Event Description
What is environmental justice? Why is environmental justice important to you? For over 30 years, the environmental justice movement has been fighting the disproportionate risks that pollution poses to low-income populations and communities of color. Join us for a free, virtual discussion on Zoom as we examine how environmental justice matters to us and our community.
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Moderator - Kimberly Godfrey
Kimberly Godfrey is the Manager of Social Justice Programs, featuring our Women In Natural Sciences (WINS) Program. She has been with the program and the Academy for 6.5 Years. Her Bachelor’s is in Marine Biology, but she has spent the last 16.5 years working in environmental education. The WINS Program is an after-school, science enrichment program that focuses on the natural sciences, college and career prep, and positive youth development for high school girls of the Philadelphia School District.
Panelist - Saleem Chapman
Saleem serves as Philadelphia's first Chief Resilience Officer. In this role, he oversees the creation and implementation of climate preparedness and resilience strategies. Before joining the City of Philadelphia, Saleem amassed a vast array of experience in the sustainability field, including professional work in urban policy analysis, environmental justice, and sustainable economic development.
Panelist - Jerome Shabazz
Jerome Shabazz is the founder and Executive Director of JASTECH Development Services, Inc. A not-for-profit organization developed in 1998, to promote environmental justice; encourage sustainable design and to ensure public health resources in urban communities. In 2002, JASTECH applied for and received a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant under the Clean Water Act to establish the Overbrook Environmental Education Center (OEEC), a community-based center dedicated to preserving our built and natural environments.
Panelist - Ebony Griffith
Ebony H. Griffin joined the Public Interest Law Center in June of 2017 as the staff attorney for environmental justice. Ms. Griffin focuses on projects that support low-income, historically disinvested communities and communities of color in advocating effectively for sustainable and equitable neighborhoods. Her current work includes representing community groups facing unwanted development (such as the recent completion of a community benefits agreement between Wynnefield Residents’ Association and PECO, and the ongoing Eastwick Advocacy and Community Development project), the Garden Justice Legal Initiative, and representing communities seeking relief from pollution and environmental racism. Currently, Ms. Griffin serves as an appointed member of the Mayor’s Food Policy Advisory Commission (FPAC), co-chair of FPAC’s Urban Agriculture Subcommittee, and a member of the City of Philadelphia’s Environmental Justice Working Group.
This event is part of the Academy's Environmental Justice Week. Join us for a week of digital programs that define and explore environmental justice to commemorate the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Click here for details. |
