If you’re like most Black/melanated folks, celebrating Earth Day growing up was right up there with camping: it just wasn’t something we did. As a popular camping meme says, “We have a house. We sleep inside of that.”
But just like more and more People of Color are heading outsiiiiiiide (in nature and tents, not just brunches, beaches and yacht parties), more People of Color should feel empowered and know the importance of increasing our awareness about the state of the planet as well. And that’s what Earth Day is all about.
Here’s the tea: according to National Geographic, Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement while also raising awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 in the United States, and on either April 22 or the day the spring equinox occurs throughout the rest of the world.
The best part about April 22? Honoring Earth Day is a total freestyle; it can come in a variety of forms! To find out how you can get involved, just Google “Earth Day 2023” and the name of your city. From summits and festivals, to community clean-up initiatives, to plant yoga events, there are a plethora of ways to get out, explore, celebrate and appreciate nature on Earth Day.
If getting out isn’t an option, educating yourself about what’s happening to our beautiful home counts too— for example, Apple TV is streaming a documentary entitled “Big Beasts” that features some of the world’s most massive species filmed across 17 countries, “including the gray whale, the elephant seal, the giant otter, the gorilla, the hippo, the brown bear, the ostrich, the orangutan, the tiger, and the polar bear.” How cool is that?
And if you’re wondering who else gone be there, we will! In fact, sustainability is a huge part of how and why Zigleys luxury hair adornments Founder Daria Dana chose the manufacturing methods and materials that she did. While the original idea has always been about honoring ourselves and the richness of Black history, how can we do that if we’re not first respectfully acknowledging the home we all share, source of the very materials we adorn our crowns with?
Dana has done this by being acutely aware of the impact that fast fashion and over-consumption has had on our beautiful planet. She is committed to being part of the solution instead of the problem. By creating upscale jewelry designs that are only made from durable 18k yellow gold and ethically-sourced stones, customers who choose to wear Zigleys are customers who are invested in saving the planet from more waste from low-quality broken hair trinkets.
The United Nations recently shared that warmer temperatures over time are “changing weather patterns and disrupting the usual balance of nature. This poses many risks to human beings and all other forms of life on Earth.” Other side effects of climate change include increased drought, a warming, rising ocean, loss of species, not enough food and the list goes on.
You’re probably wondering, well dang, y’all layin it on thick. What can I do about the planet warming? I’m just one person.
So good of you to ask!
Luckily, it took a collective effort for us to get here, so that means through collective effort, we can get out of this mess. And little ol’ you is more powerful than you know. Just look at our Founder, Daria Dana. She saw a problem and went about fashioning a solution. Voila: Zigleys was born and now Black folks can walk around with actual gold all up in our heads; no more fake, tin foil-y stuff that ends up slowly breaking down in landfills and on trash barges in the ocean.
One of the most impactful things you can do is be a more conscious consumer. Use your spending power to make it clear to our government what you think about how they’re prioritizing climate change. When you can, invest in quality items that will last for years and stay out of landfills. Support companies that champion sustainable products and missions. Thrift. Shop vintage.
Your journey to investing in the planet can start here: explore our Premier Collection to find natural hair jewelry piece(s) that are designed to last.