Acknowledgement
We are grateful to live and work in the homelands of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, and many other tribes. We are here and we continue to benefit because these people were forcibly and inhumanely removed from their land.
Jamie Stamberger and Stamberger Outreach Consulting acknowledge the systemic oppression and inequity that is ingrained and continues to manifest in our national financial, health care, governance, education, and justice systems, among others. This oppression and inequity exist in both the environmental conservation movement and the US agricultural system, for example: the genocide of Indigenous people and the taking of Indigenous land under the auspices of conservation and agriculture; that communities of color bear disproportionately negative impacts of water and air pollution, land contamination, and hazardous waste; and that farmers of color have faced decades of discrimination and unequal access to agricultural land, capital and programmatic support enjoyed by white farmers. Jamie Stamberger acknowledges her privilege as a white person in a society designed to benefit white people at the expense of people of color.
Commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
Jamie Stamberger and Stamberger Outreach Consulting believe that environmental protection and healthy food systems are realized only when all people have equitable access to the benefits of that protection and health. Stamberger Outreach Consulting is committed to community engagement and research that seeks to undo systems of oppression and inequity. At Stamberger Outreach, we apply an equity lens to our work that centers on race. The concept of intersectionality shows us that people of color in all oppressed groups fare worse than white people in those same groups. We focus on race because we believe that a focus on undoing racial disparities will benefit all oppressed people. Some of the social justice principles we bring to our work include:
- Recognize and relinquish white privilege by taking a back seat to Black, Indigenous, and other people of color
- Include individual reflection in each program and project: reflect on personal privilege, power, and implicit bias; own and confront mistakes; invite discomfort; stay curious; be humble; listen
- Challenge white dominant culture in programs and practices. Work with fellow white people to deepen DEI understanding and skills and apply them to partnerships and programs
- Partner with community and culturally appropriate organizations that have existing relationships with communities, and fairly compensate these partners for their time and effort
- Involve communities in all aspects of the research process, including design, implementation, evaluation, and adaptive management
- Obtain informed consent from community members who participate in research projects
- Provide compensation and other benefits to community members who participate in research
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