MLKSB Community Resources

An initiative on Environmental Justice for the MLKSB represents the strong link between environmental equity and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Since minority and underrepresented communities are disproportionately affected by environmental racism and climate change impacts. MLKSB would like to create and promote an initiative that combines educational efforts and advocacy. Advocating for clean air and climate justice is not just a political issue, but also a moral imperative. Minority and underrepresented communities bear the heaviest burden of pollution, extreme weather, and toxic practices. We plan to develop a program that will empower local, often-overlooked neighborhoods to build climate resilience and foster environmental stewardship. In Santa Barbara that would be the lower east side.

MLKSB has begun efforts by collaborating with the Community Environmental Council and most recently, will be collaborating with Sea Rise and Heal the Ocean. Ideally, we would like to host community meetings and show films, featuring speakers on environmental justice, the local impacts of climate change, and how Dr. King’s legacy applies to these issues. The MLKSB Committee already works with local schools in an Essay and Poetry program on MLK Day, but we can also start a program for high school students from underserved communities to learn how to research and report on environmental injustices in their neighborhoods. We can also shift the traditional MLK Day of Service to focus specifically on climate justice. Projects can be proposed by community members and funded through a small grant.

This initiative directly addresses Dr. King’s vision by highlighting the interconnectedness of environmental sustainability and systemic injustice. It moves beyond a symbolic meaning of MLK Day to year-round, action-oriented program that confronts contemporary environmental injustice and create a more equitable and sustainable environment for all.