Episode 4: “The Fight for Justice Lives On! #MLK50” [April 3, 2018]

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Episode 4: #MLK50: The fight for justice lives on

Broadcast Date: April 3, 2018

Broadcast Time: 6:00pm ET / 3:00pm PT

Episode Guests:

Rev Leo Woodberry, Climate Justice & Energy Equity Activist
Damien Jones, Environmental Justice Outreach Advocate, Union of Concerned Scientists

Overview

The dream did not die on the balcony. Rev Yearwood and Mustafa Santiago Ali take us to the intersection of civil rights, and environmental and economic justice with two guests fighting the good fight. Legendary Climate Justice and Energy Equity Activist Reverend Leo Woodberry and Environmental Justice Outreach Advocate for the Union of Concerned Scientists Damien Thaddeus Jones add their voices to Think 100% – The Coolest Show On Climate Change.

In Think 100% Episode 4, broadcasting the evening before the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King, we will explore the intersectionality of civil rights, and environmental and economic justice.

Join the Conversation! This show is of, by, and for the people – so we need to hear from you! You are vital in the process to improve our communities now and protect future generations. Join the conversation and submit questions for the show using#Think100 on Twitter and be sure to tag us @HipHopCaucus

Episode Guests

Reverend Leo Woodberry was born and raised in New York City. There he became involved with community organizing at an early age, as a student organizer. He currently oversees and operates the Strategic Planning Division of Woodberry & Associates. With over 20 years’ experience managing non-profit and for profit organizations, Reverend. Woodberry has accumulated a wealth of knowledge, partnerships, alliances and expertise in the environmental justice movement. He became involved in environmental work in the 1990s with the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, around there issue of mercury emissions and advisories. He joined the newly formed African American Environmental Justice Action Network (AAEJAN) in 1994. AAEJAN was instrumental in uniting people of color across America, and in influencing the Ford Foundation and other philanthropic entities to support people of color communities disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards.

Reverend Woodberry has also worked with a host of other organizations such as the; Southern Organizing Committee (SOC), The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice at Xavier University of Louisiana, The Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University, The Environmental Protection Agency NEJAC (Region Four), SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, The National Wildlife Federation, SC Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, Coastal Carolina League, South East Climate Network, Green Faith, Clemson Education and Research Center, Francis Marion University, WEACT, Advancing Equity and Opportunities, Agricultural Missions, Inc. and a host of other organizations. He has and continues to work in the areas of; water, air, as well as renewable and sustainable energy issues with the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

In August 2001, Leo Woodberry attended the United Nations Conference on Racism and Xenophobia in Durban South Africa. There he presented a paper on the HIV AIDS epidemic entitled “The New Trade Triangle” and was a contributor to the resultant environmental statement added and adopted to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and subsequently signed by 161 countries. Reverend Woodberry works with NGOs certified with the United Nations Civil Society Organization. Woodberry & Associates has offices located in Florence, SC. Reverend Woodberry attended Francis Marion University and The University of South Carolina. He retired from AT&T after 20 years of service and received three Vice Presidential Corporate awards. The SC State Senate also presented him with an award in recognition of his community service. Reverend Woodberry is the pastor of Kingdom Living Temple, Executive Director of New Alpha Community Development Corporation in Florence, SC, and a member of the SC Environmental Justice Network.

Damien Thaddeus Jones currently serves as Environmental Justice Outreach Advocate for the Union of Concerned Scientists. He is an activist, inspirational speaker, and thought leader who deploys faith, popular culture, and civic engagement as tools to empower everyday people. As an award-winning leader, Damien cut his teeth as a grassroots activist in Houston as co-founder of the civil rights group Houston Justice and evolved into a national advocate for liberty and justice for all communities. Damien led campaigns related to criminal justice reform, climate justice, and most recently helped organize over 200 HBCU leaders’ historic involvement in the 2017 People’s Climate March.

He previously served as Program Coordinator of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Leadership Institute where he prepared the next generation to take its place in the fields of community service and policy development and increased the pool of young African American leaders in public service careers and public policy positions. Damien, a veteran of the United States Air Force, is regularly called upon by the media for his innovative opinions on politics, popular culture, leadership, and social justice. Damien is the author of The 25 Undeniable Laws of Greatness: A Guide to Living Your Best Life, a handbook for optimal living. An engaging national speaker, he conducts keynote presentations for corporations and conferences.

