ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on a small aspect of people of color environmental activism. It looks at the mobilization of people of color around environmental issues in the broader context of the history of the environmental movement. The chapter analyzes the similarities and differences between the larger environmental movement and people of color environmental groups. By the 1870s, environmental groups like the Appalachian Mountain Club were formed, and the transition from the premovement era (dominated by individual enthusiasts and scientific and technical professionals) to mass movement began to take shape. Environmentalists also had to shed the image of being merely birdwatchers, mountaineers, hunters, and anglers indulging their own interests with little concern for the public good. The environmental movement began to emerge from its stagnation during the 1950s—the number of groups formed during this decade was almost double that of the previous decade.
