NCEJN Family Reunion: Remembering, Recovering, Resisting, Reimagining
Friday October 14th to Saturday October 15th
Whitakers, North Carolina
In 1997, following a meeting of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Committee (NEJAC) at North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC), a few concerned citizens, activists, academicians, and attorneys gathered to discuss forming a committee to address Environmental Justice (EJ) issues in North Carolina.
It became evident that an Environmental Justice Summit was needed solely to address the environmental degradation suffered by poor communities and communities of color in NC. The ground work was laid for the First Annual NCEJN Summit.
After that initial meeting, additional concerned individuals, organizations, and state agencies were invited to help plan and support the Summit. The NCEJ Network grew out of the 1st Annual NC Community Environmental Justice Summit held in 1998 at the Historical Franklinton Center at Bricks in Whitakers, NC.
Over the years, the format has shifted to include listening panels, academic presentations and other activities as appropriate. With this being our first in-person Summit in two years, we decided to focus on connection and community foregoing some of those aspects but maintaining the goal of building power and paving the way forward.