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EMEAC Updates and Actions June 2014

June 6, 2014


Community Healing Circle for Sister-Comrade Charity Hicks

Submitted by Tawana Petty
Mother, Organizer, Artivist
Organized in just under 24 hours, local activists were able to gather together a little over 60 community members for a Healing Circle & Call for Support for our Sister in struggle, Charity Hicks. It took place at her home base for EMEAC, the Cass Corridor Commons in Detroit on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014 at 7pm.  
The mood of the event was emotional, yet optimistic, as participants entered the room to soft music on the piano by local artist Rocket. After folks created cards, and other artistic messages for Charity, a Healing Circle was lead by Traditional Health Practitioner/Healer Adela Nieves. [Continue reading...]

Putting Candy in the Medicine: The importance of youth leadership


Submitted by Brittany Anstead
University of Michigan, Arts and Citizenship Intern
When asked the question, what does your generation offer to the movement? Some of the Young Educators Alliance (YEA) leaders responded with disdain for the word generation. Shaw King, age 21, said, "That is division. That question answers itself. We are the future. We are the movement. It's inevitable." As the future of a drastically changing climate, I believe that it is critical to nurture youth leadership inclusively and without division. However, as King pointed out, "We are the future" and with that power our young people are inevitably gifted with the opportunity to make change. Romanne Griffith, age 19, said, "We have unlimited and ultimate potential. We can either be the downfall or the complete upbringing." Romanne's words carry vast significance and wisdom. When youth leadership like that of YEA is concentrated on positive, sustainable objectives without division, the possibilities to alter current trajectories are endless. [Continue reading...]

Ready2Grow Gears Up for Summer

Submitted by Sanaa NiaJoy
Ready2Grow Coordinator


The EMEAC Ready 2 Grow program for children ages 2-8 and their families will garden this summer.   At the Palmer Park Preparatory Academy, Priscilla Dziubek will lead a garden club for the fifth straight summer.  The Toddler Garden Club gives parents of toddlers the opportunity to learn gardening with their children through hands on activities outside in the garden.   
The Franklin Wright Ready2 Grow Club will begin in June with Sanaa.  Students will revive the raised beds that are now weed filled by planting vegetables.  They will also participate in the Great Sunflower Project, a national program designed to track the effects of pesticides on pollinators such as bees.  
For information on how you can get involved, contact sanaa[at]emeac.org.

What We are Watching


EMEAC and the Young Educators Alliance are gearing up for the Our Power Detroit gathering June 27-29.  The Our Powergathering is focused on scaling up the leadership in the environmental and climate justice movement, by increasing the presence of youth and young adults in generating solutions for a Just Transition from reliance on unsustainable, polluting, resource intensive practices and policies to those that are sustainable, renewable and nurture healthy communities.  During this 3 day gathering, participants from Detroit and around the country will discuss the health, environmental and climate impacts of polluting energy producing industries; collaboratively generate creative ways to address the negative impacts, while posing sustainable, renewable and non-exploitive alternatives; and define pathways to move this agreed upon work forward. 

The task of scaling up leadership of youth in the environmental and climate justice movements requires that there be infrastructure to support ongoing leadership in a broader movement process.  The Detroit gathering builds upon the first Our Power gathering, which took place in Black Mesa, AZ in June 2013 by creating a space in which youth can expand their place in the movement. In August, OP-Detroit participants from Detroit and around the country  will share their demands of the movement and commitments of themselves to the movement at the Our Power gathering and then demonstrate Our Power at the people's march and gatherings in New York at the climate summit. 

 

Community Supports Healing of Sister-Comrade

June 4, 2014

Healing altar created by community members for Charity
Note from EMEAC: On Saturday May 31, Charity was injured in a car accident while in New York city at the Left Forum. 

Organized in just under 24 hours, local activists were able to gather together a little over 60 community members for a Healing Circle & Call for Support for our Sister in struggle, Charity Hicks. It took place at her home base for EMEAC, the Cass Corridor Commons in Detroit on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014 at 7pm.

