Blue Sky Blog

We Stand With You.


Blue Sky Fund addresses racial equity in the outdoors by primarily serving youth of color, and we stand with our Black students, families, teachers, staff, neighbors and the Richmond community. We recognize that our work to increase access to the outdoors for Black youth comes after their need for safety and health; we have work to do to ensure those human rights. Our work has never been "just" about the outdoors -- but instead opening doors to new places, people and growth for children of color across Richmond.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 

We can only imagine the pain and frustration of facing systemic challenges felt by many of our students and families. We can't stay silent. It is time to listen, learn, and take action. Beyond our programming which directly supports the wellbeing and education of youth of color, here are the ways that Blue Sky is committed to supporting the Black community and advocating for equity for our students:

  • Amplifying Black student stories of their experiences in the outdoors
  • Continuing to diversify our staff and board by recruiting Black candidates
  • Developing an organizational JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) statement to guide Blue Sky's racial equity work
  • Continue to educate youth leaders on racial equity through our Outdoor Leadership Institute, which brings together a diverse group of high school students to participate in an immersive outdoor expedition and engages group in difficult conversations about race in our city

Please join our journey in learning by checking out the resources listed below on how to be an anti-racist ally, in the outdoors and beyond:

  1. "Whiteness in the Outdoors" ally guide compiled by BIPOC leaders
  2. "Five Ways To Make The Outdoors More Inclusive" article
  3. "75 Things White People Can Do For Racial Justice" article
  4. "Don’t Talk about Implicit Bias Without Talking about Structural Racism" article
  5. "How Black Lives Matter And Environmental Justice Are Connected" video interview with Leah Thomas
  6. "I’m a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet." article from Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson