Please join Bishop Marcia and the BLAC community on May 2-3, 2023 for BLAC’s first strategy planning summit: “Voices of the People — Planning the BLAC Agenda.” REGISTER TODAY: https://bit.ly/BlacStrategy Your voice is needed! Please join us and share with other interested people too! To build solidarity, all are welcome. Non-black people are welcome to...
With Black History Month coming to a close, I want to honor the struggles and triumphs of our ancestors and also recognize the passionate work that is happening today. As we all know, Black History is not just an annual event. It’s our daily lived experience, and I am honored to share this journey with...
Petrochemicals—oil- and gas-based chemicals used to make plastics and pesticides—are harmful to human health and the environment. The process of making petrochemicals creates dangerous air and water pollution. People living near petrochemical production facilities have higher risk of many types of cancer, birth complications, asthma and respiratory illness, and kidney disease. Children are especially vulnerable...
People living near petrochemical production facilities have higher risk of many types of cancer, birth complications, asthma and respiratory illness, and kidney disease. Children are especially vulnerable to harm from petrochemical pollutants. Petrochemical production facilities tend to be located in Black communities and poor communities because of decades of racial discrimination in housing and financial...
In the fall of 2021, BLAC and the Ohio River Valley Institute(ORVI) hosted a series of virtual listening sessions to hear from Black Appalachians. The five sessions were part of the national conversation around infrastructure policy but the subjects weren’t limited to infrastructure. Black Appalachians shared stories about their past and present and thoughts about...
This week, the Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC) announced the upcoming dates for its first policy summit occurring July 22-24, 2022. The inaugural event, being held virtually, will center around the core theme of Black storytelling as a precondition for policymaking. The multi-day regional summit seeks to amplify Black voices and influence effective, community-centered policies. Click...
The Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC) recently hosted a listening session with Emerald Cities Collaborative to discuss the federal Justice40 initiative and how it impacts underrepresented communities. The goal of Justice40 is to ensure that at least 40% of federal climate investments go directly to frontline communities most affected by poverty and pollution, many of which...
Black Appalachians have played a critical role in Appalachian history, yet stories of Appalachia have been whitewashed for generations. Neither the contributions of Black people to Appalachian history nor the harms experienced by Black communities are popularly known or appreciated, especially in media and policymaking. In the fall of 2021, the Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC)...
The Black Appalachian Coalition hosted a series of listening sessions intended to center and uplift stories about community, opportunity, and infrastructure. The Pennsylvania session featured introductions from Melanie Meade, a clean air advocate and Zabriawn Smith, a community leader with Aliquippa Green. Bishop Marcia Dinkins, BLAC’s founder, moderated the discussion. Black Appalachians have been historically...