The mood of the event was emotional, yet optimistic, as participants entered the room to soft music on the piano by local artist Rocket. After folks created cards, and other artistic messages for Charity, a Healing Circle was lead by Traditional Health Practitioner/Healer Adela Nieves. Each participant, regardless of religious identity, agreed to be smudged for cleansing and purifying prior to the ceremony beginning. The space was an all-gendered, all-bodied, non-judgmental, intergenerational space which promoted love and healing. Adela placed a beautiful alter representing healing, community, love and life, in the center of the circle and other participants added objects that they felt represented their love for Charity. During the healing circle, four participants called to specified directions (East, South, West, North), harnesting the healing strength of mother earth.  A fifth direction Southeast was presented by Piper Carter, directing the community members to guide their healing energy towards New York, where our Sister lay in a coma in the hospital. Engery was also sent to Charity's family and to our Sister Ife Kilimanjaro, who has remained at Charity's side.

The room was eletric! There was dancing, stomping, singing, instrument playing and shouting out Charity's name! People spoke of their experiences with Charity and about the work that she is so deeply rooted in on every level, including the water shutoffs. Mama Lila Cabil challenged every participant to take up Charity's battle against the water by reaching at least 7 people per particpant and she provided a history of Charity's recent personal struggle against the water department and on behalf of her neighbors. Shane Bernardo spoke honestly and powerfully about the mirror that Charity offers to each of us, as she challenges us to be authentic, and face ourselves.

William Copeland referenced the need to use this time to think deeply about how we apply cooperative econonmics to times like this one and moving forward. Donations were collected in the sum of $1,031.00 to contribute to Charity's expenses and folks were encouraged to continue to share the site emeac.org, so that donations could continue to be submitted in Charity's honor, recognizing that support cannot be a one time deal.


It was a holistic experience and it was clear that Charity was the driving force of the gathering, from start to finish.

 

Putting Candy in the Medicine

Putting Candy in the Medicine

Importance of Youth Leadership

When asked the question, what does your generation offer to the movement? Some of the Young Educators Alliance (YEA) leaders responded with disdain for the word generation. Shaw King, age 21, said, “That is division. That question answers itself. We are the future. We are the movement. It’s inevitable.” As the future of a drastically changing climate, I believe that it is critical to nurture youth leadership inclusively and without division. However, as King pointed out, “We are the future” and with that power our young people are inevitably gifted with the opportunity to make change. Romanne Griffith, age 19, said, “We have unlimited and ultimate potential. We can either be the downfall or the complete upbringing.” Romanne’s words carry vast significance and wisdom. When youth leadership like that of YEA is concentrated on positive, sustainable objectives without division, the possibilities to alter current trajectories are endless.
As leaders of the Our Power Detroit gathering, I asked YEA to name a challenge in the Our Power Planning process. Khafre Sims Bey, age 15, said, “The challenge is to stay original; make our conference different than other conferences. Just trying to set ourselves apart.” Setting themselves apart is an understatement. YEA is defying the stereotypes set upon Detroit through advocacy, education, and hip-hop. Shabrin Salam, age 18, believes that “YEA collectively accomplishes success through the power of music and experience.”
When asked to name an opportunity in the Our Power Planning process, YEA gave me an answer that inspired the name of this article, Putting Candy in the Medicine. Khafre Sims Bey, age 15, said, “An opportunity is dropping the mix tape. When you can take something as raw and as gritty and as real as gentrification and put it to a beat and a rhyme, then people will connect with that. I’m putting it in a rap and making you nod your head to it. That’s like putting candy in the medicine.” Do I need to say more? Khafre hit the nail on the head. The beauty and importance of youth leadership is that it comes in a variety of mediums. One of which showcases artists who have a passion, who have a message, who have a difference to make.
Ultimately, youth leadership is important not only because it is inevitable, but also because the young people bring a fresh, raw energy to old, dirty problems. Khafre exquisitely articulates that YEA’s fresh, raw energy is manifested through hip hop, “This medium that we chose as hip hop is something so relatable, something so universal that everybody will walk away with an understanding of all these issues.” 

Submitted by Brittany Anstead
University of Michigan, Arts and Citizenship Intern

 

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Announcing Our Power Detroit 2014

June 3, 2014

ANNOUNCING OUR POWER DETROIT 2014
Communities United for a Just Transition

Detroit, MI, June 3, 2014– The East Michigan Environmental Action Council (EMEAC) will host Our Power Detroit; a 3-day gathering of youth, students and young adults from frontline communities to strategize on how to scale up youth leadership in the Environmental-Climate Justice movements and bring about a Just Transition from an exploitative polluting economy to a just and healthy one.

