The number of trees planted by women in Kenya since 1977 as part of a movement started by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai (1940-2011).
Numbers in the News: Black History Month
A celebration of Black leaders who work to protect the environment
GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES (MAATHAI); KEN STOCKPHOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (TREES)
51 MILLION
COURTESY OF JOHN FRANCIS
22 YEARS
The number of years John Francis traveled only by foot after witnessing an oil spill in 1971. He didn’t ride in a gas-powered vehicle again until 1994.
$361,629
COURTESY OF JOHN FRANCIS (FRANCIS); ASTRID STAWIARZ/GETTY IMAGES FOR SHORTY AWARDS
The amount of money raised by 13-year-old Mari Copeny from Flint, Michigan, to provide water filters to U.S. communities, like hers, that lack access to clean drinking water.
2009
WDC PHOTOS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO
The year Lisa P. Jackson became the first Black person to head the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
THINK ABOUT IT: Research one of the people above. What else have they achieved? What challenges did they overcome to reach these goals?
SOURCES: THE GREEN BELT MOVEMENT, PLANETWALK.ORG, MARICOPENY.COM, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Skills Sheets
(1)
Lesson Plan
(1)
Text-to-Speech