Embrace and Observe Guidance from Black Women
Black women are vital contributors to combating the climate crisis, not just during Black History Month, but all year round. Their unique understanding of intersectionality and the urgency of addressing issues like housing affordability, economic mobility, and access to quality healthcare and education make them indispensable in the transportation sector.
Despite their importance, Black women face numerous challenges in this field. As Tamika Butler, the former executive director of the Los Angeles Bike Coalition, can attest, Black women often find themselves in transportation meetings where people in positions of power don't look like them. This lack of representation is concerning, as Black people are more likely to care about climate change and be willing to join campaigns to address it compared to white people.
Unfortunately, Black women in the urban planning sector often face emotional and mental burdens of navigating white spaces and are labeled as "problems" or "bad culture fits." This is a far cry from the empowerment and leadership opportunities they deserve.
The urban planning sector has a "whiteness problem," with 80% of city and regional planners being white. This needs to change, and the sector can address this issue by prioritising inclusive community engagement, embracing diverse participation methods, and ensuring Black women's voices shape development and policy.
Incorporating feminist urbanism perspectives can also help dismantle patriarchal and racial systems embedded in urban design, impacting women’s mobility and opportunities within cities. Supporting educational institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their clinical programs can advance equitable development and create pipelines for Black women to enter planning and law roles tied to urban revitalization and justice.
On a broader scale, municipal adoption of equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in service delivery and planning can help reform structures that perpetuate exclusion, boosting social cohesion and fairness for marginalized groups.
Practically, this involves designing public spaces and transportation systems accessible and welcoming to diverse users, engaging Black women meaningfully in community decision-making processes and planning initiatives, and strengthening mentorship, education, and career development opportunities targeted to Black women in relevant sectors.
Challenging systemic barriers within institutions and policies through data-driven equity assessments and reforms is also crucial.
Tamika Butler, a leader in urban planning, writes about the need for Black women in the sector to build equitable transportation. She now reaches out to support queer students and students of colour interested in planning, climate, and transportation.
A young Black woman recently reached out to Tamika Butler for advice on post-graduation plans in climate and transportation work. This is a testament to the need for mentorship and support for Black women in these fields.
Incidents like a Black woman at a conference calling out an all-white team's failure to address race in a workshop highlight the need for change. Tamika Butler recalls feeling out of place at her first transportation conference due to lack of diversity.
Kimberlé Crenshaw, a Black woman, coined the term "intersectionality," which is particularly relevant in the context of Black women's experiences in the transportation sector. Moya Bailey coined the term "misogynoir" to describe the specific hatred, dislike, distrust, and prejudice directed toward Black women.
Black women often contemplate leaving their organizations due to white fragility, racism, and anti-Blackness. However, by prioritising inclusive community engagement, embracing diverse participation methods, and ensuring Black women's voices shape development and policy, the urban planning sector can create space for Black women to thrive in transportation, climate, and planning careers.
This will not only foster representation but also empowerment and leadership opportunities for Black women, ultimately creating a more just, innovative, and sustainable urban future.
- Black women's unique understanding of intersectionality and urgency in addressing climate change makes them indispensable in the transportation sector.
- In transportation meetings, Black women often find themselves in rooms with people in positions of power who don't look like them.
- The urban planning sector has a "whiteness problem," with 80% of city and regional planners being white.
- Incorporating feminist urbanism perspectives can help dismantle patriarchal and racial systems embedded in urban design.
- Supporting educational institutions like Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their clinical programs can advance equitable development and create pipelines for Black women to enter planning and law roles tied to urban revitalization and justice.
- Municipal adoption of equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in service delivery and planning can help reform structures that perpetuate exclusion, boosting social cohesion and fairness for marginalized groups.
- A young Black woman recently reached out to Tamika Butler for advice on post-graduation plans in climate and transportation work, highlighting the need for mentorship and support for Black women in these fields.
- Incidents like a Black woman at a conference calling out an all-white team's failure to address race in a workshop highlight the need for change.
- Kimberlé Crenshaw, a Black woman, coined the term "intersectionality," which is particularly relevant in the context of Black women's experiences in the transportation sector.
- Black women often contemplate leaving their organizations due to white fragility, racism, and anti-Blackness.
- By prioritizing inclusive community engagement, embracing diverse participation methods, and ensuring Black women's voices shape development and policy, the urban planning sector can create space for Black women to thrive in transportation, climate, and planning careers.
