Join us for our March Membership Meeting this Saturday, March 11 from 10 am - 12 pm in-person at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, located at 454 West 155th Street (between St Nicholas & Amsterdam Avenues). We'll discuss the upcoming election cycle, and be joined by City Council Member Carmen de la Rosa who will talk about the inner workings of city council. We'll also be joined by the New York City Department of Sanitation who will talk about the exciting new composting program that the city is rolling out, and the Central Park Conservancy's Institute for Urban Parks who will talk about park equity.
IQAir Will Join the Healthy Homes Working Group to Talk About Air Monitoring
Join our Healthy Homes Working Group Meeting at 6 pm on Tuesday, March 14 for a special presentation from IQAir, the world's largest free real-time air quality information platform and a worldwide leader in air monitoring solutions. The IQAir Foundation Team will provide an overview of their work to monitor indoor air quality using their AirVisual technology, and will discuss how we can work together to collect real-time, precise, and accurate air pollution measurements to help educate and improve the health of residents. Please direct any questions to Jaron Burke at [email protected].
Advocate in Albany for Green Energy and Housing Justice
We have two lobby days coming in March and we need WE ACT members to come out in force to advocate for green energy and housing!
Housing Justice for All: WE ACT will join Housing Justice for All on March 14 as we take over Albany to make sure that any housing plan that passes in the budget includes basic tenant protections and access to housing for homeless New Yorkers. Sign up here!
Kick Fossil Fuels Out of Buildings: Join us in Albany on March 22 as we rally and lobby to pass important legislation in this year's state budget that will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels in our residential buildings and prioritize environmental justice communities. Sign up here!
Big Win for Cleaner Air in NYC!
Good news for anyone who likes breathing clean air in NYC! Mayor Adams hassigned Intro 470-A into law to officially stop the burning of fuel oil grade #4 in city buildings. We've been advocating for this legislation, which requires building owners to end the use of this heating oil by October 2027 - three years earlier than the original timeline.
Northern Manhattan and the South Bronx have the highest concentrations of buildings that burn this grade of oil, which produces harmful air pollutants such as particulate matter, or soot, that can trigger asthma attacks and contribute to lung cancer, heart disease, and premature death.
Webinar on Toxins in the Fashion and Beauty Industry
Join WE ACT & PoliticallyInFashion for Celebrated But Unregulated: The Need for Policy to Protect Consumers from Toxins in the Fashion and Beauty Industry via Zoom from 11 am - 12:30 pm on Thursday, March 23.
This webinar brings together environmental advocates, thought leaders, regulatory agencies, and legislative officials to discuss, explore, and engage with issues related to the marketing of cosmetics and fashion apparel– such as ingredient transparency, sustainability, and toxicity – as well as provide context within the federal regulatory landscape. We will also discuss the findings of our Beauty Inside Out survey we did with the Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health on the use of and attitudes towards hair relaxers and skin lighteners in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx.
The Beauty Inside Out campaign needs your help! As part of a research project in partnership with Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, the campaign is working with local organizations to educate our community members on the dangers of skin lightening creams, and we are looking for feedback on the education materials that we will be using. Dr. Lariah Edwards will be leading this working session on March 22nd at 6:30 pm. We hope to see you there!
WE ACT's Federal Policy Office co-hosted a reception for new members of Congress at the Library of Congress on Wednesday. Close to 500 guests attended, including 25 members of Congress. It was a great opportunity for our team to meet new members and their staff while telling them about who we are and the work we do!
Justice40rward Tour: Christina Jones from South Bronx Unite wrote an op-ed in The Bronx Times about the Justice40rward tour we co-hosted in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx to raise awareness of the environmental justice needs of the community and the Justice40 funding available to address those needs.
Justice40 Eligibility:Route Fifty and Planetizen wrote about our concerns surrounding the White House's Justice40 initiative screening tool to determine who's eligible for Justice40ce funding, citing our research. Dana Johnson spoke about the need for the tool to include more communities of color in its eligibility measurement to ensure the funds reach those who need it most.
Out of Gas, In with Justice: Annie Carforo appeared on BronxNet TV to talk about the results of our Out of Gas, In with Justice study.
Get Certified in Building Electrification
WE ACT's Green Institute is offering a free 60 hour energy efficiency technical training to earn GPRO Fundamentals of Building Green Certification along with professional development workshops for career advancement. This program is open to everyone aged 18+ with a high school diploma or equivalency, regardless of background. All applicants will undergo interviews, evaluations, and a screening/selection process. Applicants are encouraged to apply early!
