Join Kenilworth Union’s Green Team and Racial Justice Committee for this Earth Month event diving into the history of environmental justice and how people of faith can advocate for a more just future today. Faith in Place’s Pastor Scott Onqué and Veronica Kyle presented and the Green Team’s Chair, King Poor, moderated the event.
Connecting the Dots from King Poor, Green Team Chair
Since our January, the Green Team has worked with our Racial Justice Committee and our statewide umbrella organization, Faith in Place, to put together an online program for Earth Week called Environmental Justice: Connecting the Dots. This program was presented this past Monday, April 19. It was the first in a three-part series—the next two presented by the RJC on April 26 and May 10.
Our speakers were Veronica Kyle, the Outreach Director of Faith in Place and Pastor Scott Onqué, the senior minister of the St. Luke’s Missionary Baptist Church on the southside of Chicago and the Director of Policy for Faith in Place.
Veronica Kyle and Pastor Onqué provided us with a thoughtful and thoughtful-provoking presentation. They not only connected the dots, but painted for us a vivid picture of the meaning of Environmental Justice for Earth Week.
After explaining the history of the environmental justice movement, they provided us examples of environmental injustice. From Verona’s early years in Anniston, Alabama and Pastor Onqué’s days near Newark, to the “toxic donut” surrounding the Altgeld Gardens on Chicago’s Southeast Side, to the problems of lead pollution, these examples showed us just some of what’s at stake, often for communities of color.
The program concluded with ways to make a difference and provided us with examples of legislative initiatives such as the Clean Energy Jobs Act and efforts to remediate lead from buildings and water pipes.
We’re grateful to Veronica and Pastor Onqué and the whole Faith in Place team for expanding our horizons on Environmental Justice.
Expand your horizons on Environmental Justice by watching the video above.