Spring is here with a slew of environmental justice community events including:
Around Mobile Bay:
A Day For Science – April 14, 9a-12p @ Bienville Square downtown Mobile
MEJAC will have a table at March for Science Mobile’s inaugural A Day For Science for their FREE march, rally, and science fair from 9a-12p. Join us for a sign contest, science booths, Keynote Speakers Dr. Kristine DeLong and Ben Raines, and a parade for science! Kid-friendly! We’ll be sharing details about our air quality monitoring work. Click here for the Facebook Event page.
2018 Justice Leadership Summit – April 18-20 @ Kazoola’s & The Bright Spot
MEJAC is encouraging your attendance at this amazing annual event! This year’s Justice Leadership Summit falls on the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, which was only passed due to the pressure that followed the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr in Memphis in 1968. 2018’s theme is “50 Years of Fair Housing: It’s Time to Educate, Agitate and Litigate”. Scholarships are available!! Register ASAP!
Hosted for almost a decade annually by the South Alabama Center for Fair Housing, this year’s summit will feature local and regional leaders facilitating discussion on a variety of hot-button issues including:
- The State of Civil Asset Forfeiture in Alabama
- The Housing and Economic Impacts of the New Federal Tax Codes
- The Latest with the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing and Community Reinvestment Act Federal Rules
- The Connections Between Housing and Mental Health
- The Usefulness of Liberation Centers in Community Building
- How We Make More Room for Immigrants at our Community Tables
- Environmental Justice and Climate Change Work in the Gulf South
- How to Stay Civically Engaged in Politically Uncertain Times
Wednesday evening will see an Elder’s Circle in downtown Mobile at Kazoola, the only black-owned business on Lower Dauphin. Thursday and Friday daytimes will be spent at The Bright Spot in very informative workshops and plenary discussion. Click here for the Facebook Event page.
2018 Earth Day Mobile Bay – April 21, 10am-6pm @ the Fairhope Pier Park
MEJAC will have a table at this year’s Earth Day Mobile Bay, as well. The all-day event on the eastern shore Fairhope Pier Park is FREE and features live music, food, unique vendors, an environmental film festival, and lots of ideas about how to get involved with a cleaner and healthier future! Kid-friendly! Free parking with all day shuttle service is available at the Big Lots parking lot at Green Rd & Fairhope Ave. Click here for the Facebook Event page.
MEJAC Regular Meeting – Thursday, April 26, 2018, 1-3pm @ St John’s Episcopal Church
MEJAC typically meets twice a month in person to conduct business at St John’s Episcopal Church, 1707 Government Street, Mobile, Alabama 36604. We meet at this time due to its convenience for our Africatown elder leadership and at this place due to the meeting resources to which it affords us access. However, if this time doesn’t work for you and you are interested in participating in our work, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We have made public presentations about our work to college, civic, and religious groups, as well, so if you have a group you’d like us to address, give us a shout!
And elsewhere:
Equity Summit 2018 – April 11-13, Chicago, Illinois
MEJAC President Ramsey Sprague will be attending the PolicyLink Equity Summit 2018 in Chicago, Illinois 4/11-13 as part of the Moving Forward Network (MFN) delegation. MEJAC joined MFN last year to partner in its mission “to transform the global trade system by supporting the organizing, advocacy, education and research efforts of partners around the United States toward improving public health, quality of life, environmental integrity, labor conditions and environmental justice”. MFN is a grassroots-driven resource network of environmental justice advocacy groups in port cities. In addition to his MFN delegation representation, Ramsey will also help co-facilitate the “Leading the Resistance: Translocal Campaigns for Climate Justice” forum on Thursday 4/12 over lunch. Definitely reach out if you’ll be there!
See you around!