dossier

Black Lives, Green Spaces

Black Canadian and American youth have been successively cut off from the land, the outdoors and the contemporary environmentalist movement. Today, they are taking an active part in nature—a powerful tool for healing, empowerment and social justice. Discover the compelling stories and inspiring perspectives of leading Black figures—entrepreneurs, artists, and activists—from Montréal to Los Angeles.

Besiders / Through the lens

Gaëlle Elma

Rooted in the Intimacy of Bodies

Visual Essays

Healing Waves

For members of Nova Scotia’s historic Black communities, learning to surf is a way of healing the wounds of segregation and embracing the future.

Essay

Cute, Exotic, and Threatening

Ricardo Lamour’s project, Bout du Monde, involved him accompanying five young Black boys to places where they were not expected: cultural institutions, green spaces, political events. His goal was to protect their genius, awaken their curiosity and broaden their real and imagined landscapes.

Besiders

A Farm in Central Park

Following her mother’s murder, Amber Tamm Canty found healing and purpose through farming. Now, with thousands flocking to her cause, she’s aiming to change the landscape of food security in New York, starting with Central Park.

New Narratives

Being a Shark

Phillip Dwight Morgan, poet and author of Jamaican descent who lives in Toronto, tells us about his childhood fear of wilderness and his cross-Canada journey by bike.

Besiders / Through the lens

Naima Green

Brooklyn photographer Naima Green creates portraits of people of colour—artists, activists, community builders—in urban oases of greenery of cities which bear significant histories of Black migration to the United States.

Essay

From City Streets to Forest Floors

Fabrice Vil reflects on the right to access nature, the multitude of barriers that exist for many people of colour, and on what we gain in the contemplation of a sparkling lake.

Essay

Self-Evident

Author and cultural geographer Carolyn Finney speaks out about the invisibility of black people in the stories reported by the media, in school programs and in everyday conversations about the environment.

Besiders

Environmentalism Won’t Work Without Everyone

The environmental movement has an inclusion problem. Leah Thomas is a leading voice to make sure that caring for the planet is inseparable from caring for the people who live on it. All of them.