Program launches for environmental justice communities to organize, access generational funding opportunities

Above: The SURJE Summit (Southern Unity for Racial Justice and Equity) in Memphis, Tennessee. Photo by Scott Wolovich.

Two trillion dollars is an impossible amount of money to wrap your head around. But that’s exactly what the Federal government has approved for community investment in recent years. What makes this different is that 40% of eligible funds will directly benefit disinvested and overburdened communities through the Justice40 designation – and $2,000,000,000,000 is a once in a generation opportunity.

At the other end of the spectrum are local organizations and resident leaders who have dedicated their lives to helping people thrive. They tend to be small, underfunded, and often volunteer-driven. The distance between these federal opportunities and the people best positioned to direct and benefit from them couldn’t be greater.

Last week, a group from Southwestern PA began their journey to help close this gap. Residents from environmental justice designated communities, community engagement professionals, a documentarian, and nonprofit leaders attended the first ever SURJE Summit (Southern Unity for Racial Justice and Equity) in Memphis, Tennessee. The trip, self-funded by New Sun Rising and RiverWise, offered a transformational opportunity to learn, connect, and begin designing resources that serve the multi-county Pittsburgh region.

Together, we learned about the lasting impacts of our nation’s history of stolen land and stolen labor. We met hundreds of inspiring leaders who are organizing power within their communities. And we heard the call for advocacy and capacity building to ensure that Justice40 funds and the implementation of programs are community-led. 

Our long-time collaborators at EcoDistricts also announced that they have officially rebranded and relaunched as Just Communities after joining the Partnership for Southern Equity.  On the final day, our learning journey concluded at the National Civil Rights museum located at the Lorraine Motel, the site of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination on April 4, 1968, the day after his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech.

In the coming months, New Sun Rising will support the launch of a program whose goal is to support environmental justice communities to navigate Justice40 funding opportunities while building collaborative capacity for projects that improve their health and climate resilience. It will be designed in close collaboration with the Environmental Justice Genius Advisory Group, a team of community leaders which includes Mary Carey, Alyssa Lyons, Melanie Meade, Shawnta Reed, and Seth Whitted. Our partners at RiverWise, District PGH, the Center for Shared Prosperity Environmental Working Group, and an expanded national network from SURJE will continue to help shape and connect resources as it unfolds.

Together we are eager to unlock resources for projects that can advance environmental justice in our own communities and beyond. Learn more by exploring the new environmental justice layer on the Vibrancy Portal.

Interested to partner, fund, or support this program? Email info@newsunrising.org.