Follow Damien on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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March 28, 2018March 30, 2018

Hip Hop Caucus and Powerful Coalition Launch “Boot Pruitt” Campaign

New coordinated effort aims to force Scott Pruitt, the embattled EPA administrator under multiple investigations, from office

To join the campaign to Boot Pruitt visit us online at www.BootPruitt.com or follow us on Twitter at @BootPruitt and #BootPruitt.

Washington D.C. – Ten of the nation’s largest and most influential environmental groups today launched a coordinated campaign to drive Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt from office, calling him a dire threat to Americans’ health and our environment.

The ‘’Boot Pruitt” campaign issued this statement explaining why Pruitt must go:

“The time has come. In just over one year, Scott Pruitt has taken dozens of actions to ensure the EPA fails in its mission to protect our health and environment; allowed major industrial polluters to dramatically increase the amount of mercury, arsenic, lead and other toxins they can dump into our air and water; turned his back on the dangers from climate change; stamped out science and silenced EPA’s scientists; and wreaked all this damage while spending lavishly on himself, prompting several investigations into ethical breaches. Mr. Pruitt has unquestionably failed the people he’s meant to protect, and failed the standard of ethical conduct required of a public official. We are standing together and standing up for the millions of children and families being exposed to deadly pollution by Scott Pruitt’s dangerous policies.

“Scott Pruitt is unfit for office. His dirty dealings have wasted hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars and endangered the health of millions of Americans across our country. He must go. The ‘Boot Pruitt’ campaign will give voice to the overwhelming number of Americans who disapprove of Pruitt’s actions to put polluters first, highlight the real struggles of communities struggling under Pruitt’s toxic policies, and enlist support for forcing Pruitt from office before he can do more harm and hurt more Americans. It’s time to Boot Pruitt.”

The 10 launch partners are: Hip Hop Caucus, Defend Our Future, Green For All, GreenLatinos, Center For American Progress Action Fund, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, Environmental Defense Fund, and Friends of the Earth.

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March 20, 2018December 16, 2020

Episode 2: “Uniting Our Power for Positive Change” [March 20, 2018]

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Episode Overview

The environmental movement needs to unite and become broader to reach its full potential. Hosts Rev Yearwood and Mustafa Santiago Ali talk breaking down silos between progressive movements in order to build a more diverse, impactful movement. Former EPA Administrator Carol Browner, Equitable Solutions Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice Vernice Miller-Travis, and GreenLatinos Executive Vice President and COO Amanda Aguirre join the conversation on Think 100% – The Coolest Show On Climate Change.

Topics Covered

Breaking down silos between movements: Dream Act, March For Our Lives, Climate Justice
Women’s History Month: diversity and inclusion within the green movement
Recent extreme attacks on the Environmental Protection Agency in perspective
Shout outs and Actions you can take

Join the Conversation

This show is of, by, and for the people – so we need to hear from you! You are vital in the process to improve our communities now and protect future generations. Join the conversation and submit questions for the show using#Think100 on Twitter and be sure to tag us @HipHopCaucus

Guests

Carol M. Browner is the former Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency during the Clinton Administration, serving from 1993-2001. Browner also served as the director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy during the Obama Administration, where she oversaw the coordination of environmental, energy, climate, transport, and related policy across the U.S. federal government. She now is a Senior Counselor at the Albright Stonebridge Group, and serves as chair of the Board of the League of Conservation Voters.

Vernice Miller-Travis is the Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Equitable Development at Skeo Solutions. She also is a part of Skeo’s Community Planning and Revitalization team. With 30 years of fighting for environmental justice throughout the United States, Miller-Travis is a recognized leader in both civil rights and environmental enforcement. Her work supports federal, state, local and neighborhood efforts to advance community revitalization via brownfields and Superfund site remediation and redevelopment, urban waters restoration and area-wide planning through collaborative problem solving, building cultural competence, and cross-cultural conflict mediation. Twitter: @HarlemGirl59 Skeo Solutions Twitter: @skeosolutions Web: skeo.com

Amanda Aguirre is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of GreenLatinos. Amanda has built a career that spans high-level national community organizing, coalition building, policy advocacy, political campaigns, and grassroots organizing. Amanda has experience in policy and public engagement at the White House and EPA, most recently serving the Director of Public Engagement at the Climate Action Campaign, and prior to that served as EPA’s Acting Director of Public Engagement and Environmental Education in the Obama Administration. Through her work with local and national Latino groups, federal agencies, state and local government, and advocacy organizations she comes with a wealth of expertise and strong personal commitment to serve the GreenLatinos membership. Twitter: @GreenLatinos Website: GreenLatinos.org

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March 20, 2018March 20, 2018

Mustafa Santiago Ali Op-Ed in Blavity: “Get Into Good Trouble”

John Lewis’s Advice For Defending Our Health and the EPA: ‘Get Into Good Trouble’

Mustafa calls out the environmental injustice and disservice the Trump Administration is exhibiting by its attempts to undermine the public health protections and programs many families of color rely on.

