#ecoWURD Presents: "Environmental Justice PA" Launch
Unified statewide movement against environmental injustice & racism kicks off this week with advocates, organizers and policymakers LIVE on WURD
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) – ecoWURD, a multimedia environmental justice journalism initiative, will host the launch of the statewide “Environmental Justice PA” campaign during a LIVE special broadcast on WURD radio (96.1FM / 900AM / WURDradio.com / WURD TV / WURD app). Scheduled for Tuesday, February 15 at 10am - 1pm ET, the “Environmental Justice PA” launch will present a broadcast-driven virtual “press conference,” or a series of important conversations during WURD’s daily program “Reality Check” with host and ecoWURD Managing Editor Charles Ellison. It will be streamed live for ALL audiences at wurdradio.com or at facebook.com/forWURD.
This LIVE event is also being produced in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Campaign for Environmental Justice under the leadership of Clean Water Action. Follow up events will be held simultaneously in Philadelphia (virtual) and Pittsburgh (live) from 6:30pm to 8:00pm ET. More information at cleanwateraction.org/PA.
This new campaign, a unified statewide collaboration of community organizers, stakeholders, advocates and policymakers, will highlight historic environmental justice legislation introduced on the state and local level while activating bold grassroots action in communities from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh. Organizers will raise awareness around the challenges faced by vulnerable, economically distressed and mostly Black and Brown communities in Pennsylvania. Environmental Justice PA seeks action against environmental injustice and racism through an ambitious combination of protest, voter mobilization, policy making, and neighborhood action.
Tuesday’s virtual event presents kickoff interviews with Pennsylvania state legislators Rep. Donna Bullock and Senator Vincent Hughes, as well as Philadelphia Councilmember Helen Gym. All three legislators will discuss bold environmental justice bills they’ve introduced in recent months. Subsequent discussions will include frontline environmental and climate leaders such as Philly Thrive’s Shawmar Pitts, Ron Whyte and Shari Hersh of the Mural Arts Project, and Liz Robinson of the Philadelphia Solar Energy Association. Launch participants will describe new strategies communities can create and embrace.
“Environmental Justice PA” will launch using social media hashtags #ecoWURD and #EJinPA. Additional LIVE broadcast segments are planned throughout 2022. This event is a LIVE broadcast open to the public and it will encourage questions from the WURD listening audience.
ABOUT WURD
WURD (96.1FM | 900AM | @onwurd | wurdradio.com | WURD App) is the only African American-owned talk radio station in Pennsylvania and one of only three in the country. Since 2003, WURD has served as the heartbeat and pulse of Philadelphia’s Black community, providing an interactive format to educate, enlighten and empower. Find more information at wurdradio.com or by following @onWURD on Twitter and Instagram. Also on Facebook at ForWURD.
ABOUT ecoWURD
ecoWURD is a multimedia environmental justice journalism initiative examining Black communities at the intersection of race, health, income & the environment. ecoWURD is a production of WURD Radio, with a mission to report on how environmental issues uniquely impact Black communities across the nation and the world. The ecoWURD team is comprised of a talented group of thought leaders, reporters and journalists who are tackling issues in places like Philadelphia and beyond through in-depth investigative articles, audio and video content and photography. For more information, visit ecowurd.com.
ABOUT CLEAN WATER ACTION
Since our founding during the campaign to pass the landmark Clean Water Act in 1972, Clean Water Action has worked to win strong health and environmental protections by bringing issue expertise, solution-oriented thinking and people power to the table. To protect our environment, health, economic well-being and community quality of life, Clean Water Action organizes strong grassroots groups and coalitions, and campaigns to elect environmental candidates and to solve environmental and community problems.