Cecil Corbin-Mark Street Naming Ceremony

Join us this Saturday, April 20 for a special ceremony unveiling Cecil Corbin-Mark Way. Thanks to the help of New York City Councilmember Shaun Abreu, Cecil will have a street named after him! We will gather on Saturday, April 20 at 11 am for the ceremony at the corner of West 143rd Street and Convent Avenue.

Inwood Hill Park Earth Day Festival

WE ACT will also be attending the Friends of Inwood Hill Park’s Annual Earth Day Festival from 10 am - 5 pm on Saturday, April 20 in Inwood Hill Park (at the Seaman Avenue & Isham Street entrance). Learn more and RSVP here.

Cooked: Survival by Zip Code Free Harlem Documentary Film Screening & Discussion

Join us for another screening of Cooked: Survival by Zip Code, a documentary on the deadly 1995 Chicago heatwave by filmmaker Judith Helfand. Caleb Smith will moderate a panel discussion featuring the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson; South Bronx Unite’s Clean Air Project Organizer Leslie Vasquez; and Columbia Mailman Professor & NRDC Senior Scientist Kim Knowlton, Ph.D. The event will be April 26 at the Maysles Documentary Center at 343 Malcolm X Boulevard (between West 127th & 128th Streets). We'll kick-off with a reception at 6 pm, followed by the film at 7 pm, and then the panel. 

Join Our Earth Day 5K Fun Run Fundraiser

Our annual 5K is less than 2 weeks away! Come celebrate Earth Day, help raise funds for WE ACT, and run or walk for a healthier, greener community at our annual Earth Day 5K fundraiser. We will be holding the fun run at Randall’s Island at 8 am on Sunday, April 28. You can run or walk, and enter as an individual or as a team. Sign up today and get a free WE ACT membership! And if you can’t join us, please consider making a donation to support our work. 

Briana Carbajal Speaking at Planet vs Plastics

Briana Carbajal will speak at the annual Earth Day program, Planet vs. Plastics, from 5 pm - 8 pm on Monday, April 22 at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Center at 34 West 134th Street, between 5th Avenue & Malcolm X Boulevard. 

Peggy Shepard to Deliver Nancy Weiser Ignatius Lecture at American University

Peggy Shepard will be giving the annual Nancy Weiser Ignatius Lecture at American University’s School of International Service in Washington, DC at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, April 23. These lectures feature senior policymakers and leaders in the nonprofit and private sectors who are working tirelessly to improve the environment around the world.

Headlines and Footnotes: Environmental Justice in a Time of Planetary Crisis

Peggy Shepard will be speaking at Headlines and Footnotes: Environmental Justice in a Time of Planetary Crisis, a day-long summit hosted by Wake Forest University’s Environmental & Epistemic Justice Initiative on Wednesday, April 24 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Climate & Environmental Justice: A Discussion of NYC’s Plans

On Thursday, April 25, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and Columbia Climate School are hosting a Harlem Earth Day Event from 6 - 8 pm at Columbia University’s Low Library. Peggy Shepard will be one of the featured speakers along with New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson and New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez.

TAKE ACTION: Demand The City Fund Environmental Justice in the 2025 Budget

The climate crisis and other environmental hazards have proven tremendously costly for New York City, in terms of lives and livelihoods as well as damage to infrastructure and the communities where we live. There is an urgent need to make substantial, strategic investments in climate and environmental issues across New York City agencies to mitigate future impacts of the climate crisis and prevent environmental racism.

We are asking that the City Council and Mayor Adams include the following in the Fiscal Year 2025 Adopted Budget:

• $1 million to the Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ)
• $7 million per year in funding for community composting operations
• 1% of the total city operating budget to the Department of Parks and Recreation to make parks – which not only offer opportunities for recreation but also serve a vital role in address the impacts of extreme heat – safer, cleaner, and more resilient
• $600 million to do deep retrofits and electrify 500 school buildings by 2030 and achieve a net zero emissions school district by 2040.
• $7 million investment and increased enforcement to transition our buildings and homes off of fossil fuels

Click here to see if you are eligible for financial support to cover the cost and installation of an air conditioner or fan in your home. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, so act today because funding for this program has run out in July the last two years!

Help Us Survey Northern Manhattan for Community Land Trust Opportunities
 
We are supporting the growth and expansion of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in Northern Manhattan. CLTs are nonprofit organizations governed by community residents that provide lasting community assets like commercial spaces for local businesses, affordable rental and cooperative housing, and urban green spaces for the benefit of all. To achieve this, we need to know what opportunities exist. Join WE ACT as we survey every block uptown for lots that could be acquired and developed by a CLT. Volunteers will receive training and stipends for their time. Spots are limited, so sign up today!

• Biden's EJ Scorecard: The Grist story about the Biden administration’s environmental justice scorecard, featuring Manny Salgado explaining that it does not necessarily reflect the major steps the administration has taken to advance environmental justice, was republished in Government Executive.
• NYS Budget: Harlem World shared our response to the New York State FY25 Budget failing to include the NY HEAT Act and any other meaningful action to address the climate and housing crisis.
• New EJNYC Report: In an interview with City & State NY about the New York City’s EJNYC Report & Mapping Tool, New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson credited WE ACT with helping design the engagement process and provide all of the input.

New Uptown Chat Coming Monday: Earth Day and Parks 

Stay tuned for the next episode of Uptown Chats podcast coming Monday! In celebration of Earth Month, Lonnie and Jaron sit down with Stephanie Ashley from the Riverside Parks Conservancy to discuss the fight for parks and how green space is an environmental justice issue. You can also catch up on their last episode on the incredible legacy of Cecil Corbin-Mark to get ready for Saturday's Street Naming Ceremony!