Green For All on Tour

Posted on: Wednesday November 19, 2014

Green For All partnered with the Climate Action Campaign to visit cities around the country–collecting ideas and engaging communities of color on the issue of climate change.

Throughout the summer and fall, we worked with local leaders to host events highlighting the threat of climate change to communities of color. Local folks called on the EPA to enact strong carbon pollution safeguards, which will help protect clean air and fight global warming. Stops on the tour included:

 

Bronx, NY – August 2, 2014

As the first stop in our tour, Green For all joined forces with Green For All Fellow Tanya Fields and her organization The Blk Projek to hold the second annual “Not Just Talk Summit.” This year’s theme was “Radical Women creating Resilient Communities,” and it featured some truly amazing participants. Held on Saturday August 2nd in the South Bronx, the day featured keynotes from powerful women speakers like Executive Director of Uprose Elizabeth Yeampierre, Green For All Fellow and Indigenous activist Beata Tsosie Pena and musician and activist Jennifer Johns, as well as the director of the NYC Food and Fitness Partnership, Dara Cooper. In addition to powerful music and keynote presentations, the day featured a number of workshops and a full brunch provided by Momsrising.org The day culminated with the unveiling and ribbon cutting of the Blk Projek’s Solar Powered mobile food market, powered by Green Mountain Energy. Green For All was the lead sponsor for this event and was able to garner support for the EPA’s carbon rule engaging the over 100 attendees throughout the day to sign comment cards.

Tucson, AZ – September 16

We partnered with Green For All Fellow Luis Perales and Tierra Y Libertad Organization (TYLO) and other local groups on a community education event addressing the issues of the urban Latino community struggling with concerns over energy costs and the Indigenous community bearing the brunt of extractive industries on Native lands.

Greensboro, NC – September 7

Green For All Fellow Jada Drew helped host a community engagement day focusing on issues ranging from coal alternatives to food justice and food access issues in Greensboro. The event was geared to families and young people. It featured local entertainment and highlighted partner organizations doing work on the ground.

New Orleans, LA – August 30

We worked with Green For All Fellow John Moore and the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental justice organization that works on air quality issues in low-income communities throughout the state. We hosted an event in a predominantly Black community in New Orleans, featuring food and entertainment, as well as an opportunity for community members to participate in air quality testing related to a coal burning power plant in the area.

Minneapolis, MN – May 15, 2014

Green For All worked in concert with the Climate Action Campaign, The Sierra Club’s Minnesota Environmental Justice group, and other co-sponsors to host a Climate Justice Now Community Forum in Minneapolis. During the forum, Nikki Silvestri highlighted how combatting climate change can be a pathway to cultivating healthy and safe communities and economic prosperity for Minnesota’s communities of color. A lively crowd of more than 200 people turned out for the event, which brought together local and national leaders who care about how communities of color, indigenous communities, and low-income families are disproportionally affected by climate change and air pollution.

Denver, CO – June 14, 2014

Team Green For All partnered with the Denver Juneteenth Music Festival to present Juneteenth’s first “Keep it Fresh Zone,” featuring full-day activities including a local farmers market, giveaways, raw food demos, live DJs, hip-hop performances, and interactive exhibits. The activities led up to the main event: the Keep It Fresh Awards, which recognized local and national community activists who are leading efforts to make sure that fresh air, fresh water, fresh food, a healthy body, and a fresh way of thinking are not a privilege, but a right for everyone. Green For All’s Nikki Silvestri presented the Keep It Fresh Awards along with Green For All Fellow DJ Cavem Moetavation and Grammy-nominated duo Les Nubians.