1970 was pivotal in America’s relationship with sustainability and earth preservation. Earth Day was created on April 22, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established on Dec. 2, 1970. Since this time, pervasive movements have centered around how people can intentionally preserve the planet by reducing trash, reusing materials, and recycling products to be repurposed. But if you were to talk to many members of the Black community, these practices have been a staple in Black households for decades. While sustainability is making waves through the popular halls of society, the concept is not new for those deeply associated with Black culture. From the reuse of everyday items to the current display of being plant parents, Black people from across the diaspora have been tapping into innovative and natural ways to keep the world “green” before it was ever an official thing. Plant enthusiast and Memphis, TN, resident Eso Tolson reflected on many green moments he...

Seeing residents from your area and the community itself thrive is what majority of people dream for. However, what ultimately makes that dream a reality is being right at the frontline for change. It’s the premise for what Broccoli City has been building in being a part of raising awareness about sustainability in Black communities. Over ten years strong, the Black-owned social enterprise’s co-founders Brandon McEachern, Darryl Perkins, Jermon Williams, and Marcus Allen have brought over 20 million millennials and Gen Zers together for the cause of creating opportunities for progress through the heart of music, art, and social impact. The mission has birthed one of the nation’s biggest entertainment events: Broccoli City Festival. After briefly being placed on pause due to the pandemic, the Washington, D.C.-based music festival is back on May 7 and May 8 for its eighth annual event. Broccoli City Festival’s lineup features some of the DMV’s very own, including Wale, Ari Lennox, and...

There’s a growing movement of zero-waste grocery companies in America building toward a sustainable future that will ultimately eliminate packaging waste. Zero Grocery — the U.S.’s first online zero-waste grocery store which also happens to be Black-owned — has established this same goal to remove single-use plastics from our food system. Courtesy of Zero Grocery Aligned with their overall mission to prioritize a cleaner, healthier future, the e-commerce company announced today that they’ve successfully closed a $3 million seed round, raising their total capital to $4.7 million, a blog post reports . Funds from this round come from a large group of investors that include, but are not limited to — Marlon Nichols of MaC Venture Capital, Arlan Hamilton, City Light, Forward Venture Capital, Gaingels, Incite, Luma Launch, and 1984, who provided the biggest check of them all. Since Zero Grocery’s inception, founder Zuleyka Strasner has tirelessly championed the company’s sustainability...