EJA was founded in Spring 2019, branching out of AS Environmental Affairs Board, to create a space for students of color who usually do not feel welcomed in environmental-related organizations on campus since the environmental movement has been historically exclusive. This feeling of exclusion and discouragement further brought us together to create a community that has the capacity to advocate for environmental and social justice locally, nationally, and globally and have representation in the policy-making processes that affect their livelihoods. Our mission is to create a safe space for SoC, community building with other organizations, and inclusion of overlooked issues. Environmental justice is about building and maintaining meaningful relationships with those who tend to be left out of these conversations. With this Mission Statement:
The mission of the People of Color Environmental Coalition is to establish the groundwork for UCSB to become a national leader in environmental justice. The Coalition will work towards creating a larger representation of the issue of, and issues involving, environmental justice on campus by deepening the connection between UCSB’s undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff. This will be accomplished through a series of meetings in which members begin reexamining and identifying areas to introduce the environmental justice curriculum and work towards the creation of UCSB’s People of Color Environmental Collective.
EJA’s founders were Cynthia Torres, Matthew Campa.
Since then, though name change and different modifications have been made to improve EJA in this ever-growing context, the core values and mission have been fundamental.