Black History Month was especially poignant this year, given the unprecedented assault on DEI initiatives and racial justice overall emanating from D.C. Read on to learn more about NYC-EJA’s February advocacy and unrelenting work to advance environmental and climate justice. | |
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CUNY and NYC-EJA co-host the 1st CUNY-wide, student centered
Climate Justice Summit
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More than 230 City University of New York (CUNY) students across many campuses and 400 total individuals attended the first-ever, student-centered CUNY-wide environmental justice and Climate Justice Summit convened by the NYC Climate Justice Hub. Co-managed by CUNY and NYC-EJA, the NYC Climate Justice Hub brought together many of NYC-EJA’s member organizations, CUNY faculty, and other partners for a full day focused on the community-driven academic research partnerships and other Hub collaborations initiated since our September 2023 launch. The Climate Justice Summit was geared towards CUNY students who wanted to learn more about the Hub and how to be involved in supporting NYC-EJA and our members and allies climate justice campaigns in New York City and State.
The Summit featured an opening Keynote by NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, a video from NYS Attorney General Letitia James, 24 panelists and presenters and 15 poster sessions representing the work completed by over 89 CUNY students, CUNY faculty/staff, and the staff of NYC-EJA member organizations across the NYC Climate Justice Hub’s three core programs.
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Close Rikers Panel and a Visit to Weeksville Heritage Center | |
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L-R: Edwin Santana, Lezandre Khadu, Dr. Divine
Pryor, Michael Higgins Jr., and Darren Mack.
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The NYC-EJA team at Weeksville Heritage Center. | |
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On February 4th, NYC-EJA’s Land Use Planner Michael Higgins Jr. participated in a panel at the Weeksville Heritage Center about the status of the Renewable Rikers Act – passed in 2019 in response to grassroots organizing – to close the Rikers Island jails, and how the city can reinvest in communities and move towards a Renewable Rikers vision. Michael was joined by Freedom Agenda's co-director Darren Mack, organizer and film-maker Edwin Santana, member and impacted mother Lezandre Khadu and Dr. Divine Pryor, CEO of the People’s Police Academy. They shared their personal experiences and engagements with the Close Rikers campaign as well as visions for the future with Renewable Rikers.
Later in the month, the NYC-EJA team visited Weeksville Heritage Center to learn more about one of America's first free black communities during the 19th century. The Center also hosted an exhibit titled "Torture Island: Past, Present, Future" by the Rikers Public Memory Project throughout the month of February.
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Rally to Protect Local Law 97 | |
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On February 13th, ahead of the City Council Stated meeting, Climate Works for All coalition partners rallied on the steps of City Hall with Councilmembers De La Rosa, Nurse, and Marte in support of Int 1180-2025, a new bill introduced by Councilmembers De La Rosa and Restler. This bill would set a limit on the amount of Renewable Energy Credits that building owners could purchase to meet their emissions reduction targets as set under Local Law 97 of 2019. The intention of this bill is to encourage on-site building retrofits, a direct reduction in harmful air pollutants, and the creation of thousands of related jobs, thereby upholding the original intent of Local Law 97 to decarbonize NYC's most polluting sector (buildings).
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Clean Deliveries Coming to a Doorstep Near You! | |
Rally for a Close Rikers Budget | |
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Ahead of the City Council Criminal Justice Committee's Preliminary Budget hearing on March 7th, join our Renewable Rikers partners Freedom Agenda, to insist on a budget that supports the closure of Rikers by moving resources from the bloated Department of Correction to crucial community needs. NYC runs the most richly funded (and richly staffed) jail system in the country while consistently delivering the worst results. And yet this year the Mayor has plans to grow the Department of Corrections’ inflated budget while cutting funding for alternatives to incarceration and re-entry services and refusing to scale up funding for housing and mental health treatment. This proposed budget is a recipe for keeping Rikers open. Read more about DOC's budget, and how it can be reinvested in our communities.
We urge everyone who can to testify at the hearing or submit written testimony. Here's a Close Rikers testimony guide and a Renewable Rikers testimony guide.
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On March 20 at 11 AM, tune in to a webinar hosted by the PEAK Coalition on Con Edison's proposal to jack up your electricity bills. Con Edison has proposed to increase electric rates by 11.4% to raise an additional $1.6 Billion dollars in revenues and increase the utility's profit by $190 million dollars. In this webinar, we will break down the components and regulatory processes for public input, and how the PEAK Coalition plans to challenge unjust rate hikes.
Register for the webinar here!
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NYC’s mayoral race is heating up, and we must make climate, jobs, and environmental justice a leading issue for candidates and our communities! As Trump rolls back critical climate initiatives, we have opportunities to make a real difference at the local level.
Join us on Monday, March 31 at 6:30PM to hear the Mayoral candidates' plans to address climate and environmental injustice in NYC.
Location: CUNY School of Law, 2 Court Square W, Long Island City, NY 11101.
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PSA: NYC-EJA is now on Bluesky! | |
As of January 2025, NYC-EJA is shifting our communications strategy and will be gradually transitioning off X. Going forward, we will be posting more regularly on BlueSky. Follow us at nycejalliance.bsky.social for regular campaign updates, press features and event notifications! | |
Be sure to check for more exciting news from NYC-EJA about our ongoing work, on our website, on social media, and in future newsletters! And if you like what you read, please consider making a tax-exempt donation to support our work. | | | | |
