This past year has been a difficult one for many movements and communities, particularly those at the intersection of environmental and racial justice. Despite the setbacks and barriers, our Color of Water community continued their work in the water, environmental, and climate sectors. Join us in honoring their leadership!
If you’re new here, the Color of Water is a network of water experts of color working across the United States. Get to know the community by visiting our directory and reach out if you’re looking for a spokesperson or speakers!
Ten Media moments for the Color of Water community
Members secured high-impact coverage across national and local outlets. Visit the News section of our website to see all the stories. Here are some of the highlights:
- John Echohawk (Native American Rights Fund) on the impact of federal funding freezes for Tribal Nations: “What Trump’s funding freeze could mean for universities, nonprofits and more” (Associated Press)
- Dr. Angela Chalk (Healthy Community Services) on nature-based solutions in New Orleans: Fighting Louisiana Floodwaters With Patches of Green (The New York Times)
- Newsha Ajami (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) on the impact of the Los Angeles fires on water quality: L.A. fires may have brought cancer-causing chemicals into drinking water (The Washington Post)
- Jeremy Orr (Earthjustice) on federal clean water rollbacks: “Stripping clean water protections harms everyone” (The Conversation)
- Keiko Wilkins (University of Hawai’i Mānoa) on microplastics and coral reefs: Microplastics and pollutants disrupt threatened coral recovery (Oceanographic Magazine)
- Michael Méndez (University of California, Irvine) on the impact of climate change on LGBTQ+ communities: “Out in the Storm” (Inside Climate News)
- Carolan Sonderegger (For Love of Water) on investing in Michigan’s water infrastructure: “It’s time to invest in Michigan’s water systems” (Detroit News)
- Pablo Ortiz (Union of Concerned Scientists) on AI’s environmental toll: “AI’s hidden water cost” (The Equation)
- Huda Alkaff (Green Muslims) on lead pipe replacement: “Wisconsin leads in lead pipe removal” (The Cap Times)
- Arsum Pathak (National Wildlife Federation) on community-led climate resilience: “Community-led solutions in Galveston” (Texas Living Waters)
Water experts recognized for thought leadership
Color of Water members were recognized for their leadership in their communities and across the country. Check out the highlights across different sectors:
- Charming Evelyn (OceanWell Water) was named on the 2025 Grist 50 List
- Cheyenne Holliday (Verde) was selected as Vice Chair of the Oregon Environmental Restoration Fund, created from a historic Monsanto settlement
- Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš (Azul) received the 2025 Latino Spirit Award for Achievement in Environmental Justice by the California Latino Legislative Caucus
- Heather Tanana (University of California, Irvine) received the Utah State Bar Indian Law Section’s 2025 Award of Excellence for her in support of Tribal Nations
- Marccus Hendricks (University of Maryland, College Park) received the Young, Gifted & Green 40 under 40 Award for his contributions to environmental justice through STEM and social justice
- Ayanna Jolivet McCloud (Bayou City Waterkeeper) was named as one of the 2025 Texas Women in Conservation Terry Hershey Award honorees
- Crystal Davis (National Parks Conservation Association) was named in the 50 Top Women Leaders in Ohio
Strengthening the Color of Water community voice
At the beginning of the year, we published a statement affirming our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as we remain dedicated to advancing environmental justice. This summer, members participated in the CoW Summer Series, building connections, developing ideas, and exchanging resources as water leaders.
This year, we launched the Color of Water video library featuring our members recorded on panels, interviews, and more. We also launched the Color of Water blog to uplift members and the community featuring content such as this interview with Dr. Arsum Pathak.
We continued to record and publish interviews in collaboration with waterloop. The newest additions span Eco-Islam, water solutions in Houston and the Great Lakes, and reviving ancestral waters. Catch up with the waterloop Color of Water series this end of the year!
As always, we frequently spotlight #ColorOfWater members across all our socials; check it out on LinkedIn and Bluesky (and follow our CoW Bluesky list)!
For #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth, we're celebrating #ColorOfWater member Briana Muñoz! She supports water treatment projects at Pacific Coast Carbon & wrote Matriarchy: Sacred Poems to honor Mother Earth. See her profile: colorofwater.waterhub.org/experts/bria... More experts at colorofwater.info
— Water Hub (@waterhub.bsky.social) November 26, 2025 at 4:45 PM
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What’s next?
We will continue to build on our efforts next year to uplift and strengthen Color of Water members’ work. If you need an expert to interview, for your event, or to inform an article, check out the directory here. Know someone who would be a good fit? They can register here.
