Ashley Daniels, NCEJN Team Member
In September 2024, NCEJN introduced a new offering: Resource Readiness Workshops for grassroots EJ leaders in the state. The ten participating organizations were concentrated in Eastern and Southeastern North Carolina. The workshop series was facilitated by Ashley Daniels of Speak Life Consulting. The purpose of the series was to facilitate grassroots organizations through foundational visioning and narrative development, to create the opportunity for leaders to build connections with one another, and also to foster deeper relationships with environmental funders.
The first two workshops were hosted in Pembroke and Rocky Mount. The cohort was made of leaders and representatives from NC Climate Solutions, CAR, Seeds of Hope, REACH, Concerned Citizens of Sampson County, Concerned Citizens of West Badin, A Better Chance A Better Community, Robeson County Cooperative for Sustainable Development, North of the River Association, and El Futuro Es Nuestro. Many in attendance were meeting for the first time and through sharing their stories they each made fast connections between the challenges of their communities and those of other cohort members.
Time in the first workshop was dedicated to developing a vision for their organization or a vision for a program within the organization. Cohort members articulated their demographic of focus, current and potential partners, and what future they want to build for their communities.
The second workshop focused on environmental and socio-economic data and narrative. Dr. William Munn led cohort members in a discussion of data pertaining to lead-paint exposure, flood plains, superfund sites, CAFOs, and particulate matter across the state. He then worked with each group to provide data specific to their county of work. Afterwards, cohort members worked together to develop strength-based narratives about the impacts of their work and measurable results.
Attendees of the workshops shared the value of having a focused opportunity to connect with other leaders, as well as taking time to clearly articulate their work and impact. They expressed the desire for more opportunity to connect and collaborate with EJ leaders.
North Carolina leaders combating environmental injustices do so with courage, clarity, and love for their community. Witnessing their resolve and commitment to their work and camaraderie with one another has been a true honor.
The third and final workshop in the Resource Readiness series takes place during the 2024 NCEJN summit.
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Ashley Daniels is a Southeastern North Carolina native with a background as a community organizer in environmental justice, social justice, and grassroots electoral politics. She has served on the Mayor’s Clean Energy Ad Hoc Committee, the New Hanover County and Cape Fear Collective ARP Funds Awards Committee, and several local, regional, and state initiatives. Ashley is passionate about empowering grassroots leaders and began Speak Life Consulting to provide coaching, grant writing, and support for nonprofits to increase their funding and efficiency. Ashley resides in Wilmington, NC.
