EARTHKEEPING NEWS A NEWSLETTER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN COALITION FOR CHRISTIANITY AND ECOLOGY Volume One, Number Three January/February 1992 PEOPLE OF COLOR CHALLENGE ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE In October 1991, The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, sponsored by the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, was held in Washington DC. The four day conference was called to initiate dialogue between leaders of people of color and the heads of the national environmental organizations; to identify key environmental policy questions; and to impact the public policy decision making process. Ben Chavis, long time warrior for civil rights, human rights, and now environmental rights, was chairman. Jesse Jackson spoke eloquently against dumping toxics in poor communities, and called for a partnership of environmental organizations with people of color. Sessions opened with prayer from different Native American traditions. They celebrated with songs and dances of the different cultural groups. The several hundred Native American, African American, Latino American, and Asian Pacific American conferees adopted 17 Principles of Environmental Justice as a comprehensive platform for a national and international movement of all peoples of color, securing their political, economic and cultural liberation from 500 years of exploitation and oppression. Principle #17 reads: "Environmental Justice requires that we, as individuals, make personal and consumer choices to consume as little of Mother Earth's resources, and to produce as little waste as possible; and make the conscious decision to challenge and reprioritize our lifestyles to insure the health of the natural world for present and future generations". NACCE President, James Berry, and Directors Jocele Meyer and Job Ebenezer were participants in this historic summit. For documentation, write UCC Commission for Racial Justice, 700 Prospect Ave,Cleveland, OH 44115-1100. Home     Table of Contents