When I moved to Seattle 24 years ago to start what became Grist, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. It was only through the support of generous mentors over the years — in the worlds of journalism, environmentalism, justice, nonprofit governance, and on and on — that Grist came into being and thrived.
Now, in my own little way, I’m doing my best to support and get behind up-and-comers, in the spirit of “each one, teach one,” as described by Moses Wamalwa of Action for the Climate Emergency.
This month, Fix published an entire series dedicated to this very subject. The Mentorship Issue explores the power of such guiding friendships in climate and justice work, and the way traditional, institutional models of mentor–mentee are changing, and must change, to upend exclusionary power structures.
“Climate and justice work is not a solo endeavor,” writes Jess Stahl, Fix’s editor of creative storytelling. “It’s our relationships that support us and build us up and inspire us. It’s role models and elders and friends who help us find our own paths, keep us on them when things are hard, and give us hope when things look dark.”
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