Information Sessions: Learn More About the Courses:
March 16 at 11 am
March 22 at 1 pm
Electrification Training & GPRO Fundamentals of Building Green Certification:
April 17-28, (2 Weeks: Monday - Friday) 10 am - 5 pm
Professional Development Workshops:
May 2-18, 2023, (3 Weeks: Tuesdays and Thursdays) 2 - 5 pm
Micaela Martinez, WE ACT's new Director of Environmental Health, will be speaking on Capitol Hill at a public hearing in Washington, DC on Wednesday, March 29, at 1 pm. She will join the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment to speak on the need for the EPA to make chemical regulations that are more protective of our health. All are welcome to attend!
March 8 was International Women's Day and we're taking a moment to celebrate the many powerful women who get things done everyday for environmental justice.
Pictured are a few of these inspiring leaders. From left to right:
Sharon Lavigne is the founder of Rise St. James, which fights petrochemical pollution in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley".
Peggy Shepard and Vernice Miller-Travis are WE ACT's co-founders and have led our movement in Northern Manhattan for decades.
Dr. Beverly Wright is the founder of Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, which has been a long-time WE ACT partner and national leader of environmental justice out of New Orleans.
Jacqueline Patterson is the founder of the Chisholm Legacy Project which connects Black communities facing climate change with transformative resources to build a more just economic system.
At bottom:
Feminist climate justice leaders from around the world gather at a meeting at the Climate Justice Pavilion we co-hosted during COP27 in Egypt.
The Hive Fund has also put together a list of inspiring stories from female environmental justice activists to check out!
Replay: Advancing a Clean Energy Future for All
Check out the replay of our webinar Advancing a Clean Energy Future for All with Dr. Henry McKoy from the Department of Energy, which is part of our Justice40rward webinar series. Anastasia Gordon moderated this fireside chat and Q&A session with Dr. McKoy, following a presentation on how his office is aiming to utilize Justice40 funding that your community may be eligible to receive.
Support WE ACT by Running or Walking the Earth Day 5K
This Earth Day, help raise funds for our work and get to know WE ACT staff by running or walking for environmental justice during our Earth Day 5K on April 15 - all proceeds from the event will support WE ACT! And if you can’t join us, please consider making a donation to support our work.
MTA Hearing on the Second Avenue Subway in East Harlem
The Second Avenue Subway is coming to East Harlem, and the MTA is holding a hearing for community input on March 15 at 6 pm, either in-person at the Tito Puente Educational Complex (240 East 109th Street) or virtually. Register here to attend
Women's History Month at the African Burial Ground
Celebrate Women's History Month at the African Burial Ground National Monument at 290 Broadway in Lower Manhattan each weekend this month. Every Saturday from 2:30 - 3:30 pm will feature lectures from Black female authors:
Saturday, March 11: Professor Eleanor Drabo: Women’s History of
New York City
Saturday, March 18: Author Ellease Ebele Oseye: Let the Lion Eat Straw
Saturday, March 25: Author David Mills Boneyarn: The Book of Poems about Slavery in New York City
Women's History Month: What About My Mind and Body?
Join WE ACT member Josette Bailey for a special Women's History Month event at 204 West 134th Street on Saturday, March 18, from 1 pm - 3 pm. What About My Mind and Body? will be a discussion about women's health and how to care for the body and mind during important mid-life transitions.
Join students, professors, and staff at City College for Decarbonizing CCNY: How We Can Lead the Way! They will discuss some of the means by which CCNY can work towards decarbonization of the school's campus and what the community can do to help. March 23 on the CCNY campus from 12:30 - 1:50 pm in the Steinman Building, 275 Convent Avenue in Harlem.
Environmental Justice in the Amazon
Check out these two events happening in Manhattan that center the struggle for liberation and environmental justice in the Amazon rainforest:
Voices from the Amazon: Activists on Protecting the Indigenous and Healing the Planet: This panel of religious leaders, activists, and theologians working to heal the Amazon (and in New York for the March 2023 United Nations Water Conference) will discuss the current crisis and prospects for change—and reasons for hope. Saturday, March 25, 11 am - 12:30 pm, 113 W 60th St, 12th Floor, NYC
The Yanomani Struggle: This exhibition showcases the collaboration and friendship between artist and activist Claudia Andujar and the Yanomami people and their fight to protect their homeland. On display until April 16 at The Shed in Hudson Yards.
Become a Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellow
Applications to become a 2023 Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellow at WE ACT are now open! The annual Fellowship is designed to shape the next generation of environmental and climate justice leaders.
