Supporters rally as Ben Jealous challenges ouster from Sierra Club’s top post

By Deborah Bailey
AFRO Contributing Editor 

The Sierra Club, the oldest not-for-profit environmental organization, has fired Ben Jealous as its executive director. Jealous, a former Maryland gubernatorial candidate and director of the national NAACP, has vowed to fight the decision and has hired civil rights attorneys to represent him.

The Sierra Club’s Board of Directors made the unanimous decision on Aug. 11, after placing Jealous – its first Black executive director – on administrative leave for the month of July. 

Jealous’ two-year tenure with the organization became rocky shortly after he was hired in January 2023 to steer the organization out of a $40 million deficit. 

Jonathon Berman, chief communications officer for the Sierra Club, issued a statement via e-mail shortly after the board’s decision. “Following an extensive evaluation of his conduct, the board of directors unanimously voted to terminate Ben Jealous’ employment for cause,” Berman said. 

Jealous issued a statement Aug. 12 defending his work with the environmental rights organization and vowing to fight the board’s decision. 

“While I was recruited at a time of significant, diverse challenges for the club, I was able to create the most diverse leadership team in the club’s history. The board and I strengthened a weak financial base, crafted a progressive union contract, dramatically increased chapter directors in red states, and increased our advocacy capacity by building a stronger field department,” Jealous said. 

“I have begun the process to fight this decision. I am confident that we will prevail,” he added. 

The turbulence plaguing the Sierra Club started before Jealous’ arrival, said former Sierra Club board member Aaron Mair. Jealous was simply working to clean up the organization’s financial deficit, which meant reducing staff, a move that proved unpopular but necessary, according to Mair. 

“We called him to lead an organization that was already in trouble financially with a staff that had grown too large for its budget. And he went to work, to do what any capable executive director would do – ensure the organization’s fiscal stability,” said Mair who rotated off the national board prior to Jealous’ forced leave and firing. 

“Some board members wanted him to be more zealous in attacking Trump administration policies. He understood the issues at stake for the environmental community, and he also knew eliminating the Sierra Club’s significant deficit was job No. 1. He did the job that any skilled executive director would do,” said Mair. 

Other advocates, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, president and founder of the National Action Network, said the organization’s decision had “racial implications” and urged the Sierra Club to enter mediation with Jealous. 

“I am troubled by the Sierra Club’s manner in which they parted ways with Ben Jealous, a man who has carried himself with dedication, professionalism, and integrity in the time I have known him,” Sharpton said in comments posted on Instagram. “There are serious racial implications in firing a Black man of Ben’s caliber, in this fashion, at a time when diversity is under attack.” 

The civil rights leader offered himself as a potential mediator or suggested another trusted third party.

“Someone clearly must step in to bring a resolution to this issue,” he said. “I urge the Sierra Club to come to the table and put this chapter behind all of us.” 

William Moll, chair of the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club said that while the board’s decision may have been unanimous, there is great support for Jealous in chapters of the Sierra Club across the nation. 

“When Ben Jealous was hired, his first priority set by the Board was reducing the budget deficit,” said Moll. “Since the Sierra Club costs are driven primarily by salaries and benefits, that meant laying off people – apparently an unpleasant task that Ben was hired to do.” 

Katherine Egland, a national NAACP board member, offered her support in a statement saying, “I worked closely with Ben when he was at the N.A.A.C.P. and established our much-needed and long-overdue Environmental and Climate Justice civil rights initiative. I know him to be extremely sincere, committed, and smart, but open to listening and course correcting when needed.”