“We are here. We have genuine concerns about what’s going on in our community. We want to feel empowered and educate other people to combat climate injustices.” -Khafre Sims Bey, Young Educators Alliance, Age: 15

History and experience have taught us that rather than reactively addressing injustices as they arise, we must work to be proactive at co-creating —with impacted people and communities— a transition from a deadly, destructive, dirty economy and fight for the systems, relationships and structures of a ecologically, economically resilient future. The Our Power Detroit gathering will bring together Millennials in Detroit and from around the country to not only highlight Detroit’s victories and struggles, but coordinate community-led action strategies and discuss what their role can and should be among Environmental-Climate Justice movements throughout the nation.

The Our Power Campaign was developed by the Climate Justice Alliance to address the root causes of the climate crisis while creating meaningful work and livelihoods for a majority of the 17 million unemployed people in the US.

Our Power gatherings are an important component of the Our Power Campaign; highlighting “Hot Spot” communities that are home to key grassroots groups who are poised to take on the extreme energy interests while creating grassroots solutions for a just transition that serves our communities, heals the planet, and preserves our cultures. 


Our Power Detroit will be held June 27th – 29th, 2014.

# # #
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact
Ife Kilimanjaro at (313) 556-1702 x707 or email at ife@emeac.org.



 

OP Detroit Agenda

May 27, 2014

Our Power Agenda

We are currently working on creating an engaging agenda that includes a shared vision for a Just Transition in Detroit and beyond, information and skills shares, networking and social activities and strategies for scaling up youth and young adult leadership in the climate and environmental justice movements.

Agenda highlights include:  
  • Opening ceremony that honors the land and ancestors
  • Plenary and discussion on the Climate Justice Alliance, Our Power Campaign and Just Transition frame
  • Presentations and discussions on environmental justice movement, decolonization and liberation
  • Cultural activities, performances and opportunities to socialize while getting to know one another
  • Campaigns - fights and solutions - that attendees are engaged in with strategies and lessons learned
  • Connecting our work locally, nationally and globally
As soon as we make revisions to our working draft, they will be posted here.

Please note that the OP Detroit program will begin Friday June 27 at 9:00am and go through Sunday June 29 at 3:00pm.

 

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Join us for the Food System PMA

May 13, 2014

Join us on Friday May 23 from 4:00pm-8:00pm for a food systems people's movement assembly!

Submitted by Charity Hicks, E4H Fellow

EAT4HEALTH DETROIT is hosting a local gathering to share, strengthen, and co-create an anti-hunger, food secure, food justice, food sovereign local/regional food system in Detroit.

In Detroit we can no longer afford to contaminate our environment with 68 superfund sites, 281 facilities releasing toxic chemicals, poor air quality with high particulate matter well above national and state averages and soil contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury, lead, & cadmium. The cumulative impact of this pollution is literally killing people. 

We must continue to work to empower the Detroit community to value the air, land and water ecology. Our food system is directly nested in our environmental/ecological systems & worldwide energy footprint and in the JUST TRANSITION campaign we are calling for a transition from our extreme energy economy to a JUSTICE centered, localized, resilient economy. Policy has a significant role to play in this shift towards resilience and must be leveraged to build transformative solutions, alongside grassroots organizing.

We are calling the full community to join the discussion, work and campaigns to help shift our food system and all of our public systems into a climate conscious, local/regional centering. We need solutions which will promote and enhance environmental justice, health & nutritional well-being, and economic equity. This requires a multi-faceted bottom line food system grounded in Food Sovereignty which has justice in every element; our quality of life and the earth requires it.
 
If you want to help host, sponsor, and/or support the gathering please contact Charity Hicks 313-725-0554 or sublimelight[AT]netscape.net.

 

Fundraise for Our Power

May 2, 2014

Figure our your Fundraising Needs for Our Power Detroit, June 27-29


Our Power Detroit is focused on strengthening and scaling up youth and young adult leadership of the environmental and climate justice movements. 

We have been working hard to raise money to host an event that will not require folks to pay for food, lodging or registration. Unfortunately, we do not yet have funds to offer travel stipends. 

