Last week on the blog we talked about the discrimination BIPOC face when trying to be part of the environmental movement and we gave links to people who are doing important work. This week the focus is on showing BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled people out there enjoying nature.
For a lot of people, they do not feel comfortable enjoying the outdoors, they feel it is “not for them”, or find outdoor spaces completely inaccessible for many reasons. Plus, they just don’t have a chance to see themselves in nature (just try finding a stock photo of enjoying nature that isn’t a thin white woman or man), this is why representation outdoors matters. If you haven’t looked into why representation as a whole matters, here is an article that describes the way it matters to combat systemic racism, as well as the emotional reasons that it matters to see yourself represented in the media.
If you are white/cishet/non-disabled and only follow people who look and act like you, you are missing out on a lot of great content. Plus, diversifying your social media feeds will automatically help amplify other voices, as well as give you more recommendations of more people to follow.
“Instagram’s own algorithm is part of the problem. The “discover” feed is based on people that you follow, so you’re only going to find accounts that are similar to what you’re already seeing.
— https://www.domino.com/content/instagram-diversity-content-creators/
“Sure, a social media share, post, or follow may feel insignificant, but when compounded with active change, lifting Black voices on Instagram and otherwise can help change the narrative.
— https://www.thezoereport.com/p/black-women-creators-to-follow-right-now-including-this-majorly-talented-artist-22952859
So here is a short list of people to start following, enjoy!
Websites