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  • 30th Anniversary: The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit

30th Anniversary: The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit

by Brooks Berndt | published on Mar 25, 2021
Two Hour Summit Documentary Film


The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit has been described as one of the most important events in the history of the environmental justice movement. The four-day Summit sponsored by the United Church of Christ’s Commission for Racial Justice began in Washington, D.C., on October 24th, 1991. With around 1,100 persons attended from all 50 states as well as Puerto Rico, Chile, Mexico, and the Marshall Islands, the inclusive breadth of participation allowed for the environmental justice movement to coalesce in re-defining the very meaning of “environment.” No longer did the word connote remote wilderness areas and pristine natural landscapes as was often the case for largely white environmental organizations. The environment was now where one lived, worked, studied, played, and prayed. As such, it encompassed a range of issues from housing and transportation to worker safety and toxic pollution. Ultimately, the Summit became the embodiment and the celebration of self-determination and leadership from communities of color. A lasting testament to the Summit can be found in the 17 Principles of Environmental Justice that participants discussed, debated, and delineated before their adoption on the final day of the Summit.

Resources and Reflections

Makini Coleman, Mililani Trask, and Gail Small

Published Proceedings for the Summit

Principles of Environmental Justice

Interview with Charles Lee, the Summit’s Lead Organizer

The United Church of Christ welcomes reflections from participants in the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit. Please contact the Rev. Brooks Berndt, Minister for Environmental Justice.

In Remembrance

Wilma Mankiller

The First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit was a moment of extraordinary convergence of persons who had a profound and lasting impact on the environmental justice movement. The United Church of Christ seeks to remember and honor those participants who have since died. Those participants include Dana Alston, Nan Freeland, Jeanne Gauna, Hazel Johnson, Andrea Kidd Taylor, Wilma Mankiller, Gwendolyn Patton, Syngman Rhee, Jean Sindab, Damu Smith, and Connie Tucker. Please let us know if there are others whose participation should be remembered.

Summit Photo Gallery

  • Donna Chavis
  • Jeton Anjain and Toney Anaya
  • Opening Ceremony: Rose Auger, Benjamin Chavis, Jr., Gail Small, Toney Anaya, Syngman Rhee
  • Jean Sapp
  • Charles Lee and Syngman Rhee
  • Pat Bryant
  • Benjamin Chavis, Jr., Charles Cobb, and Jesse Jackson
  • Linda Rae Murray and Cynthia Harris
  • Tom Goldtooth
  • Gail Small
  • Young Hi Shin
  • Richard Moore
  • Robert Bullard, David Lujan, and Mililani Trask
  • Rally
  • March
  • Jesse Jackson
  • Donele Jean Wilkins and Akua Budu-Watkins
  • S. Garry Oniki
  • Neftali Garcia Martinez
  • Rose Auger
  • Linda McKeever Bullard
  • Rose Marie Augustine
  • Richard Moore, Jeanne Gauna, Leah Wise
  • Baldemar Velasquez
  • Luis Sepulveda
  • Susana Almanza
  • Dana Alston
  • Young Hi Shin, Benjamin Chavis, Jr., Michael Fischer, John Adams, Charon Asetoyer

Categories: The Pollinator: UCC Environmental Justice Blog

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