “When I became a mom, sustainability became non-negotiable,” said McGuire. “My kid deserves a clean planet.”
Drakeford snapped her fingers in agreement. The two have agreed on a lot since they were first introduced by a mutual friend. Both of them had strong feelings about the ways in which the mainstream sustainability movement was lacking inclusivity, and both of them felt ready to take action. Meeting each other was, as Drakeford said, the missing link.
