9 Of Your Favorite Celebrities Who Are Protecting The Environment

If you search “Black Celebrity Environmental Activists” on Google, your search results will probably show the same white faces (likely some permutation of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Dr. Jane Goodall) for at least the first three pages of results. Those with the patience to continue onto page four will see smatterings of Ellen Page and maybe a single black or brown face. This is puzzling both because proximity to slaves in Django Unchained has yet to make DiCaprio black, and communities of color are more acutely affected by environmental disasters than their white counterparts.

Numerous studies have highlighted the existence of considerable racial bias in Google’s search algorithms, so we know better than to think that Black celebrities are ignoring environmental issues. Here is just a small list of Black celebrities who are using their money and influence to make the world a better, greener place.

1. Akon

Most millennials think of Akon nostalgically as an enduring part of the 2000s R&B soundscape, but more recently, he has been an influential entrepreneur, focusing heavily on green initiatives. In 2014, the Senegalese singer started Akon Lighting Africa, a solar energy program aiming to bring electricity to different countries throughout the continent. As of 2015, Akon Lighting Africa has raised over a billion dollars, which has been used to provide electricity to 14 African countries, while also providing over 5,000 jobs for local residents. Akon has also started a Solar Academy in Mali, which was announced at the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Forum, that intends to give African engineers and entrepreneurs the skills necessary to develop and maintain solar energy grids.

2. Don Cheadle

Despite his portrayal of War Machine in the Avengers series, Don Cheadle spends most of his time as an advocate for peace. In 2010, he was named the UN Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador. Cheadle has used his acting experience to increase public awareness of present crises created by climate change. He hosted an episode of the Showtime series, Years Living Dangerously, in which he interviewed people living in the southwest United States to show the effects of worsening drought in the region.

Youtube | The YEARS project

3. Jaden Smith

The Flint water crisis is an ongoing reminder of how negligent environmental policies and oversight can have disastrous effects on poor communities of color. Jaden Smith, however, has been a fervent celebrity ally for the drinking water activists in Flint. He’s been assisting the First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church's water distribution program by donating a Water Box filtration unit, following Michigan State’s end of its water bottle distribution activities. The Water Box, which can filter over ten gallons of water every minute, is a smaller version of the filtration system used by JUST Water, the bottled water company owned by the Smith family.

4. John Legend

Several musical artists have used tours as platforms to highlight a variety of social issues, but John Legend was one of the first of a growing number of musical artists to have his tour designed with climate in mind. In 2009, Legend first partnered with REVERB, an environmental non-profit, to make his Evolver Tour as carbon neutral as possible. This included having the hotels and venues provide environmentally-conscious products and services. When the Evolver Tour concluded and its carbon footprint was calculated, Legend invested in wind farms and other environmental projects to compensate for the residual carbon footprint of his tour.

5. Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o’s dedication to her craft as an actress and varied social activism has allowed her to develop a relatively private reputation as a conservationist. In 2015, she was named the WildAid Global Elephant Ambassador, becoming a fierce advocate against the global ivory trade. While her work has concentrated mostly on conservation efforts in Africa, she has also been critical of international economies that do little to stem the demand for elephant ivory. Nyong’o was involved in the production (and narration) of My Africa, a documentary portraying the benefits of conservation and how people can be more engaged in conservation efforts. My Africa debuted at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival.

YouTube | Conservation International

6. Megan Thee Stallion

Every few weeks, an article gets published that criticizes the value of #hashtagactivism, but there are millennial artists who create tangible social good from Twitter posts. About two weeks ago, Megan Thee Stallion used Twitter to organize a beach cleanup event with her fans in Santa Monica. She’s also planning to do subsequent cleanup events (the next one taking place in Houston). In addition to her cleanup events, Stallion has also been using her Twitter account to crowdsource sustainable habits and encourage her fans to be more environmentally conscious.

Hey Hotties these are a few things I’m starting today ! If you’re already an eco friendly hottie please comment more ways to help ???? pic.twitter.com/rc2eSooR2z

— HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) June 1, 2019

7. Rihanna

The fact that Rihanna is on this list is confirmation that she has quite literally every job. Beyond her work as a recording artist, Barbados' Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and founder of Fenty Beauty, Rihanna has also been working on climate-related disaster prevention. While most environmental initiatives are focusing on climate change prevention and mitigation, The Clara Lionel Foundation, which was founded by Rihanna, has been working on modernizing disaster preparedness measures for regions most susceptible to climate change-related natural disasters. In June 2018, the foundation announced that it had created a $25 million philanthropic fund to coincide with the beginning of hurricane season.

8. Rosario Dawson

Often environmental activists approach fashion sustainability from the perspective of animal cruelty, but Rosario Dawson has been addressing the human impacts of sustainability and fashion. Dawson, along with Abrima Erwiah, started Studio 189 to create sustainable clothing, while also supporting local textile economies in Accra, Ghana. Studio One Eighty Nine works to provide job access to many women in Ghana, while also minimizing package waste streams that can lead to dangerous flooding and toxic pollution. Beyond her work in sustainable fashion, Dawson has also worked with littering and recycling campaigns locally by advocating for more mindful recycling during SodaStream’s first “Unbottle the World Day."

9. SZA

Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) has some of the most prolific and critically-acclaimed musicians in Hip Hop and R&B right now, but it has also had some of the most socially active voices in music. Among her label mates, SZA is unique in her unmistakable environmental activism. In 2018, SZA announced on Instagram that she would be starting a sustainable clothing line, in which 100% of the profits would be donated to ocean cleanup and sustainability efforts. This fashion line will be in partnership with Champion, and clothes and shoes will be manufactured from recycled material.

While the line has not officially been released yet, you can follow Ctrl Fishing Company and stay tuned for updates.

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