Recap of Earthtones 2024: Cultivating Connections
By Aiyana Washington and Ella Norman
Earthtones was first dreamt up as a capstone project in 2018. Darel Scott and Stephanie Fischer co-founded Earth in Color alongside a team of other students of color, including John Zhao, Amulya Yerrapotu, Paloma Hernandez, Katie Lan, Kendall Burkins, and Indya McGuffin. They had a vision to create a festival that gathered people around the goal of decolonizing our relationship with Earth Day and honoring the cultural ties between Black and Indigenous people and the environment. Thus the first Earthtones (originally known as Earth in Color, a name that lives on through the Black-led creative studio founded by Darel in 2019) was born.
The festival since has morphed into an annual, student-led environmental justice arts festival that aims to reimagine our relationship with the natural world. Celebrating the connection between people of color and the environment–and honoring the relentless and long-standing contributions that communities of color have made to movements toward liberation and just climate futures–the festival highlights environmental justice activism and artistry through speakers, live performances, workshops, book raffles, and a student art gallery. Earthtones takes place on the O’Donohue Family Farm in the spring and is often the first time that many community members spend time on the farm.
The legacy of Earthtones has evolved with each new year and each new group of passionate students guiding its mission. In 2020, for instance, Earthtones members created a virtual zine to honor the festival during our time of isolation.
Last year’s festival (Earthtones 2023: (Re)envisioning Our Future) was a 7-hour affair on Earth Day that gathered over 450 people around the mission of envisioning a sustainable future through challenging the systems that perpetuate injustice, colonialism, and discrimination.
This year’s festival was held on Sunday, April 21st from 11am to 4:30pm. Centered on Cultivating Connections, the event invited the Stanford and Bay Area community to engage with speaker panels on youth organizing, view student art and performances, and to enjoy catered vegan food. The day ended with a set from Luna Luna, the headlining musician.
Below are some highlights from Earthtones 2024:
Speakers
The day started off with a keynote speech from educator, activist, and storyteller Isaias Hernandez (Queer Brown Vegan), who spoke about their journey creating an online platform that elevates environmental justice issues.
Earthtones 2024 also featured two panels: Climate Activism on Campus, featuring speakers from Fossil Free Stanford and Coalition for a True School of Sustainability, and The Role of Youth in Environmental Justice, featuring speakers from Vida Verde and Youth Climate Collective.
Tabling
Over a dozen student organizations and community partners, including the Stanford Native Plants Garden, Stanford Housing Justice Working Group, and Climate Resilient Communities tabled throughout the day.
Student Art
Student art exploring environmental justice issues and students’ connections with the environment was displayed in Huffington Barn.
Performances
Earthtones 2024 featured performances from Talisman, Cardinal Calypso and Noopur. Additionally, Earthtones partnered with Stanford Concert Network this year to bring in Luna Luna.
Workshops
Workshops are always a highlight of Earthtones! This year, attendees could choose from a wide range of workshops, including flower crown making, screenprinting, and tea making. Attendees could also attend a workshop on sustainable fashion, hosted by Coachtopia, or a workshop on Environmental Justice in the Middle East. A clothing swap also took place throughout the day.
Earthtones carves out space for our communities at Stanford and beyond to critically consider what we envision a just world to be: one where all people have the right and access to a safe, healthy, and thriving environment. You can keep up with Earthtones on Instagram at @stanford_earthtones.
