A major heatwave is hitting the Northeast this week! If you are living in New York City without air conditioning, 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 – with heat like this – funding for this program will likely run out soon, as it has for the last two years!
New York City also has a network of Cooling Centers open to the public free of charge. The Mayor has opened them through at least Friday for this unprecedented heat event. You can find the nearest Cooling Center here.
You can find additional information, resources, and tips on how to stay cool via the City’s Beat the Heat webpage. The National Integrated Heat Health Information System has even more resources – from planning and preparing to staying safe – available at heat.gov. And you can visit WE ACT's Heat, Health, & Equity webpage, which has a host of other resources as you scroll down.
Juneteenth: Housing Justice for Harlem Rally
We will be joining New York State Senator Cordell Cleare and other community leaders at a press conference and rally this morning to protect our affordable housing from continued development and gentrification, much of which has been fueled by Columbia University’s expansion into West Harlem. Peggy Shepard will be among the speakers at 11 am today, June 20, at the plaza (the triangular plaza where West 125th & 129th Streets meet) across from Dear Mama Coffee. Join us this morning and make sure your Juneteenth is meaningful!
Come Join Us at 11 AM This Morning to Defend Harlem!
Watch: Peggy Shepard at Tavis Smiley’s National Climate Justice Symposium
Peggy Shepard was part of an all-star climate justice panel that appeared live on C-SPAN last night as part of a Climate Justice Symposium hosted by Tavis Smiley. In case you missed it, you can watch the replay here. It was a powerful discussion about not only environmental justice but also racial justice, making it ideal for Juneteenth viewing. The panel starts at the 39-minute mark. And here is a short clip of Peggy talking about what the Biden administration has done to advance environmental justice.
New York State Primary Election: Early Voting is Underway & Election Day is June 25
Early voting is open for the New York State Primary Election, and voting is a great way to celebrate Juneteenth! This very important election will determine who appears on the ballot at the city, state, and federal levels for the general election in November. Early voting runs through Sunday, June 23, or you can wait to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, June 25. Find your polling location and everything else you need to know by visiting our Voter Information page.
Mark your calendar for our annual Membership BBQ on Saturday, July 20 from 11 am - 3:30 pm. It will be held at The Sojourner Truth School (PS-MS 149) at 41 West 117th Street (between Lenox & Fifth Avenues). We’ve got some great activities planned for all ages, along with great food and friends.
Parks Funding: Caleb Smith authored an Op-Ed in BKReader calling on the Mayor to adequately fund our parks and other greenspaces, especially those in environmental justice communities which have fewer such spaces and tend to be less well-maintained.
Extreme Heat: Annie Carforo was featured in an article on how to deal with the extreme heat we are experiencing in The City, which also appeared on the MSN platform. Annie offered advice on cooling centers and other places you can visit along with tips on how to cool your body – tips that come from our Climate Ready Uptown Plan emergency preparedness guide and workshops.
Listen: US Energy Policy is Headed in the Wrong Direction - Here's Why!
While the Biden administration has taken steps to advance an equitable transition to renewable energy, there are elements of the U.S. energy policy that are clearly headed in the Wrong Direction. Join Jaron and Lonnie for the first episode of our Uptown Chats Wrong Direction mini-series to learn from WE ACT’s Federal Policy Director Anastasia Gordon about the energy options being embraced by the administration that are creating environmental justice challenges. Over the next three months, with the help of a few special guests, the Wrong Direction mini-series will explore the impacts of these misguided energy options on individuals in environmental justice communities.
