Dr. VJ’s 2025 Book List to Celebrate Women’s History Month

In Celebration of Women’s History Month, Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson, NCEJN Co-Director shares this bibliography with the network. Please onsider buying books from an independent book store. To celebrate Women’s

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CDC Urged to Release Bird Flu Data as Trump Slashes Key Staff Combatting Outbreak

For Immediate Release, February 24, 2025 Contact: Hannah Connor, (202) 681-1676, hconnor@biologicaldiversity.org WASHINGTON— Public-interest groups called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today to release updated public information critical

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NCEJN Mourns The Passing of Rev. Dr. Nelson N. Johnson

With heavy hearts, we at NCEJN join the Beloved Community Center (BCC) in mourning the passing of Rev. Dr. Nelson N. Johnson of Greensboro, North Carolina. Rev. Johnson was the founding pastor

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End of Year Report – 2024

We are excited to share with you our first End of Year Report! Thank you to all of our NCEJN family and network, and especially to the communities we serve.

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A Coalition of Eight Organizations Hold Statewide Heat and Human Rights Events to Urge Adoption of Federal Heat Standards

Updated: News coverage of the events can be found here from NC Newsline and here from NC Health News. SPRING HOPE, NC (December 8, 2024) 7840 Old Bailey Hwy, Spring

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Hurricane Helene Relief Resources

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Funding Cop City in Durham – Postponed

This past Tuesday, November 12, the Durham Board of County Commissioners was to vote on spending $16 million to build a police training center – also known as Cop City.

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Bill Violating Due Process – Halted!

On November 12, the House voted on a bill (HR 9495) that would give the executive branch power to strip nonprofits of their status. This incredibly dangerous and unconstitutional legislation

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NCEJN In The News: Hurricane Helene devastated North Carolina, making federal support for climate action and the just energy transition more critical than ever

Impacted communities across North Carolina speak on the elections and how the outcome affects their work and access to funding. The article also includes an interview with our Co-Director of

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North Carolina Poet Laureate Ms. Jaki Shelton Green Shares A Poem On NCEJN In Honor Of Our 25th Summit

“To celebrate the waking, wake. Burn in the daylong light… & praise.” – Muriel Rukeyser May these grounds, walls, & the soul of the Franklinton Center remind us that we

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North Carolina Communities’ Battle Against Animal Factory Pollution

From Earthjustice: “Overburdened communities in North Carolina face the harshest impacts of industrial animal production. Now, they’re taking a stand.” This article features Devon Hall, of the Rural Empowerment Association

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Energy Embargo Now to End the Genocide! No Environmental Justice Without Palestinian Liberation!

On the occasion of COP29, Palestinian grassroots organizations call on all civil society organizations at COP29 and around the world to mobilize urgently to impose an energy embargo on Israel

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Latino organizations seek solutions at environmental justice symposium

This year’s NCEJN summit broke records with the number of communities represented (~133), number of individuals which attended (~300), and the diversity of issues addressed. This article highlights the issues

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Naeema Muhammad Receives A Lifetime Achievement Award

Mama Naeema, Sister Naeema Muhammad was honored last night by Health & Environmental Funders Network (HEFN) with a lifetime achievement award for her role in the environmental justice movement and

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Congratulations to Our NCEJN 2024 Summit Award Winners

Every October since NCEJN’s establishment in 1998, we have acknowledged our EJ warriors with awards of appreciation. This year only, on our 25th Summit anniversary, we have created the Quarter Century

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Attorneys working with alleged victims of ‘toxic building’ on NC State campus

WRAL News recently reported on Poe Hall, on the campus of North Carolina State University, regarding an environmental attorney accusing the school of neglecting cancer risk in the building. More

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U.S. Representative Alma S. Adams, (NC-12), Rep. McGovern (MA), and Senator Booker (NJ) Introduce The Industrial Agriculture Conversion Act (IACA)

This Climate-Smart Farm Conversion Bill would use existing agricultural conservation funds to support farmers who opt to transition from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to sustainable and humane production systems.

