Washington Conservation Action (WCA) is committed to amplifying the voices of our partners and of our communities. In that spirit, we are beginning a series of Q&A blogs featuring people and leaders connected to our organization from around the state.

The first in this series is with Jamika Scott (she/her). WCA in 2023 endorsed Scott for Tacoma City Council. She went on to win!

Born and raised in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood, Council Member Scott was elected to the Tacoma City Council for a 4-year term, representing the city’s District 3. In addition to serving the public, Council Member Scott is also a writer, filmmaker, and photographer. She has long experience in community organizing and in volunteering for cultural and community groups. In 2015, she co-founded the Tacoma Action Collective, with a mission to eliminate systemic oppression and structural violence while also empowering people to build. In various capacities, she is, or has been, involved with the Grand Cinema, the Tacoma Arts Commission, the Tacoma Public Library Foundation, and the Tacoma Tree Foundation. 

“Having her progressive voice on the City Council, having someone who was born and raised in Tacoma was not only necessary but essential,” says Joy Stanford, WCA’s political director. “Council Member Scott will work to make sure that all people are represented in Tacoma. She’ll work to address the hard issues as we move critical climate policy forward.”

You did not come to the city council by a traditional political route, starting as an organizer, running for a small office, then running for ever bigger offices and so on. You just jumped into the deep end. How did WCA’s endorsement impact your campaign? How did it help?

Washington Conservation Action’s endorsement helped to lend credibility to my campaign, especially as I was facing an establishment candidate. WCA is such a well-recognized organization with a tremendous reputation for good work that your endorsement helped the community see that I was serious about leading and moving our community forward on tough issues. Receiving support from WCA leaders, like Joy Stanford and Tony Ivey, who I look to as role models was just an absolute thrill and an honor that I greatly appreciated.  

Over the last decade, WCA has evolved. The organization understands that the systems that damage our planet also oppress people. Economic and environmental injustice. Systemic racism. Greed. Carbon pollution and all the issues that creates. These problems are all connected. 

What is your reaction to that statement? What does it look like for you and your constituents in Tacoma?

I absolutely agree with that statement. When you look at the history of our country, the deep-rooted connections between issues of environmental harm and social and economic inequities are clear. There are countless examples where marginalized communities, including people of color and indigenous communities, have been left to suffer the negative environmental impacts of greed and privilege.

While this phenomenon began long ago, it continues today, including through lasting generational impacts. We must commit ourselves now more than ever to centering equity in our environmental policies and practices. It is vital that we recognize that our complex environmental problems cannot be solved without progress dismantling racist structures and advancing social and economic justice.

I think we also need to do more to ensure our broader community is engaged in this work. We need a diversity of thought, perspective, and experiences to solve the problems we are up against today.

When I first started engaging in community organizing about a decade ago, some of the activists I worked with were focused on environmental justice. The problem at the time was that I never saw people who looked like me—a Black woman—in any of those groups. I also didn’t get the sense that my history or perspective was welcome or understood. For example, one environmental group chose the name, Redline Tacoma. The term “redline” is offensive to our Black community due to the racist historical social and economic policies referred to by this term, particularly relating to housing. These activists struggled to understand that their branding excluded people of color.

I do believe that Tacoma is a lot better now. The environmental justice movement has become more diverse and is focused on representing different age, gender, race, and income levels among our community members. But there is still work to do. If we are to achieve environmental justice, the piece about equity cannot get lost in all of it.

As we work toward a more just and less polluted world, we at WCA try to channel fierceness. It seems that you could give a master class in fierceness. What drives that passion and bravery?

Love. I put on a tough exterior. People will say, “Oh, you look mean!” but I was very much a kid who took on other people’s emotions. I don’t have any trouble putting myself in someone else’s shoes. But I have learned that passion and bravery need to come, first and foremost, from a place of appreciation for others. I had a teacher in school who had one rule: No one has the right to interfere with the learning, safety, or the well-being of another person. This sentiment has always resonated with me because I believe that if you commit yourself to putting love and consideration for others first, you will create a space where passion and bravery can truly inspire the community.

What is your favorite way to enjoy nature? 

My favorite way to enjoy nature is to be outside with a camera. I love taking photos outside either by myself or with friends. It forces me to see things differently and to slow down. It puts me in a place where I feel comfortable to wander and appreciate the peacefulness that nature brings to me. 

If you could write a letter to future generations about your work, what would it say?

Keep going and don’t forget to laugh. Life is full of challenges and without laughter, it is easy to get overwhelmed and lose the joy that a passion for change can bring to your life.

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Written by Heather Millar, Content Manager