Overcoming racism in the twin spheres of conservation science and practice

Abstract

It is time to acknowledge and overcome conservation's deep-seated systemic racism, which has historically marginalized Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) communities and continues to do so. We describe how the mutually reinforcing ‘twin spheres’ of conservation science and conservation practice perpetuate this systemic racism. We trace how institutional structures in conservation science (e.g. degree programmes, support and advancement opportunities, course syllabuses) can systematically produce conservation graduates with partial and problematic conceptions of conservation's history and contemporary purposes. Many of these graduates go on to work in conservation practice, reproducing conservation's colonial history by contributing to programmes based on outmoded conservation models that disproportionately harm rural BIPOC communities and further restrict access and inclusion for BIPOC conservationists. We provide practical, actionable proposals for breaking vicious cycles of racism in the system of conservation we have with virtuous cycles of inclusion, equality, equity and participation in the system of conservation we want.

An antiracist, anticolonial agenda for urban greening and conservation

“…Despite a growing push for collaborative conservation, with local communities serving as key stakeholders in management decisions, racism and colonialism persist across multiple scales (Rudd et al., 2021). Around the world, racism operates in urban conservation through colonizing projects that have displaced and undermined livelihoods and divorced marginalized people of color from their history with the land (Brahinsky et al., 2014; Rasmussen & Lund, 2018).…”

“…Historical conservation practices have come under scrutiny recently for their role in perpetuating racism (i.e., the systematic oppression of racialized minorities) and colonialism (i.e., the seizure of land and power from, displacement of, and oppression of Indigenous people by White settlers; Rudd et al., 2021; Taylor, 2016). While social equity and justice research (meaning, the pursuit of equality of opportunity among those facing racism and discrimination) is expanding in the US conservation community (Chaudhury & Colla, 2020; Trisos et al., 2021), progress has been slow.…”

Reconceptualizing conservation

“…Relationships should be reciprocal, respectful, responsible, and engage enthusiastically with non-dominant knowledge systems [94]. Practitioners should reflect on trust, identity, and power dynamics among individuals when developing relationships for conservation [95], with specific attention given to systematic biases and historical exclusion [96][97]. Identifying the relationships between people and land is an important step for removing the separation between nature and human actions.…”

A Perspective on the Future of Studying the Commons

“…Inclusiveness also relates to the composition of the members of our community. Historical legacy has created roadblocks for a more diverse community and change is needed to remove those roadblocks (Rudd et al, 2021).…”