I am delighted to share the news that the Environmental Justice Task Force (EJ T
F) released its report! Check it out here or on the EJ TF’s information page as the first item under “Reports & Information” and for a quick read of some of the highlights of the report, see our latest blog post.
The EJ TF developed 26 policy recommendations spanning four categories that create a blueprintfor how the state can act on environmental justice in Washington State. Front & Centered was honored to serve as the organizational co-chair of the Governor’s Task Force, and that three of our coalition member organizations – Community to Community Development, the Spokane Chapter of the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, and the Tacoma Urban League of Young Professionals – were also able to provide important community leadership perspectives on the intersection of equity and environmental justice. Many of the policy recommendations were sculpted from the stories gathered at the ‘community conversations’ we hosted – in person and then virtually – with ten different Front & Centered member organizations across the state from November 2019 through September 2020.
The impacts of institutional racism have been acutely observable this year given the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 and the brutal murder of Black Americans by police and vigilantes. These events are but the latest that underscore the urgent need to ensure our laws are bound by fairness and offer everyone equal protection. This will eliminate racial disparities starkly reflected in a 14-year difference in the average lifespan of residents from different Washington residential zip codes. It is the mission our coalition of communities of color embarked on in 2019 to pass the Healthy Environment All Act (HEAL Act), that led to the creation of the Task Force which is housed in the Governor’s Interagency Council on Health Disparities. In 2021, we are poised to finish the job by passing the enhanced version of the HEAL Act.
As we ramp up the campaign, here are a few upcoming events to be aware of:
- December 18 from 11:30am-1pm: Meeting on the HEAL 2.0 legislation and discussion on organizing strategy for partner organization. We resume these meetings in January on a bi-weekly basis.
- Week of Jan 4 (date/time TBD): Front & Centered and Legislator public launch announcing the enhanced HEAL Act and release of our findings from statewide community conversations.
If you’re already on the HEAL Act advocacy listserv, you should have just received a calendar invite to the 12/18 event from Front & Centered Coordinators. If you would like to be added to the listserv, please reply to this email – the message ‘Add me’ would be sufficient. Or for more information, contact me at Sameer@frontandcentered.org.
We anticipate the same challenges to passing this vital legislation that we encountered in 2019. But I am confident our collective, organized, and dedicated effort will overcome them. Thank you so much for your commitment to advance EJ in Washington State.
In solidarity,
Sameer
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