Therefore we are asking you to raise your own travel . Below are some ideas and tools for raising money from foundations and grassroots along with some resources attached:

Foundation Fundraising

  • If you receive foundation funding, ask your funders if they provide discretionary travel grants. Some foundations that do this include Chorus, Solidago, Noyes and Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock.
  • Common Counsel Foundation also provides travel grants for grassroots exchange meetings through the Grassroots Exchange Fund (GXF). Applications are due the FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH so complete yours this week to get it submitted for May!  http://www.commoncounsel.org/Grassroots+Exchange+Fund

Grassroots Fundraising 

Nine Tips: How to Raise Money for Your Participation in the Our Power Gatherings by Sha Grogan Brown for the USSF
  1. Ask 10 of your friends to save their spare change for 3 months and donate it to your costs.
  2. Ask 30 people if they will support you at $10 each.
  3. Plan a party at your home or a local community space, and ask for a $5-$15 donation.
  4. Creative Sales: bake a batch of cookies, decorate 20 postcards or write a poetry zine and sell them for $5 each.
  5. Did your organization receive grant money this year?  If so, ask your program officer about applying for discretionary funds to support your group's travel.
  6. Share a hotel room with 3 friends.
  7. Set aside $15 from each of your paychecks from now until the event.
  8. Host a yard sale or a car wash.
  9. If your birthday is coming up, ask people to donate to your Our Power costs instead of giving you gifts.

 

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Newsletter April 22, 2014

April 29, 2014

EAT4Health Fellow Charity Hicks Presents in Washington, D.C.

Submitted by Charity Hicks

 As part of the Everybody at the Table for Health (EAT4HEALTH) initiative, on Monday April 7th, I presented a policy brief for equitable food & agricultural policy in Washington D.C.  The EAT4EHALTH initiative is a national food and agricultural policy project with focus in four local communities, Detroit, MI - San Antonio, TX - New Orleans, LA and Glassboro, NJ shaping federal policy to improve and enhance the quality of life of low-income communities of color.  Public policy at its core has to do with our tax dollars and the promotion of the general health, safety and welfare of all of us.  Examining the current conditions in Detroit and seeing the cross cutting issues which impact our community food system in Detroit the policy briefing focused on the significant intertwining of our environment, health and economy. [Continue reading...]

Giving Thanks to Our Semester in Detroit Intern Dominique Mathews

The University of Michigan has send us some pretty wonderful Interns over the past few years. And we are proud and honored for this trend to have continued with Dominique Mathews, who wrapped up her time with us last week. Dominique worked closely with the Young Educators Alliance to delve into a variety of social and environmental issues. 

On her last day, Dominique sat down with us to share a little about what she did and learned during her time here. Click here to view this short interview. 

Celebrating Mother Earth While Acknowledging Harm to Her

Today, April 22, marks the 44th year of Earth Day. And while we are grateful to have a day that invites us to consider our Great Mother,we know that conditions have worsened worldwide since 1970.  Land, air, water quality throughout the world have been compromised largely by practices of industrial pollutors.  Science now informs us of the connection between industrial CO2 and methane emissions and climate destabilization, which has led to some of the most extreme weather events experienced in modern history; weather events that have harmed people and families, destroyed communities, disrupted ecosystems, bankrupted economies and displaced many.  [Continue reading...] 

What We Have Our Eyes On

COMMUNITY MEETING: Detroit Renewable Power (owners of the incinerator) held a community meeting at the Palmer Court Townhomes on April 16.  There were about 15 or so attendees, including Palmer Court residents and folks from nearby organizations.  EMEAC was present as we are concerned about impacts to people and environmental health AND because our offices are in what we call the 'smell zone.' (Yes, we can smell it as far as Cass Ave.)  I write this because in the subtle use of language during this meeting, we were made to appear as though we were outsiders and not people directly impacted by the incinerator.  Some of highlights of the meeting include:

-- CEO O'Sullivan opened up with an overview of the incineration process as it happens at this facility.  He discussed the upgrades that Detroit Renewable Power (DRP) will make to the incinerator to eliminate odor pollution.  DRP awaits approval from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and hopes to begin construction in the fall of 2015.  When asked about what guarantees the community can have around odor pollution in the meantime, O'Sullivan responded that DRP sold $55 million in private placement bonds, most of which will be used for maintenance.  Also, the time it takes between receiving garbage to burning will be sped up to now allow for it to build up and cause odors.

--Meeting participants, which included residents and a few Zero Waste Detroit coalition members, raised some important points of concern.  Several concerns were raised about the health impacts of the incinerator on the community, particularly around asthma.  Alan Greenburg, Director of Environmental Affairs, offered that asthma was largely due to such factors home factors as moldy pipes and insect droppings, not so much environmental factors.  ZWD's Ahmina Maxey pointed out that there is a link between environmental pollutants and asthma, otherwise such governmental agencies as the EPA wouldn't have designated ozone action days (alerts that caution people with certain health conditions to not come outdoors due to poor air quality).   One woman shared that she just moved to the townhouses in October and the first time she smelled the odors coming from the incinerator, it made her sick and she coughed all the way home. 

