On Indigenous Peoples Day 2021, WURD Radio hosted its Third Annual ecoWURD Environmental Justice Summit at Bartram’s Garden.
This year’s summit kicked off with a welcome blessing by David Hughes, headman at The Eagle Medicine Band of Cherokee Indians, and a conversation with Reality Check host and ecoWURD Founder & Managing Editor Charles Ellison and Zulene Mayfield, founder of Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living. Ellison then led two thoughtful panel discussions. The first, which featured Ogbonna Hagins of Philly Green Man, Pennsylvania State Rep. Chris Rabb, Drexel University researcher Alexis Wiley and Clean Water Action Eastern Pennsylvania director Maurice Sampson, discussed how we respond to climate crisis impacts in Philadelphia, especially the impacts of bad air quality, flooding and heat waves on Black communities. The second, which included panelists North Philly Peace Park co-founder Tommy Joshua, Philadelphia City Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier and Terrill Haigler (Ya Fav Trashman on Instagram), explored the relationship between violence and the environment — and how we make clean, green, livable and safe spaces in Black communities the everyday standard.
In case you missed it, check out photos and highlights from the summit, as well as complete recordings of Mayfield’s keynote and both panel discussions.
See highlights from ecoWURD’s 2021 Environmental Justice Summit
Hear Zulene Mayfield’s keynote speech
Watch Panel 1: “Here’s How Philly Prepares for Climate Crisis"
Watch Panel 2: “Centering Violence Prevention Around Nature”
Many thanks to summit sponsors The Energy Co-op, Alliance for Watershed Education, PECO, Keystone First, Bank of America, Solarize Philly, Spectrum Health and Wells Fargo. The summit also was supported by the Independence Public Media Foundation and the Solutions Journalism Network.
