Green the Block is a movement to regain control of our communities and our economy. For far too long, people of color and low-income communities have lived in the shadow of dirty polluting industries, continuously getting the short end of the environmental and economic sticks....

For Earth Day, The Root is going deep on the ties between black people and the earth. We dig in to everything from Michelle Obama's potential impact on farming to how to plant gardens on housing project rooftops to creating green jobs in black neighborhoods. Guest writers Majora Carter, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins and Sen. John Kerry weigh in on the green movement's need to go brown. And we shine a spotlight on 10 community organizers -- The Root's Green Collar Heroes -- who are making a difference at the grassroots, literally. Plus, for those of you who think it's not easy being green, we offer seven easy tips to help you get started.

So plow into our entire Earth Day package. Once you go black and green, you'll never go back!

Are liberal environmental policies hurting poor black communities? Conservatives think so!