--One person asked where DRP was in resolving odor violations with MDEQ.  O'Sullivan said that DRP developed a preliminary plan and presented it to MDEQ.  They now have to work out the details. 

How do we think the meeting went? Well, the best answer at this time is "we shall see."  Experience reminds us that many promises are made to community, but where profits are involved, our lives and health matter little.  We will continue working with allies and concerned folks to figure out what's best for our lives and the environment and bring about those solutions. 

 

OP Background

Background

EMEAC is a member and serves on the Steering Committee of the Climate Justice Alliance, a collaborative of community-based and movement support organizations uniting frontline communities to forge a scalable, socially and economically just transition away from unsustainable energy and false solutions to climate change.  In 2013, CJA launched a national Our Power campaign to win real solutions to the climate crisis.  One component of the campaign calls for spaces to be created for deeper work. Our Power Gatherings bring together frontline communities and allies to coordinate community-led action strategies that advance an ecologically resilient and economically just transition out of deadly, destructive, dirty development into new economic solutions based on healthy work that serves our communities, heals the planet and preserves our cultures. 

Our Power camp, Black Mesa
The first gathering was held at Black Mesa, AZ in June 2013 and focused on frontline communities impacted by coal: from coal extraction to false solutions promoted by industry, such as natural gas and clean coal.  The second gathering will be held in Detroit, June 2014, and is focused on scaling up the leadership and presence of youth and young adults in generating solutions for a just transition from reliance on exploitative, unsustainable practices and policies to those that are sustainable and nurture healthy communities. 

The next Our Power gathering will take place in Richmond, CA in August. 

 

OP Goals

Our Power Goals

The Our Power Detroit convening aims to fulfill the following goals:

 Our Power Campaign Goals
  • Build Relationships: Build relationships, develop the movement and facilitate ongoing communication of youth and young adult frontline community members committed to ecological well-being by sharing vision, analysis, critique, solutions, stories, strategies, victories, challenges and lessons learned. 
  • Expand the Base: Expand the base of youth and young adult participants and allies in the Just Transition campaign of CJA and evolve the campaign around their participation.
  • Share Strategies and Skills:  Through grassroots skills-shares, youth leadership and leadership development, intergenerational sharing, popular education and more, we will build our capacity to win on our own terms, building on our strengths. 
  • Show Our Power: Develop shared action plans and external communications that advance and interconnect local struggles through shared vision, strategies and frames. Support key frontline fights in Southeast Michigan through actions at the gathering, before and beyond, that demonstrates Our Power. 
Detroit Specific Goals

  • Highlight and build Our Power Detroit: Highlight Detroit’s strategies for bringing about a just transition locally and beyond.
  • Strengthen local leadership: Provide opportunities to expand and support Detroit youth and young adult leadership in environmental and climate justice movements. And create a space for them to strengthen their knowledge, voice and leadership for a movement that requires the participation of impacted community members of all ages for broader and deeper change.

 

Our Power Gathering


June 27 - 29, 2014

The EMEAC staff and young adult members of its Young Educators Alliance will bring together youth, students and young adults from working class, indigenous and people of color communities impacted by environmental injustices for a 3-day Our Power gathering in Detroit. Leadership for the EJ movement will be cultivated among the youth coordinating team members during the process of planning, implementing and evaluating the gathering, as well as among those who attend locally and nationally.  It is important to the Movement’s success that spaces and opportunities be created to allow for youths' vision, energy and generational wisdom to grow and sharpen.

The Our Power gathering is focused on scaling up the leadership and presence of youth and young adults in generating solutions for a Just Transition* from reliance on unsustainable, polluting, resource intensive practices and policies to those that are sustainable, renewable and nurture healthy communities. Specifically, we will discuss the health, environmental and climate impacts of polluting energy producing industries; collaboratively generate creative ways to address the negative impacts, while posing sustainable, renewable and non-exploitive alternatives; and define pathways to move this agreed upon work forward. 

Goals

Agenda

Background

Fundraising Tips

Registration (out of town guests) (Deadline May 23 30)

Registration (Detroit residents) (Deadline May 31)
 
 
Space is limited, so please register soon!
 

Please donate to help offset costs!


