Week 9: America Divided

Environmental Justice

Two National Organizations - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Wildlife Federation (NWF)

-The EPA is an agency of the Federal Government that has enforced environmental regulations based on laws passed by congress

-The NWF has addressed environmental justice by seeking balanced, common-sense solutions to environmental problems that work for wildlife and people."

Two Local (Statewide) organizations - Sierra Club- Maryland Chapter & Howard County Conservancy  

- The Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club focuses on protecting the state's natural and wildlife resources, monitoring legislation, sponsoring outings, and educating the public about pressing environmental issues. They are addressing environmental justice by coordinating conservation campaigns

-The Conservancy, originally founded in 1990 as a private, nonprofit land trust, today has a dual mission of preserving land in Howard County MD and provides educational programs to educate children and adults about our natural world, preserve the land and its legacy for future generations and model responsible stewardship of our environment. 

Racism 

Two National Organizations: YWCA & ColorofChange.org 

-YWCA  is a national organization that has fought against racism, works to bring racial justice and raises awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism in communities. Their campaign has attracted over 250,000 participants and has earned the endorsements of five U.S. Governors

- ColorofCHange,org has empowered members, allies and black Americans to make government more responsive to the concerns  of Black Americans and bring about positive political and social change for everyone.

Two Local (Statewide) organizations: Black Lives Matter Organization & Baltimore United for Change (BUC)

- #BlackLivesMatter Organization- This organization has started an online forum to build connections between Black people and allies to fight anti-black racism and to facilitate the types of connection necessary to encourage social action and engagement. They have organized protests in local communities and have brought awareness to police brutality.

- (BUC) is a coalition of organizations and activists in Baltimore that have a record of working for social justice. They came together three days after the murder of Freddie Gray, and have trained communities about their legal rights in civil disobedience training. Also, they have raised money to bail out individuals raising over $100,000 for jail support.