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Press Release: Vigil to Protect NC Farmworkers

Rocky Mount, NC – As part of the Not One More Death campaign, El Futuro es Nuestro (The Future is Ours) and the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN), the

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Spidey Sense-r initiative kicks off in three North Carolina communities

Air pollution in the U.S. has been seen as a cost of progress – a necessary evil to have the gains provided by industrial manufacturing. However, Black, brown, and rural

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NCEJN Annual Environmental Justice Summit

At this annual summit, we strengthen relationships and networks and deepen inclusive spaces through linguistic equity and true intersectionality. We develop a stronger strategy for action – all toward building

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May 2025
May 17
17 May 2025

Save the Date: National Reparations Rally in Washington DC on Saturday, May 17

May 17
17 May 2025
Raeford Civic Center,200 College Dr
Raeford,NC28376United States

Register: Common Cause invites you to a public hearing: Rural Accountability and Transparency Town Hall. Saturday, May 17 • 4 – 6 PM, Raeford Civic Center, 200 College Dr, Raeford, NC 28376

May 18
18 May 2025

Webinar: Black Women in Labor History. The fourth webinar in a series from The Communiversity, Black Women Workers: Central to the Black Working Class will be hosted on zoom Sunday May 18 • […]

May 19
19 May 2025

Public Hearing in Robeson County: Robeson County Solid Waste Department is holding a public meeting on Monday May 19 • 6 pm to discuss Robeson County’s intent to expand the existing Robeson County Municipal Solid […]

May 20
20 May 2025

Join Climate Justice & Clean Air Encuentro as they explore the latest findings from the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2025 report. What’s in the Air: Unpacking the 2025 State […]

May 21
21 May 2025
North Carolina General Assembly,16 W Jones St,
Raleigh,NC27601United States

Event: Immigrant rights Advocacy Day. As part of Immigrant Rights Advocacy Week, a coalition of NC groups is hosting an advocacy day on Wednesday May 21 • 10:00 AM-1:00 PM at the North […]

May 21
21 May 2025
Merrimon-Wynne House,500 N. Blount St
Raleigh,NC27604United States

Join NC League of Conservation Voters at the Green Tie Awards. Wednesday, May 21 • 5:30-8:30 PM (Merrimon-Wynne House 500 N. Blount St., Raleigh, North Carolina 27604)

May 22
22 May 2025

Register: War Industry Resistance Network (WIRN) invites you to a webinar: The Liberation of Palestine Is the Liberation of the United States. Thursday, May 22 • 8 PM, by our NCEJN Co-director Dr. Rania […]

June 2025
Jun 12
12 June 2025
1805 West Hill Ave, Valdosta, GA 31601,1805 West Hill Ave
Valdosta,GA31601United States

Register: Dogwood Alliance and other organizations invite you to the Environmental Justice & Climate Protection Conference 2025 June 12 & 13 Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center, Valdosta, Georgia

Jun 13
13 June 2025
1881 Events,805 Spartan Blvd
Spartanburg,SC29301United States

Register: Southern Workers Assembly(SWA) invites you to Southern Worker Action Summit on Friday, June 13, 2025 • 12 PM to Sunday, June 15, 2025• 1 PM at 1881 Events • 805 Spartan Blvd, Spartanburg, South […]

July 2025
Jul 03
03 July 2025

Register for Socialism 2025 Conference by April 25 for the early bird discounted rate. Conference is from July 3-6 in Chicago The far right ascends around the globe amid war […]

October 2025
Oct 03
03 October 2025

Save the Date: Bertie’s Forgotten Black and Native Patriots of the Revolutionary War. October 3-4, 2025

On The Work of Cypress Fund

Kayla Bacote, Program Officer at Cypress Fund – “a social justice intermediary focused on strategically investing funding and people power to strengthen and fortify the movement ecosystem in North and South Carolina

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On The Struggle Carried Forward

Today is May 1st- International Workers’ Day. NCEJN will be in Raleigh at the May Day event – to demand justice and dignity for workers and to protest against the

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On True Community-Led Research