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Honoring Mother Earth

April 22, 2014

Today, April 22, marks the 44th year of Earth Day. And while we are grateful to have a day that invites us to consider our Great Mother,we know that conditions have worsened worldwide since 1970.  Land, air, water quality throughout the world have been compromised largely by practices of industrial pollutors.  Science now informs us of the connection between industrial CO2 and methane emissions and climate destabilization, which has led to some of the most extreme weather events experienced in modern history; weather events that have harmed people and families, destroyed communities, disrupted ecosystems, bankrupted economies and displaced many. 

On November 21, 2007, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm signed an environmental justice directive that recognized that "state government has an obligation to advance policies that foster environmental justice, social well-being, and economic progress."  This directive has not only stalled over the past 7 years, but the conditions have actually worsened. For example, on April 1, a series of bills was signed into law that allow the use of eminent domain--by companies--for the purpose of siting and constructing pipelines to carry carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery or carbon sequestration.  This law is harmful to the environment and the people who depend on it in several ways, including damage resulting from leakage and the fact that someone can destroy the land as part of a profit-making scheme.   Other examples of human health and environmental destruction facilitated abound in and around Detroit, including the toxic soup of industries in SW Detroit, the Detroit Intermodal Freight Terminal expansion, construction of a new bridge feeding into SW Detroit, proposed I-94 highway expansion, 3.1 mile trolley with a way station in the North End community, Detroit incinerator, Chrysler plant and numerous other polluting industries. 

There are many people and groups challenging these initiatives and companies directly and indirectly; together and alone.  The struggles around environmental justice and climate destabilization intersect with struggles around food, land, water access, privatization, gentrification, health, education and more.  Just as there are those "fighting against," there are many "fighting for" and "creating new."  Knowing what we are living in and up against can be heavy.  And conversely, knowing that we work alongside some of the toughest, most seasoned organizers, activists, concerned citizens, visionaries and more, we are encouraged and have tremendous hope. 

In honoring Mother Earth, we take time to acknowledge the pain and trauma that comes from breathing air that is polluted, eating food that is modified, having public spaces and the commons privatized and more. We acknowledge this. We also--perhaps simultaneously--draw strength and courage to define characteristics of a society that values life, map pathways to this new society, this new world, and begin building that world now.

It is in this way that we honor our Mother.  

 

Semester In Detroit Intern Dominique Mathews

The University of Michigan has sent us some pretty wonderful Interns over the past few years. And we are proud and honored for this trend to have continued with Dominique Mathews, who wrapped up her time with us last week. Dominique worked closely with the Young Educators Alliance to delve into a variety of social and environmental issues. In her closing interview, Dominique shares a bit about what she learned and experienced. 

We are glad to announce that not only will she soon graduate with a dual major in African American and Women's Studies, but she will also return to EMEAC in June as a 350.org Fossil Free Fellow.  When she returns, Dominique will help us continue planning the Our Power gathering, June 27-30, which is a national and local convening--of mainly youth and young adults--aimed at scaling up their leadership in the environmental and climate justice movements. 


 

EAT4Health Fellow Presents in Washington

As part of the Everybody at the Table for Health (EAT4HEALTH) initiative, on Monday April 7th, I presented a policy brief for equitable food & agricultural policy in Washington D.C.  The EAT4EHALTH initiative is a national food and agricultural policy project with focus in four local communities, Detroit, MI – San Antonio, TX - New Orleans, LA and Glassboro, NJ shaping federal policy to improve and enhance the quality of life of low-income communities of color.  Public policy at its core has to do with our tax dollars and the promotion of the general health, safety and welfare of all of us.  Examining the current conditions in Detroit and seeing the cross cutting issues which impact our community food system in Detroit the policy briefing focused on the significant intertwining of our environment, health and economy.

I presented on a food system refrained into energy and environmental frames because the largest energy footprint in the world is what we eat.  Barbara Kingsolver in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life stated; “Each food items in a typical U.S. meal has traveled an average of 1,500 miles....If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce we would reduce our country's oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week.” We can no longer separate our food and agricultural systems from our energy and environmental systems, good solutions solve multiple problems.  We need a multi-faceted view of our health, environmental and economic challenges to build greater synergy into lasting solutions.

