When the transatlantic slave trade is brought up, we often discuss its human cost as it chartered one of the largest and most unthinkable systems of displacement and suffering. Although the natural focus is the resilience of the African diaspora, the brutality of this system has altered the state of the natural world as well. Birds, who are timeless symbols of freedom, also took the brunt of displacement by the same trade system that tore people from their lands.
The bird migration patterns were altered by the transatlantic slave trade. It’s not a phenomenon that we often speak of, but the human population was not only affected. In order for slave-driven agriculture to cultivate, ecosystems in West Africa and the Americas were destroyed. This resulted in the razing of wetlands and forests, thus shifting the migration routes. Ultimately, biodiversity was replaced with profit and species either were forced to adapt or die. For the African diaspora, the parallels are haunting.
But birds have always been a part of our lives. In West African traditions, birds serve as messengers between worlds, carrying spirits and wisdom. In the Americas, enslaved Africans incorporated birds into spiritual practices and folktales, transforming them into beings of resilience, resistance and the promise of coming back home. For example, there is the legend of “flying Africans,” where the enslaved grew wings and flew back to the Motherland. This was more than folklore, it was a declaration of freedom. Today, that symbolism lives on as we reclaim green spaces, demand access to nature and restore our bond to the land.
Our current ancestral bond has not completely gone to the wayside, but it has become heavily suppressed on top of generational disconnect. However, the forced disconnection didn’t end with slavery. Urbanization and environmental racism only deepened the wedge, leaving Black communities with fewer safe, welcoming spaces to connect with nature. As a result, many of us have been taught that nature isn’t ours, when in truth, it always has been. In addition, activities such as swimming, birdwatching and hiking weren’t made accessible to Black Americans until after the turn of the previous century.
However, waves are being created to make and maintain spaces for Black people to connect with nature once again. As climate change hastens and ecosystems reach a point of crisis, it’s imperative that we center Black and Indigenous voices in the environmental justice sector. We are not mere visitors to nature; we are its caretakers, its storytellers, its protectors. Our relationship with the land, sea and skies runs deep, long before slavery attempted to sever it. Our ancestors lived harmoniously with all elements of nature before the disruption and corruption of slavery, and we must continue to do so without being viewed under the lens of suspicion.
This just so happens to be the focus of the Howard University Green Coalition, Audubon’s 100th Campus Chapter. At Howard University, an institution built on the foundation of intellectual leadership, Black excellence and liberation, we have the unique opportunity to lead the charge for environmental advocacy. The Howard University Water Environmental Association, Howard University Halo Garden Club and Fostering Animal Understanding, Nurturing and Advocacy are all organizations that focus on sustainability, climate action, conservation and environmental justice at our university. By coming together, we aim to build a stronger and sustainable foundation of students who want to make Howard greener.
With students taking charge to lead the change for environmental advocacy, the HU Green Coalition aims to build a student-led movement that amplifies the voices of the Howard community as we face environmental injustice. Not only do we want to uphold a cultural legacy, but our coalition wants to reclaim our ancestral relationship to land, animals and water. As an historically Black college and university (HBCU), Howard is the perfect space for the discussion of the intersection of race, environment and history. As the next generation of scholars, activists and leaders, it’s our job to begin crafting solutions that center justice not only for the purpose of establishing green spaces, but building power.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.