Vidal Lormendez, a Community Health Worker and the Migrant Services Specialist at NC FIELD. Vidal regularly helps design, test, and implement projects alongside our agricultural workforce across 41 eastern North

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On A Student’s Experience At The NCEJN Summit

Carson Mease, Sustainable Development undergraduate student at Appalachian State University On the 18th of October, 2024, students of Appalachian State University’s Applications in Environmental Justice class traveled to Whitakers, North

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On Waging Love: Reflections on Justice, Memory, and Commitment to Collective Struggle

Reverend Wesley Morris, Senior Pastor at Faith Community Church These words were transcribed from a recording made at the Black Workers for Justice Banquet, of Reverend Wesley Morris, Senior Pastor

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On What Makes An Organizer

Anthony Diaz, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Newark Water Coalition My name is Anthony Diaz and I am the co-founder and executive director of the Newark Water Coalition. Newark

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On The Working Conditions of Airport Workers in NC

Nicholas Johnson, Former Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Prospect Airport Services Employee. Nick was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. In the summer of 2024, I worked at Charlotte Douglas International

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On Standing Up For Science

This speech was given by Dr. Dani Lin Hunter, NCEJN Research and Education Manager at Halifax Mall in Raleigh, NC on March 8, 2025 as part of the Stand Up

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Reflection On The History of EJ In Northampton County

Ms. Belinda Joyner, Concerned Citizens of Northampton County Right after Hurricane Katrina, there were two men that moved to Durham from New Orleans. One of the men had nowhere to

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On Returning to Service on The NCEJN Board

Caption: Peter Gillbert, Naeema Muhammad, Elizabeth Haddix, & Don Cavellini at NCEJN’s Annual Summit Peter Gilbert, Supervising Attorney at Legal Aid of North Carolina, and NCEJN Board Co-Chair. I am

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On An Evolving Role & Love

M. Zulayka Santiago, MPA. ​Founder & Creative Director Libelula Consulting, and departing NCEJN Board Co-Chair. Read her book! Although I have admired the work of NCEJN for many years, my

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On the State Supreme Court

Photo credit to John McCann at North Carolina Black Alliance Gino Nuzzolillo, Campaigns Manager, Common Cause North Carolina The North Carolina Supreme Court is among the most important institutions we

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On Radical Imagination for the PFAS Resolution We Deserve

Dominique Beaudry, Graduate Student at Duke University “If you’re from Concord, go get your thyroid checked!” a friend posted on her instagram. After noticing a lump in my neck, I

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On Engaging Youth in the EJ Movement

Doris T. Davis, Assistant Director. Concerned Citizens of Tillery The Concerned Citizens of Tillery (CCT), a non-profit social change organization celebrating 45 years of positive social change is one of

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On Countering Violence

Araceli Argueta, Organizing and Advocacy Director for AFSC’s New Jersey Immigrant Rights Program. It has been less than two weeks, and Trump’s Executive Orders have had rippling effects across North

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On The Fight for Indigenous Cultural Preservation + Protecting The Great Trading Path

Beverly Payne, Tribal Council Member of the Occaneechi community, walks along the historic Trading Path in Hawfields Cemetery in Mebane, North Carolina. Photo courtesy of Roderico Y. Díaz, Iximché Media.
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On the Merchants of Death Tribunal

Rania Masri, NCEJN Director of Policy and Organizing, gave these concluding remarks given at the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal press conference on January 15, 2025. (Watch) The Final Report of this Tribunal begins by

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On Finding Hope In 2025

Dr. Valerie Ann Johnson, NCEJN Director of Infrastructure and Development A new year can start at any time.  Across our planet, worldwide celebrations ushered in 2025 on January 1st.  

