Hi hello!! My name is Nancy Delgado, and I’m a senior Film & Media Studies major and Sociology minor from Los Angeles, CA. This spring semester, I had the privilege of being welcomed as a remote media production intern at Intersectional Environmentalist (IE), a grassroots organization that centers the importance of intersectionality in conversations around environmental activism to ensure the protection of all people and the planet.
Oftentimes, when talking about the climate crisis, marginalized groups who disproportionately reap the whirlwind of such pressing matters are excluded from conversations on justice; however, by highlighting how *insert topic here* overlaps with environmental activism, IE facilitates access to discourse on a subject that may appear intimidating. Frankly, the latter might only apply to me, and is admittedly one of several reasons why I never felt compelled to take an environmental studies class at Whitman. Since the start of my internship, though, I don’t necessarily believe I may have missed out on much; quite the contrary!
From the very first day, I was allowed to help with significant projects, while also being provided sufficient space and guidance to develop my own (more on this later!). To start, I caught the tail end of experiencing the creation of The Intersectional History of Environmentalism, a 15-minute long educational video that wonderfully encapsulates diverse identities and experiences in the fight for climate justice. Responsible for liaising with the research team and media production team, I was primarily tasked with sourcing assets to provide a robust selection of visuals, whether actual images or clips. Being immersed in research I hadn’t exactly done previously made environmental studies less intimidating, and consequently more inviting. Aside from re-watching the aforementioned video far too many times than I’ll ever dare admit, I began to wonder how my own interests and passions could fit in conjunction with environmental activism. After all, when my search for internships on urban studies proved futile, I’d ventured out to what may have seemed a bit far-fetched then: cold calling (actually, more like cold emailing and DMing) places I admired that would expectantly be happy to have some help. Fortunately, IE was willing to have me on board.
Soon, information on urban matters I had independently studied under the wise counsel of Professor Janning during the Fall 2020 semester started to manifest in the work I was doing with IE. For instance, while I had previously explored gentrification and its effects in metropolitan areas– especially in light of COVID-19– somehow, my work with IE led me to discovering a new concept: green gentrification, which refers to the process of beautifying once rundown communities with green amenities, like trees, with the goal of attracting wealthier residents. The idea of nature being a privilege, and not a right, exposes flaws within environmental circles; organizations like IE and others alike are therefore fundamental to further advocating for inclusivity that is currently lacking at large
Lastly, as of today, I am finalizing my independent project for IE. For my own sake, I began further research on an intriguing topic that was introduced in my Global Migration politics class taught by Professor Bobrow-Strain: climate migration. Academia is unfortunately fixed to function as a gatekeeper instead of a gateway for crucial information; nevertheless, as a firm believer in the democratization of knowledge, sharing what I learn in class and outside with those not within these spaces has become my most meaningful activity. As such, hopefully my internship project will be able to communicate a bit of what I have learned– on the relationship between climate change and the politics of human migration– to a much larger audience using IE’s platform.
For digestible information on all things intersectional, social and environmental activism, stay tuned @intersectionalenvironmentalist and their webpage.
* P.s., Despite being virtual, casual “I Eat” team hangouts on Friday’s have facilitated connecting with colleagues across the nation. IE’s immensely talented and inspiring leaders (in addition to the overall vibes!) are insanely wonderful! I highly recommend reaching out to me or IE if interning with this organization using the Whitman Internship Grant sounds appealing.
Experiences like Nancy‘s are made possible by the Whitman Internship Grant, which provides funding for students to participate in unpaid internships at both for-profit and non-profit organizations. We are happy to be sharing blog posts from students who were supported by either a summer, fall, spring, or year-long Whitman Internship Grant at organizations, businesses, and research labs all around the world. To learn how you could secure a Whitman Internship Grant or host a Whitman intern at your organization, click here or contact Assistant Director for Internship Programs Mitzy Rodriguez