This article was originally posted March 19, 2018, on Blavity.com

In 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) celebrated the 20th anniversary of a historic Presidential Executive Order (E.O.12898) declaring action on environmental justice. The guest of honor was Congressman John Lewis, a legendary civil rights champion and an environmental justice advocate. In 1992, he introduced the Environmental Justice Act, the first piece of legislation dedicated to abolishing racial disparities, environmental protection applications. Soon after, the environmental justice program at EPA was established—an office I worked in for almost 25 years.

But given the Trump administration’s intentional neglect of the most basic of EPA’s mandates, I left the agency, and joined the Hip Hop Caucus. We and our partners are committed to transforming our communities from ‘surviving to ‘thriving’. And that means defending against the injustices of pollution and disinvestment.

And the truth is, some injustices are easier to see, like signs hanging above a water fountain or on a bathroom door. Under the surface, systemic harm disproportionately undermining black and brown families continues to fester, demands more thoughtful attention than ever before.

Let’s take the tragic story of Freddie Gray, for example. It’s been a few years since young Freddie Gray died in the back of a police van in Baltimore, Maryland. His death sparked conversation about police brutality, and the criminal justice system. But the untold story is one of unfair environmental harm. It turns out, Freddie grew up in the projects in Baltimore, and was exposed to lead paint chips as a child. Science tells us that exposure to lead at that age seriously inhibits brain development, leading to increased academic struggles and higher rates of youth run-ins with the law. We currently have over one million kids who are suffering from lead poisoning.

When the Trump Administration undermines public health protections and programs families like Freddie’s rely on, communities of color suffer the most. Our safety and our health the first rung on any letter of opportunity. The President and his backers have posed historically deep cuts to cornerstone environmental justice programs and the stripping of grant dollars dedicated to ensuring safe water to drink and clean air to breathe, all while our children suffer from more asthma, our families are exposed to more toxic chemicals, and our neighborhoods deal with higher levels of contaminated water.

A recent investigation into water contamination around the country identified more than 3,000 neighborhood areas with recently recorded childhood lead poisoning rates at least double those found across Flint, Michigan, during the peak of that city’s water contamination a few years ago. In fact, more than 1,000 of those ‘hotspots’ have a rate of elevated blood lead levels higher than Flint’s.

Whether it’s his political delay of the Waters of the United States rule meant to keep sources of drinking water safe from harm—or continual blockage of having EPA do the job Congress gave it to do, Trump’s actions put us in real, measurable danger.

On the heels of Black History Month, we’re reminded that the environmental movement and the civil rights movement are two sides of the same coin: EPA was born from an all-too-familiar compulsion to fight for basic rights—the right to clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and healthy land to raise our families.

As he spoke to EPA staff in 2014 upon receiving his award, Congressman Lewis recounted his first recollection, as a young boy in Jim Crow Alabama, seeing entry signs and water fountains labeled ‘colored’ and ‘white’. I was there in the room when he described it in detail. He remembers asking his family why such discrimination existed: “They said, ‘That’s just the way it is. Don’t get in the way. Don’t get in trouble.’”

Today, in this new era of anti-science, racially charged political leadership, as environmental health injustices deepen their roots in black and brown communities, we must endeavor—like generations past—to give voice to the voiceless and fight for a more equitable future.

At the end of his talk at, John Lewis said to all of us in the room: “thank you for getting in the way. Thank you for getting in trouble – good trouble. It’s the necessary thing to do.”

Let’s take a page out of Congressman Lewis’s book. Let’s keep getting into good trouble.

About the Author: Mustafa Santiago Ali is a renowned national speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Mr. Ali specializes in social and environmental justice issues and is focused on a utilizing a holistic approach to revitalizing vulnerable communities. He joined the Hip Hop Caucus after working 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he most recently served as Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization. Throughout his career he has worked with over 500 domestic and international communities to improve people’s lives by addressing environmental, health, and economic justice issues. For more from Mustafa, please be sure to check out Mustafa’s latest appearance on AM Joy, video interview with Robert Reich, and interview on the Politically Re-Active podcast with Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu. You can also keep up with him on Twitter (@EJinAction).

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March 13, 2018August 13, 2018

Episode 1: “Inaugural Episode! Environmental Justice 101” [March 13, 2018]

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