“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963
This Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day, the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (The Center) and WE ACT for Environmental Justice (WE ACT) have teamed up to celebrate justice, community partnerships, and the powerful combination of knowledge and action.
Communities of color and low-income communities experience disproportionate health impacts from air pollution and toxic chemicals. These disparities are magnified for children in these communities.
During the last 20 years, our organizations have worked together to document and address issues of children’s health equity. The Center has conducted innovative research documenting the impacts of environmental exposures on the health of children and families. And WE ACT has ensured that this data reached policymakers – at the city, state, and national level – and mobilized communities to ensure that action followed.
As we celebrate Dr. King’s legacy, let us continue to bring the struggle for children’s health equity into the realm of public discussion, from the streets of our communities to the corridors of power. Let us continue to promote justice. With your help, we will continue our partnership that combines knowledge with action to improve public health in a just and equitable way.
