WE ARE CHANGING THE TIDE:

Communities of color live at ground zero in the fight for environmental justice.

These communities, especially those of Black, Indigenous, and migrant populations worldwide bear the highest burden from the negative effects of climate change, pollution, environmental degradation, and exploitative industries. As inhabitants of a shared planet, this exhibit encourages visitors to consider the interconnected nature of the world’s natural and human-made systems, to understand how overlapping harms caused by racism, greed, and environmental destruction affect BIPOC communities, and to take action in their own lives to address these issues. It centers on unsung stories of collective action and resistance by vulnerable communities on the front lines while calling for the voices of those most affected to be centered in policy-making and driving solutions.

The exhibit features a wide range of stories including the Quinault Nation fighting climate change, water protectors resisting fossil fuel development, Duwamish River stewardship, rising seas threatening Pacific Islands and other coastal communities, Native Hawaiians opposing military installations via traditional ceremony, and local community groups fighting disproportionate airplane noise and pollution on Seattle’s Beacon Hill. Visitors will be able to explore these stories and other content through photographs, artworks, artifacts, and first-person voices, to learn how BIPOC communities are addressing Environmental Justice and how we can all play a role in supporting collaborative systemic change.