For Diamond Spratling, her interest in environmental change started in her youth after watching a heart-tugging commercial about saving polar bears from climate change.
“That was really my very first exposure to the environment, aside from just being a kid who loved being outdoors. I was curious about climate, and that transcended into a career,” Spratling shares with BrownStyle Magazine via Zoom, adding she later attended environmental science classes in high school. “I was the only Black girl in the class. I really liked studying it, and I was like, ‘wow, I can do this for a career.’”
And she did! For over a decade, Spratling has been involved in the environmental justice movement. As a two-time TEDx speaker and the founder of the national nonprofit Girl + Environment, Spratling has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to ensure Black and Brown women have a seat at the table in the fight for energy and climate equity.
“Girl + Environment is a national nonprofit that I created back in 2019, which was essentially created to get more Black and Brown women to take climate and environmental action within their own communities. Today, we have a member base of over 700 members in 35 different states across the US,” she shares, noting it is important for us all to get involved in a topic that impacts all our health and our well-being.
Adventure With A Purpose
Growing up as a Black girl in Detroit, Spratling found that the language of environmentalism didn’t always translate to the dinner table. When she tried to talk to her family about climate change, the connection wasn’t there.
Hoping to change that narrative, Spratling decided to write Sage Sails the World (Buy On Amazon), a children’s book that follows a young girl named Sage and her faithful dog, Benji, as they embark on an epic journey to confront the direct impact of a warming planet on polar bear habitats. (To bring this world to life, Spratling collaborated with professional illustrator Amna Zaki.)
“It came from my childhood and how I felt as a little Black girl with curly hair and lots of curiosity,” Spratling shares when asked what the inspiration behind the book was. “I just always loved the name, Sage. I always said that if I were to have a daughter one day, I would love to name her Sage.”
Building The Next Wave Of Leaders
For parents who want to support their children’s interest in the environment, Spratling suggests finding resources that will help them learn and grow.
“There are STEM programs all over where you can learn about so much! There are also organizations that teach about nature and the outdoors through fun activities,” she shares. “It’s important to be a supportive system to our youth and help them realize that there are people who look like them who are doing this work too. Representation is important.”
When asked what Sage would say to the next generation of activists, she simply says, “Sage would say you can do anything you put your heart into. It doesn’t matter where you come from or what obstacles you go through; you can do it! That was something that my mom instilled in me. I think that is a lot of how I got to where I am today.”
Spratling’s second book, Sage Sails the World: A Little Girl’s Journey across The Great Barrier Reef, is currently available for pre-order. “Sage is going to be sailing all over, so it’ll be a great opportunity to continue advocating for climate action,” she tells us with excitement. “I’m excited to share the second volume with all the kids!”
Discovering Work-Life Balance
Although Spratling admits she is still navigating work-life balance, she has made a few shifts in her life to ensure she lives her soft life with intention.
“Building an organization from the ground up, I have not been the best at taking care of myself, but I’ve been more adamant about it, because I have to. If I’m not energized, if I’m not okay, then none of the other work is going to happen. So, I actually took my very first sabbatical last October. I took a 21-day sabbatical and now, I can’t see life without it,” she shares with a chuckle. “I will be doing it every year! I came back so refreshed. I felt so whole and ready to get back into the work. And it was just the most beautiful experience that I’ve ever had.”
When she’s not working, the author enjoys taking daily walks for at least an hour. “I noticed that my time outdoors is something that means a lot to me. And just because I’m behind the desk all the time doesn’t mean that I don’t deserve to be outside. Even if I have to be on a call, I can take a call while I’m walking. Just get out and walk. It has been really great for both my mental and my physical health. That’s one of the things that I do often.”
Last Thoughts
When asked what words she wants people to be left with, she responds with intention: “Everyone is an environmentalist. I created this space because I want all of us to know that this work does impact us. It impacts our health, our well-being, and our ability to go outside and to keep walking every single day.”
Editor’s Note: This story has been edited and condensed for clarity.
