The SWEA team traveled to Atlanta Georgia to participate in the Harambee House/Citizens for Environmental Justice, Southeast Regional Summit. The 5 day conference consisted of daily Tai Chi, Breakfast and Lunch, Keynote Speakers, Youth Track and breakouts sessions.

The topics included an International, Statewide and Local perspective on current and future priorities of the Environmental Justice Movement. EJ Activists and stakeholders from all the states in the EPA Region 4 were present. Kim Gaddy and Asada Rashidi were presenters for two workshops focusing on community organizing and solutions for Air pollution at Ports.

Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Mildred McClain charge throughout the conference was "Harambee” Let’s pull together to build power to achieve Justice in our lifetime and save Mother Earth” The goal of the summit was to create a 10 year action plan to address the impacts of legacy pollution, cumulative health effects, climate change impacts and workforce development; jobs is the justice agenda.

The national holiday celebrating the emancipation of slavery in America ending in 1865 in the aftermath of the Civil War, resulting from the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation, was observed here in the South Ward on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Mayor Ras J. Baraka and South Ward Councilman Patrick Council co-sponsored a community street festival on Bergen Street where various community based organizations, health and wellness organizations, and city agencies staffed information booths distributing literature to residents on their community services. This event brought out a number of street vendors selling merchandise and an array of food trucks catering to diverse appetites. The children were treated to amusement and carnival rides.

The festival allowed families to bring their children out to this event to understand the history of this celebration and the significance of being free from being enslaved. The Juneteenth Street festival had an amazing program hosted by Rhenotha Whitaker from Clinton Hill Community Action. Entertainers, speakers, poets and a plethora of community leaders and activists were on the center stage. Kudos goes out to the team that brought this event together!

New Staff Highlights

There was a gathering of New Jersey environmental activists at the Warehouse Convening sponsored by Clean Water Action in Princeton, NJ on Saturday, June 24, 2023 to address the plight of warehousing and its impact on the environment in New

Jersey. The goals were to support the zero emissions campaign for warehouses, advocating for stronger policy and legislation through indirect source review, lifting up important element from the Office of State Planning Warehouses Guidance Document, and building a grassroot base of activist and diverse voices that work for change in the

sitting and operations of warehouses.

Tolani Taylor, Zero Emissions/Warehouse Organizer from Clean Water Action was the chief facilitator for this event. There were presenters that highlighted the data and the negative impacts on employees as well as the neighboring communities. In fact, warehouses are disproportionately located in Black and Latinx communities. According to the research, there are 1777 warehouses in NJ and 380,000 estimated

daily truck trips that serve warehouses statewide.

There were breakout sessions with the participants to address: Elections, Updating

Master Plans, Reduce Emissions & Traffic, Regional Public Role in decisions making

and Community Benefits Agreement.

Air Quality Alert

Connect With Us!