"It seemed like a high-profile opportunity to lead an influential environmental group's ambitious new push for green energy financing. And so, in May 2023, Pedro da Silva joined the Sierra Club Foundation, the charitable arm for the nonprofit started by naturalist John Muir. A former investment management professional, da Silva directed its Shifting Trillions program that aimed to move major banks' investments away from the fossil fuel industry and towards climate solutions."
"As institutions grappled with their perpetuation of white supremacy, the club apologized for its founder's racist views and vowed to hire more diverse staff. But da Silva says the foundation's commitments to racial justice did not extend internally. In a wrongful termination suit filed Thursday in California state court, the 29-year-old former employee alleges that normal workplace interactions got twisted into an unfair harassment complaint that leaned on racist stereotypes about predatory Black men."
Pedro da Silva joined the Sierra Club Foundation in May 2023 to lead the Shifting Trillions program, aiming to move major banks' investments from fossil fuels to climate solutions. The Sierra Club placed greater emphasis on environmental justice after George Floyd's murder, apologized for founder John Muir's racist views, and pledged to hire more diverse staff. Da Silva alleges those commitments did not apply internally and filed a wrongful termination suit in California, claiming routine workplace interactions were reframed as harassment using racist stereotypes about predatory Black men and that his firing was retaliation for complaints about discrimination and lack of diversity. The organization also faced budget shortfalls, layoffs, and the ouster of former executive director Ben Jealous amid staff accusations and claims of racial retaliation.
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