Thinking green: Be a friendly bulldog

Monroe Gilmour; photo by F.M. Martin

Monroe Gilmour is a community activist based in Black Mountain.

What issue or event drew you into community organizing?

Having worked mostly with service-oriented nonprofits (CARE and Peace Corps in Lesotho and India), I became motivated, in 1984, to shift my emphasis to structural change. Thus, I was the first staff person for Knoxville-based Solutions, working on low-wealth and racial discrimination issues.

After moving here, the city of Asheville began, in 1987, clear-cutting its 22,000-acre water source near our home. I got involved and applied the same methodology we used in Knoxville. We stopped it, twice, in 1989 and again in 2002. I came to realize that social justice and environmental organizing are one in the same. In fact, one is often challenging the same organizations, even the same people. “Well, duh!” Yes, but I’m glad I gained that understanding.

How has environmental activism changed since you first became involved?

Back in the 1980s, one could feel a bit alone. I remember the chair of the water authority erupting into anger when the mayor introduced me to him, flinging his arm out and yelling, “Nobody’s going to listen to you, you’ll just be dismissed as a troublemaker.”

Today, that would not happen so overtly — plus, society is much more attuned to and engaged with environmental issues that affect both the environment and the people impacted. That reality makes our struggles easier in some respects but harder in others.

One other crucial change is the presence of social media and the many ways those platforms can be used to further a cause.

Looking back, what advice would you give yourself regarding environmental activism?

I would, first, get myself more quickly oriented to the social justice/environmental justice unified challenge we all face. I would also advise myself that I was on the right track employing basic community organizing principles and methodology as laid out in the Midwest Academy’s Organizing for Social Change. Key is to listen, work closely with the people most impacted and be persistent yet respectful. Model the change you want to see. Be a friendly bulldog.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

3 thoughts on “Thinking green: Be a friendly bulldog

  1. John Penley

    Any comment on the Stop Cop City shooting and killing of a Forest defender by police , protesters still being held without bail and the ongoing movement to stop this project in Atlanta ?

  2. John Penley

    I , also , would like to suggest that you look into the safety of and possible hazardous materials carried by freight trains coming through Asheville and other areas of Western NC,

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.