Healing the effects of racism and colonization in communities of color has been the focus of April’s work and passion. Since 2007, April has supported hundreds of organizations in advancing racial equity initiatives through her role as a facilitator and consultant. She specializes in building liberated organizations that utilize equitable decision-making and power-sharing practices. April has supported multiple environmental justice organizations across the U.S. in utilizing these methods to advance the health of communities of color.
April Nishimura is the co-executive director of Together Rising as an Environmental Community, an organization that supports hundreds of environmental organizations along the West Coast of North America. Her work focuses on healing the effects of colonization on our relationship with Mother Nature and with each other. She focuses on supporting Indigenous land management and building stronger partnerships between Indigenous and settler organizations.
April draws on her diverse background as a former labor organizer and community organizer for LGBTQ BIPOC communities, as well as her work in the movement to end domestic violence and the environmental sector to inform her work. Previously, she has developed curriculum and trainings at University of Washington and Brandeis University on understanding and dismantling racism.
April currently co-facilitates the Environmental Capacity Builders Network and is a board member of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), an international human-rights organization, where she co-founded the Diversity, Equity and Justice Taskforce.
