“Growing up in Prince George’s County, MD, I was used to my family cautioning me, ‘Amarachukwu, apu. na n’ìló’ (do not go outside). This guidance came despite the reciprocal relationship I had watched my grandfather cultivate with the natural world, which is what first piqued my environmental interest. Looking back, I now recognize my family’s fear as that of many Black folks who view the outdoors as a place of historic and continued violence.”

by Amara Ifeji