Evanston Environmental Justice Coalition presented their first ever Environmental Justice Awareness Day on June 3 following the formation of a coalition to encourage residents to think about environmental justice.
The newly formed coalition is made up of equal partnerships between Environmental Justice Evanston, NAACP Evanston Branch, Evanston Cradle to Career and the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club. Coalition members were joined on Saturday June 3 by residents and community partners at the Fleetwood Jourdain Center including the City of Evanston, Family Focus Evanston and others.
Environmental Justice Awareness Day this weekend at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Center.
Environmental Justice Evanston co-chair Jerri Garl said a most important aspect of Saturday’s event was to broaden the discussion amongst residents about what constitutes environmental justice.
“We wanted to start a larger dialogue with the community about what environmental justice really means,” Garl said.
Tiffini Holmes — coach, author, strategist, and co-founder of Well Beings Chicago, LLC — served as guest facilitator and M.C. Holmes introduced speakers like 5th Ward Council member Bobby Burns, Sustainability and Resilience Department coordinator for the City of Evanston Benjamin Martin and Dr. Ike Ogbo who serves as Director of Health and Human Services for the city.
Garl said the intergenerational aspect of the event was very powerful and seeing people of all ages and backgrounds encouraged and inspired the coalition.
Formal remarks were followed by breakout sessions that invited brainstorming amongst residents and advocates for innovative solutions-based strategies for addressing environmental injustice and providing an opportunity to connect with ideas about enacting a positive change in Evanston for the environment, organizers say.
Questions were posed asking community participants to think, talk and write about what would lead to greater environmental equity in their neighborhoods.
“I find disparities when you cross the border into the 5th Ward,” said Evanston resident Verna Garcia. “I see this in the lack of parks and green spaces, and the lack of upkeep of these areas, a shortage of trees and a recycling center on Church Street that is a constant source of pollution.”
innovative solutions-based strategies for addressing environmental injustice.
Other discussions considered next steps like the possible creation of a resident interest group to focus on soil, water, and waste.
Corina Li-Caldwell, a youth advisory committee member participated as well.
“Growing native plants, having safer and walkable sidewalks, more tree equity, and access to resources available at Northwestern and other surrounding neighborhoods — all of these could have a positive effect,” Li-Caldwell said.
Charles Smith attended with his grandson and says he has been a resident of Evanston for 40 years.
“The first thing is to know is that these injustices exist and that we are all effected by them, an event like this helps provide information about what you can do about it,” Smith said.
Discussions about how race and income are related to the lack of green space and the roles black and brown communities have played historically in advocating for themselves against environmental pollutants were all part of the conversation. Climate Action Evanston board member Jerry Hearst said he attended in support and recognition that climate environmental justice is not a problem for the Black community to solve alone.
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Activities for children were managed by Open Studio Project and explored environmental themes with performances by the Real Deal Poets, introduced by JoAnn Avery. The poets expressed how we all need green and refreshments were provided by C & W Market Catering.
“This is the first time the coalition is coming together for a community program like this and it is something we hope to continue and to build on,” NAACP Evanston member Andrew Wymer said.
Gina Grillo is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.