In the policy brief I called for the full funding for local food system infrastructure via investments in FOOD HUBS, and smaller farming and urban agriculture operations to improve the local/regional sourcing of food for institutions and retail markets.  This is key to making sure we engage local food sourcing and eating in a more local/regional fresh food profile.  This has economic as well as environmental benefits.  To make for more systemic change in the federal policy arena, I also recommended that the federal government, share data and information across federal program mix to allow for local actors to build more synergy in meeting supply and demand mix, and eradicating food deserts in urban areas.  We will not have a vibrant local/regional food system without improving participation of small scale food system operations via focused actions to increase entry of new and young farmers in agricultural operations, and increase program utilization by including nontraditional agricultural operations in USDA programs which helps to support the production point.  We have been inundated with junk food & fast food messages which have increased our consuming of these highly processed foods, and contribute to an over burden of chronic conditions. We also, need to improve the investment in food & nutritional literacy and access to fresh/minimally processed foods in low-income communities to enhance health and well-being via focusing and tailoring messages, and programs from the “inside out” in communities.  In fostering a more relevant and health promoting federal policy space, we need to build a “National Performance Framework” for existing food system programs to check and evaluate for racial and economic disparities which trap populations in perpetual poverty, reduced quality of life and create significant barriers for small operators to fully participate in programs.  Economics play a key role in “food deserts” and low fresh food access communities.  The federal government should analyze all projects, programs and initiatives through the lens of poverty eradication and not just “poverty servicing”. Federal policy must be formed, implemented, and evaluated on how well it eradicates poverty and alleviate systemic economic disparities throughout the full food chain.  Lastly, we need to promote better environmental stewardship via funding bio/photo remediation of contaminated areas of urban, peri-urban and suburban lands which are brownfields, and superfund sites, which has hampered full ecological resilience in our postindustrial cities, and hampers efforts to develop urban & regional agriculture.

In Detroit we can no longer afford to contaminate our environment with 68 superfund sites, 281 facilities releasing toxic chemicals, poor air quality with high particulate matter well above national and state averages and soil contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury, lead, & cadmium.  The cumulative impact of this pollution is literally killing people. 

We must continue to work to empower the Detroit community to value the air, land and water ecology.  Our food system is directly nested in our environmental/ecological systems & worldwide energy footprint and in the JUST TRANSITION campaign we are calling for a transition from our extreme energy economy to a JUSTICE centered, localized, resilient economy.  Policy has a significant role to play in this shift towards resilience and must be leveraged to build transformative solutions. 

We are calling the full community to join the discussion, work and campaigns to help shift our food system and all of our public systems into a climate conscious, local/regional centering. We need solutions which will promote and enhance environmental justice, health & nutritional well-being, and economic equity.  This requires a triple bottom line food system which has justice in every element, our quality of life and the earth requires it.





 

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Welcome Local and National Allies!

April 7, 2014

Welcome national and local allies!!!

We are excited to host the Grassroots Global Justice Alliance's membership assembly from April 10-13 at the Cass Corridor Commons.  It is not too late for you to learn about and contribute to this exciting event. 

While our allies are here, we are hosting a couple of additional events aimed at bringing together local and national allies, friends, supporters and neighbors.  Please mark your calendars!

Panel Discussion: Envisioning a Just Transition in the 21st Century

REVISED 4/9/14 at 5:04pm
Movement-building organizers and activists from Detroit will engage GGJ members and friends in an intergenerational conversation about Detroit's history, the current crises facing the city, and how local organizers are using the frame of a Just Transition to build a stronger and more resilient city. Panel participants will share how their work challenges existing inequities and issues, while offering new solutions and building community resilience. Confirmed panelists include: Rhonda Anderson (Community activist and Sierra Club Detroit), Shane Bernardo (Earthworks Urban Garden), Antonio Cosme (Graffiti artist, gardener, activist, organizer), Kezia Curtis (Fender Bender Detroit), Vincent Martin (Community resident and activist), and Reverend Joan Ross (North End Woodward Community Coalition). National and international respondents will comment on what they will have heard and draw connections with national and international work and movements. EMEAC Co-Director Ife Kilimanjaro will serve as moderator. 

Date: Friday April 11
Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm
Location: Cass Corridor Commons Sanctuary, 4605 Cass Ave. (Please enter through the parking lot off Forest)
Agenda:
  6:30pm  Welcome
  6:35pm  Moderator's comments/opening
  6:45pm  Panelist's presentations
  7:25pm  Response by national and international allies
  7:30pm  Question/Answer
  7:55pm  Closing remarks

Just Transition is a broad frame that outlines our commitment in practice to co-create the transition from a polluting, resource-intensive, extractive/exploitive economy to clean, sustainable ones. It encompasses our commitment and efforts to lift up and contribute to building local, living economies that foster community resilience and bring about lasting change. We've adopted this Just Transition frame and practice because history and experience have taught us that rather than investing the overwhelming majority of time in putting out fires--that is, reactively addressing injustices as they arise--we must shift our work to be proactive in co-creating the world we want and need. 

