Rich City Rays is a grassroots partnership of community groups and climate justice activists in Richmond, California who are using kayaktivism as a force for addressing the climate crisis and environmental injustice through community-led non-violent direct action on the water. Since 2021, we’ve worked to empower the communities most harmed by fossil fuel operations in the Bay Area to stand up to corporate polluters.
At the core of our annual programming are our Community Paddle and BIPOC Paddle programs. Our BIPOC Paddle Series (BPS) are one-day paddles, where participants join a crew of trained kayak guides for interactive paddles around the Richmond shoreline. Paddlers tour a chosen area to learn about the Richmond shoreline from the perspective of the people and land impacted by cycles of development and environmental manipulation.
Our programs work to to explicitly shift the narrative around who belongs on the water and in our parklands. We serve youth and adults from historically underinvested communities in Richmond and the greater East Bay.
We equip community members with new ways to connect with Richmond, helping participants develop a deeper relationship to home. Outdoor education is essential for building deep democracy, through facilitating a strong bond between people and the land we come from. Your donation would support subsidizing a paddle for a local youth, and repair boats to keep our paddlers safe. Visit Richcityrays.org to get involved!