North Texas groups will host a 3-day event to raise awareness of environmental justice
Dallas Earth Day Action is a free event organized by some of Dallas’ grassroots environmental organizations. Local environmental organizations are hosting a three-day educational event, Dallas Earth Day Action, April 20-22 to raise environmental justice awareness across the city. The free event is being led by some of Dallas' grassroots environmental organizations, including Downwinders At Risk, Singleton United/Unidos, Justice for Joppa, Sunrise Movement, Dallas Housing Neighbors, Southern Sector Rising, Rayo Planning and others. The event aims to draw attention to environmental issues facing Joppa and West Dallas residents and to pressure the city to preserve these neighborhoods as non-industrial areas. The groups' activism will focus on shutting down asphalt shingle manufacturers GAF in West Dallas and Tamko in Joppa to reduce harmful emissions of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter. The next day, an environmental justice rally will take place at Fish Trap Lake park across from the GAF single factory.
Diterbitkan : sebulan yang lalu oleh María Ramos Pacheco di dalam Environment
Local environmental organizations are hosting a three-day educational event April 20-22 to raise environmental justice awareness across the city of Dallas.
Dallas Earth Day Action is a free event organized by some of Dallas’ grassroots environmental organizations, including Downwinders At Risk, Singleton United/Unidos, Justice for Joppa, Sunrise Movement, Dallas Housing Neighbors, Southern Sector Rising, Rayo Planning and others.
Organizers said they hope to draw attention to the environmental issues facing Joppa and West Dallas residents and to pressure the city to preserve these neighborhoods as non-industrial areas.
“This alliance is kind of grouping the two neighborhoods together as well as allies in the community that are also striving for environmental justice in Dallas,” said Janie Cisneros, a community activist in West Dallas.
The event kicks off on Saturday, April 20, with a “Citywide Teach-In,” an educational workshop at the Friendship West Baptist Church on the history of environmental justice in the city and current environmental issues.
The groups’ activism focuses on shutting down asphalt shingle manufacturers GAF in West Dallas and Tamko in Joppa to stop what neighbors say are harmful emissions of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter affecting the community.
The next day, “Environmental Justice Rally” will occur at the Fish Trap Lake park across from the GAF single factory at 2 p.m.
Cisneros and other community leaders such as Marsha Jackson, whose backyard was next to the massive Shingle Mountain pile in southern Dallas, will address the community.
The groups will discuss possible city ordinances to close GAF and Tamko, levy a local shingles production tax on those two companies with proceeds going to the impacted neighborhoods, declare West Dallas and Joppa as “no industry” zones, and prohibit the two shingle factories on future city of Dallas projects.
Live music will be provided by Bran Movay, Hijos de Muñoz and Sticks Mania. Food trucks and arts and crafts will be available for those who attend the rally.
Cisneros said the event is about coming together as a community for a better quality of life in their neighborhoods, to prevent future environmental injustices in their backyards and to honor “Mother Earth.”
Earth Day is a worldwide annual event April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
The Dallas Earth Action Day will conclude with a “Direct Action” event, details of which are not yet available. But organizers said the idea is to emphasize the urgency of shutting down the neighboring shingle factories in Joppa and West Dallas with nonviolent civil disobedience on the morning of Earth Day.
Residents who want to participate in the “Direct Action” event must attend a “civil disobedience training” hosted by the organizations on April 6 and 13 at Good Coworking in Dallas to learn about protesters’ rights and other tools to make their voices heard without getting in trouble with authorities, organizers said.
The events will take place from Saturday, April 20, through Monday, April 22, at various locations throughout the city. For more information on individual Dallas Earth Day Action events, visit https://dallasearthdayaction.com/.