Fundraising Social Gathering and Party

Join us at the D. Blair Theater for some powerful sounds of local hip hop artists and poets.  This will be a dope fundraiser...so join us!!!

 

EMEAC Programs

March 24, 2014

EMEAC's Programs and New Direction


EMEAC's Just Transition Plan

We build community power through environmental justice education, youth development, and collaborative relationship building.

EMEAC carries out its work in a city that is home to some of the nation’s worst extreme energy offenders, including the country’s largest incinerator and one of the largest tar sands refinery expansions.
  • Highest urban rate for asthma in children * contributing factor Trash to Energy Incenerator
  • Largest Waste water treatment plant at peak flow, that violates the clean water act everytime it rains. * need more green infrastructure deployment
  • hundred of brownfields and superfund sites from legacy corporate polluters with significant mercury, lead and cadium in top soils.

There is opportunity to build on the momentum of work taking place in Detroit to move away from investing in these dirty energy sources and toward a clean energy future.  

There are three main strategies that we will employed to build community resilience in Detroit’s climate JUST TRANSTION: youth, family and community led organizing; political education; and trans-local network building to build new and grassroots economies.  Each is described further below.

Youth, Family and Community Organizing

There is a tradition in Detroit of challenging injustices that stretches back decades.  We want to carry this legacy into the present and future by cultivating a core of youth organizers who can play a critical role in bringing about positive change in Detroit. 

Organizing Youth: Youth organizers will be trained as organizers in practice (by actually learning-while-doing) and through organizing exchanges with youth from ally organizations.   Concretely, youth will organize communities around the incinerator and along the I-94 corridor (site of the proposed highway expansion) about the impacts of pollution on their health, the environment and the climate, which directly impacts health and food and clean water access.  

Organizing Families: Through our Greener Schools and CHIRP work we will continue to develop an in-school, food education kitchen where parents and students can participate in workshops designed to teach about food justice and food security, making healthy choices and cooking nutritious meals.  

Policy Briefs:  Staff and members prepared policy briefs to share with national legislators in which she called for the full funding for local food system infrastructure via investments in food hubs and smaller farming and urban agriculture operations to improve the local/regional sourcing of food for institutions and retail markets.  

Political Education

Power Mapping: As part of the Detroit just transition efforts, mapping power relationships in the areas of environment, climate and food are necessary to develop an effective policy, organizing and action agenda that leads to change.  

Cass Corridor Commons University:  The Commons University (CCCU) is a collaborative between community, partners, Wayne State, University of Michigan and MSU comprised of community-based learning enriched course work that encouraging students to apply the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to the pressing issues that affect our local communities. Working with faculty members and community leaders, students develop research projects, collect and analyze data, and share their results and conclusions, not just with their professors, but also with organizations and agencies that can make use of the information. 
Universidad Sin Fronteras (University without Boarders):  In order to provide political and popular education and skills development training, Southwest Workers Union established an in-house organizing leadership justice institute early in 2003.  This educational work and leadership development has evolved and grown into the University Sin Fronteras founded in 2010.  EMEAC is the Detroit site and anchor for UNSIF.  UNSIF course will include food justice, discussion and round tables educating community members and University students on food related policy and practices.

Youth Educators Alliance:  A group of community members were brought together to participate in dialogues and planning sessions in their communities that focused on raising awareness about issues of environmental justice, food justice, education justice, community empowerment and how to frame them by developing their own media narratives.  Interactive sessions have assumed various forms since the first one was held in April 2011. 


Green Screen Youth Environmental Film Festival: Each year Remedia also sponsors the Annual EMEAC Greenscreen Film Festival where students across southeast Michigan showcase films with environmental themes. The work of these young filmmakers express what they think is most crucial to their health and to the natural environment. Some films also focus on making the world (or their school or neighborhood) more environmentally healthier. The festival is a celebration of youth voice and emerging environmentalism.  The short films, created entirely by young artists and aspiring young activists, span environmental and social consciousness. The films are judged for cinematic merit, relevance to Southeastern Michigan, and creative messaging.  The panel of judges included independent directors, environmental activists, a youth activist, and a journalist.  Now in its fifth year, EMEAC gets statewide inquiries about this exciting event, as well as requests for film making workshops and demonstrations year round.