The East Trenton Collaborative, in partnership with Isles Inc., Lead-Free NJ, Urban Promise Trenton, WE ACT, and the South Ward Environmental Alliance, hosts “Environmental Justice: Storytelling for Systems Change,” a community listen and learn session designed to center environmental justice stories and create pathways for meaningful change on Saturday, August 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Isles Social Profit Center, at 1 North Johnston Avenue, Hamilton. Community members can register for the free event by visiting tinyurl.com/ETClistenandlearn.
“Our children are our future, and we must do everything possible to ensure they have a fair chance at success,” said Shereyl Snider, community organizer with the East Trenton Collaborative and Lead Advocate for Trenton’s Lead-FreeNJ community hub. “Exposure to lead toxins is preventable. All we need to do is be proactive instead of reactive and Get The Lead Out of our soil, water, paint, and homes.”
The event aims to address the critical question “How do we break down silos of oppressive systems?” by achieving two primary goals. These are listening, to hear the lived experiences from residents in environmental justice communities; and learning, to create pathways forward for change.
The day-long event will feature:
Community Stories: Real-life testimonials from residents living in environmental justice communities, including presentations by community partners and a featured video story highlighting lead impact in Trenton.
Organizing for Change: Educational sessions on lead contamination in Trenton communities, featuring presentations by Sean Stratton, a PhD candidate at Rutgers whose research focuses on reducing lead exposure in Trenton, on organizing efforts; and Anthony Diaz from the Newark Water Coalition on lead service line replacement initiatives.
Leadership and Action: National environmental justice leader Kim Gaddy will share insights on grassroots organizing and community action strategies.
Messages of Hope: Harrison Watson from Isles will discuss policy developments and next steps for community advocacy efforts.
The event specifically focuses on environmental justice communities, defined as areas composed predominantly of persons of color or substantial proportions of persons below the poverty line who are subjected to disproportionate burdens of environmental hazards and experience significantly reduced quality of life.
The East Trenton Collaborative, which operates out of the East Trenton Community Center, serves as one of only four Lead-FreeNJ community hubs in New Jersey, working to educate residents about lead dangers and collaborate on lead contamination removal efforts throughout the Trenton community. The ETC engages partners, supports businesses, and builds the power of residents to make East Trenton a great place to live, work, and play. Isles serves as the lead agency operating the East Trenton Collaborative, providing strategic leadership and administrative support.
Learn more at www.isles.org and www.east-trenton.org.