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On Bridging Environmental Justice and Farmworker Realities

Yesenia Cuello, Executive Director, NC FIELD, Inc For thousands of people employed in the multi-billion dollar industry of agribusiness across North Carolina, the phrase “environmental justice” often feels like a

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On Health Research as a Tool for Environmental Justice

Dr. Elizabeth (Libby) McClure, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology at UNC Last week I talked with someone working in one of the many care hubs that community organizations and mutual

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Species Extinction & The Environmental Justice Movement

Luma Kennedy, NCEJN Communications Manager Species extinction is a serious issue that is already impacting every aspect of our lives. The data is staggering. Industry, industrial agriculture, unchecked development, mining,

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In Remembrance of The People’s Professor

First we hear from Mama Naeema Muhammad: “First and foremost, we always called him the “People’s Professor”—a term of endearment from the community. We loved Steve for his humility; when he

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On A Day in West Badin with the Environmental Justice Advisory Council

Aleena Oakley, NCEJN Hi! My name is Aleena Oakley; I’m a lifelong NC resident with roots in the Charlotte area, and I have been working with NCEJN and the Concerned

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The 25th NCEJN Summit, and how the experience relates to my work

Anita Cunningham, Executive Director, NC Climate Solutions Coalition, Director, NC Disaster Response and Resilience Network First, let me say the NC Environmental Justice Summit had everything I needed to nurture my body, mind

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NCEJN’s Resource Readiness Workshop Series

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

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PFAS pollution and other EJ issues at the Sampson County Landfill

Denise Robinson, Deputy Director of Environmental Justice Community Action Network (EJCAN) On August 30, on behalf of EJCAN (the Environmental Justice Community Action Network) the Southern Environmental Law Center filed

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Why NCEJN?

yh Patt, J.D., Ph.D, long time activist in social & environmental justice This year, I trained with the Anne Braden Program (ABP), which is an anti-racist training for white people.

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On Political Education

Dr. Kim. E. Koo, Rocky Mount Racial Justice Group On September 1st, a strategic meeting was held by a coalition of organizations (El Futuro es Nuestro, NCEJN, USSW and FAN)

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Joining The NCEJN Research & Education Team This Summer

Colleen Dongarra, NCEJN Intern 2024 I view spiderwebs differently now. They used to be a nuisance – something I stumbled into during an early morning hike. I would feel a

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Using Collective Power to Unveil & Fight Injustice

Chelsea Lundquist-Wentz, NCSU’s Campus Community Alliance for Environmental Justice (CCAEJ) Founding Member In December 2023, as Poe Hall’s closure sent classes online and ousted faculty and graduate students from their

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Having a Seat at The Table- The True Meaning of a Power Lunch

Beverly A. Scarlett, Co-Founder & Director of Education, Indigenous Memories Few people are willing and less can express gratitude for togetherness. Something so simple can be challenging, but not for

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Just One View from “The Trenches”

Don Cavellini, Co-Chair, Pitt Co. Coalition Against Racism (CAR) We have experienced a greater willingness among progressive activists to collaborate with like-minded colleagues. This seems to be true for individuals

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What We Consider Environmental Injustice & What We Set Aside

Image Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/en
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18th Annual Protecting Mother Earth Conference

Dr. Dani Lin Hunter, NCEJN Research & Education Manager Hi everyone! This past week I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful mountains of Cherokee, North Carolina, to attend the

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The Ongoing Injustices Faced by Farm Workers in North Carolina

Leticia Zavala, Co-Coordinator, El Futuro Es Nuestro On July 7th, I got a call from a worker saying, “Lety another worker passed away from heat, I don’t know who or where

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The White House Summit on Environmental Justice in Action

Dr. Chris Hawn, NCEJN Co-director of Research & Education This week I joined government officials, advocates, and EJ leaders from across the country to mark the one year anniversary of

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The Significance of July 20, 2024?

Dr. Valerie Anne Johnson, Co-Director of Infrastructure and Development Do you know what is significant about tomorrow, July 20, 2024? Those familiar with Octavia Butler and her incredibly visionary novel

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Our Second Quarterly Meeting at Robeson County Hosted by The Lumbee Riverkeeper and The Winyah Rivers Alliance

Luma Kennedy – NCJN Communications Manager Robeson County, which is both the largest county in North Carolina, and has the largest indigenous population and a significant Black community, is also

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