September Membership Meeting: Come Learn About the EJNYC Report & How You Can Help Advance Environmental Justice in NYC

Our September Membership Meeting will be on Saturday, September 13th from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall, located at 454 West 155th Street. With special guests from the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice, we will be discussing New York City’s EJNYC Report and how you can get involved in helping the city develop its EJNYC Plan, which – with your involvement – will become a comprehensive citywide action plan to address the issues identified in the report. After the meeting, we encourage you to join us as we canvass select parks to raise awareness of and support for them (see below). RSVP

Northern Manhattan Parks Canvassing: Help Raise Awareness & Support

Whether providing cooling benefits in the face of extreme heat or absorbing runoff from flash flooding, parks and green spaces are a vital tool to help lessen the impacts of climate change on a community. That is why – as part of our Our Parks, Our Backyard initiative – we and the New York League of Conservation Voters Education Fund are going to be canvassing in select parks on Saturday, Sept. 13th from 1:15-3:15 PM. We will be visiting Jackie Robinson, St. Nicolas, and Riverside Parks to engage Northern Manhattan park users to raise awareness of our parks, particularly when it comes to climate change and parks investment. We are meeting at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall, located at 454 West 155th Street, right after our September Membership Meeting (see above). Staff members will accompany volunteers to each of these three parks and provide hands-on training along the way. RSVP

Need an AC? State Cooling Assistance Program Extended

You may not need it this weekend, but you eventually will need an air conditioner to cope with the extreme heat we experience every year. New York State has extended its Essential Plan Cooling Program until Sept. 30th, while the funds last. Click here to see if you are eligible for a free air conditioner.

We all deserve personal care and beauty products that are safe - free from cancer-causing and other harmful chemicals - no matter where we live, work, or shop. Click here to tell Congress to support the 2025 Safer Beauty Bill Package!

The temperatures may have cooled this week, but extreme heat is still the deadliest impact of climate change, and communities of color bear the brunt of it. Click here to urge New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to call for a vote to implement a Cool Pavement Pilot, which will prioritize installation of cool pavement technologies in neighborhoods that face the highest risk of harm from extreme heat – like ours!

Cameron Clarke was featured on WBAI’s Schuller & Hennelly radio show discussing the Legionnaires' Disease outbreak in Harlem. You can catch his interview at the 13:48-mark by clicking here. And be sure to join our Legionnaires' Disease Community Teach-In on Thursday, Sept. 4th at 6:30 PM.

Mae Kennedy was quoted in a press release from Toxic-Free Future on the news that Washington has become the first state to adopt a comprehensive ban on all formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in cosmetics. WKTV’s Fox2Now in St. Lous was among the first news outlets to share this.

Help Build the Movement: Become a Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellow

Applications are now open for our Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellowship. This fellow will be part of our National Organizing Department, based in our New York City office, and focusing on environmental health and the energy sector. This is a great opportunity to help build our movement at a time when it is under constant attack. Click here to learn more about our previous fellows and click here to download the job description.

Uptown Chats Podcast: Reflections on Our First 50 Episodes

Our Uptown Chats podcast is celebrating its 50th episode! In this special episode, our Chief of Staff Karla Cordero turns the tables on Jaron and Lonnie, interviewing them on their thoughts about the first 50 episodes of Uptown Chats as well as ideas for the next 50. Don’t miss the stories behind the stories and other BTS banter! Listen

The Down to Earth Festival: Events in Harlem

Today kicks off Down to Earth, a cool, new, free festival that will bring multidisciplinary performances, dance, theatre, in-situ events, and contemporary circus to New York City's vibrant, diverse communities. An initiative that democratizes cultural expression, the inaugural festival will take place Aug. 29th-Sept. 7th with events being held all around the city, including Inwood Hill and Marcus Garvey Parks. Learn More