Arbor Day Foundation Statement on J. Sterling Morton

Arbor(ˈärbər) Day Foundation Statement on J. Sterling(ˈstərliNG) Morton(ˈmôrtn)

06/30/20

J. Sterling Morton, the founder of the Arbor Day holiday, was a vocal(ˈvōk(ə)l) anti-abolitionist(ˌabəˈliSHənəst) who held deeply flawed(flôd) beliefs regarding race(rās) and slavery(ˈslāv(ə)rē). The Arbor Day Foundation condemns(kənˈdem) those beliefs.

We have long embraced(əmˈbrās) diversity(dəˈvərsədē) and inclusion as core organizational values and know that upholding these ideals(īˈdē(ə)l) takes conscious and continuous work. Confronting(kənˈfrənt) Morton’s history, which is inextricably(ˌinəkˈstrikəblē) linked to our organization, is an important aspect of that work. We regret(rəˈɡret) not condemning(kənˈdem) Morton’s racist(ˈrāsəst) views earlier and we commit to addressing this issue with transparency(ˌtran(t)ˈsperənsē) moving forward. Our first step is to evaluate how to best offer an honest and uncompromising(ˌənˈkämprəˌmīziNG) portrayal(ˌpôrˈtrā(ə)l) of Morton’s history and how it intersects(ˌin(t)ərˈsekt) with that of the Arbor Day holiday, Nebraska(nəˈbraskə) City, and Nebraska.

In the past we have attributed the spirit(ˈspirit) of Arbor Day to Morton, but it truthfully(ˈtro͞oTHfəlē) belongs to the Nebraskans(nəˈbrask(ə)n) who have embraced the tree planting tradition for generations and people around the world who know that a greener world is healthier, more beautiful, and more equitable(ˈekwədəb(ə)l). By shedding(SHed) light on and learning from past mistakes, we aim to build a legacy(ˈleɡəsē) that is proactively(prōˈaktivlē) reflective(rəˈflektiv) of our values and inclusive of all those who have contributed to the tree planting movement.

https://www.arborday.org/media/pressreleases/pressrelease.cfm?id=480