In the United States, we celebrate February as Black History Month. Historian Carter G. Woodson founded the movement to celebrate Black History Month in 1926, in part to recognize and preservethe story and culture of Black Americans whose history and contribution to America at that time were largely ignored by mainstream American culture. Nearly 100 years later, there is near consensus among historians, and a majority of Americans, that you simply cannot understand the history of America without learning Black history.Historical inequity, in the form ofredlining and housing discrimination, have left black communities all over America at an outsized risk at beingaffected by climate change. Black Americans are also much more likely to live in communities withsignificant levels of air and water pollutionthat they themselves are not responsible for causing. This moment in history would make you think a bleak future lies ahead, but theBlack environmental activistsout doing the work to make their communities safer and stronger in the face of these difficult odds are an inspiring vision for what the future of environmentalism can and must be.While the events of 2020 taught us that America has a long way to go until it lives up to its own marketing material, in the words of FredrickDouglass "If there is no struggle, there is no progress." Global Inheritance will highlight a number of Black environmental organizations periodically throughout this February, and talk about the work these organizations are doing and how you can help support their efforts or get involved with them as a volunteer.Artwork by @designsbywestcoastsuma