IE + TAZO Partner to launch an Intersectional Fellow Program
November 10, 2020—United States— Intersectional Environmentalist (IE) and TAZO tea partner to officially launch a new paid internship program, which aims to bring valuable experiences and new perspectives to a diverse group of young environmental activists. This groundbreaking partnership serves as an extension of IE’s mission to compensate activists fairly for their work.
Sabs Katz, Co-founder and Director of Communications at Intersectional Environmentalist, said, “We are so excited to announce the first official cohort of intersectional environmentalist interns. The current climate sector tends to silence the voices and narratives of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), but we are changing that. Climate justice is not a trend, it’s a movement - and IE’s mission is to bring intersectionality and social justice to the forefront of environmental conversations.”
TAZO knows that an intersectional approach is essential for working together to fight for climate justice. Funding for the IE internship program comes from a $250,000 donation the tea brand made to support anti-racism work, specifically directed at helping promote BIPOC-led climate solutions.
“Climate change and racial injustice are urgent issues that are inextricably linked. This is why we’re proud to support Intersectional Environmentalist in creating a paid internship program to help empower BIPOC individuals and environmental organizations in the fight for climate justice,” said Laraine Miller, Senior Director, U.S. Tea at Unilever. “Through this partnership, we hope to create more opportunities for marginalized groups and help advance work towards long-term impact for both people and our planet.”
This three-month program includes seven roles, focusing on environmental justice research, eco-communications, graphic design and animation, social media, web development and design, video production, and operations.
The first group includes:
Synclaire Warren: Social Media Intern
Simrah Farrukh: Video Production Intern
Den Paul Cortez: Operations Intern
Amira Dhanoa: Eco Communications Intern
Riley Lockett: Digital Media Intern
Eileen Tran: Web Development Intern
Lexi Hernandez: Environmental Justice Research Intern
Amanda Zhu: Graphic Design + Animation Intern
Intersectional Environmentalist was founded in June 2020 after IE’s CEO and Founder Leah Thomas defined and popularized the phrase ‘intersectional environmentalism,’ following the resurgence of the civil rights movement.
Inspired by Kimberlé Crenshaw’s study of critical race theory, ‘intersectional environmentalism’ is an inclusive version of environmentalism that advocates for both the protection of people and the planet. It identifies the connection between social and cultural issues with environmental justice and equity.
For media inquiries, please contact Ming Liu at press@isxenvironmentalist.com
