NAACP Hosts ‘Reclaiming Our Water’ Earth Day Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

April 22, 2023

Contact: Chyna Fields, cfields@naacpnet.org

WASHINGTON DC –  Today, the NAACP, in partnership with BLD PWR, premiered an Earth Day call-to-action event to discuss the impact climate change has on water issues in Black communities. The results of this conversation will provide participants with information necessary to impart change and understand the devastation which is a direct result of decades long neglect in Black communities.

Facts of the environmental water crisis: 

• Black people are 56% more likely to breathe pollution in their communities that they did not cause, as opposed to 17% of white people.
• Black youth are more likely to take diesel school buses that lead to higher risks of health issues such as asthma. 
• Black and other communities of color are more likely to face wildfire and other natural disasters due to long-term pollution from the fossil fuel industry's footprint in communities of color.

When discussing the importance of this Earth Day partnership, NAACP Director of Environment and Climate Justice Abre' Conner expressed the importance of advocating for marginalized communities, stating: 

"Black communities continue to bear the brunt of environmental injustices and safe drinking water violations across the country, and with climate change and ensuing extreme weather events causing further harm to our already failing water systems, that means fewer Black communities may have access to safe drinking water. That's why this Earth Day partnership with BLD PWR is so important to amplify the mission to provide safe drinking water in Black communities."

To share how you're making an environmental impact in your community, post your Earth Day photos and videos here.

A link to the full discussion can be found here. 

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ABOUT NAACP 

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation, along with well over 2M activists. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF – was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation's first civil and human rights law organization and shares our commitment to equal rights.