NAACP Statement on DOJ’s Creation of the First-Ever Office of Environmental Justice
NAACP's Program Manager for its Environmental and Climate Justice Program Jane English:
"As climate change worsens, it is imperative that our leaders produce real, tangible solutions to protect Black and frontline communities…"
Today, the Department of Justice announced that it will create an Office of Environmental Justice aimed at addressing the Department's environmental justice efforts. Jane English, Program Manager, NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program, issued the following statement in response:
"We are thrilled to see today's news release from Attorney General Garland at the US Department of Justice announcing the formal creation of the first–ever Office of Environmental Justice. Black communities continue to suffer from the dangerous impacts of human made environmental crimes, pollution, and climate-induced weather-related disasters.
As climate change worsens, it is imperative that our leaders produce real, tangible solutions to protect Black and frontline communities and correct existing and past harms, all while initiating direct law enforcement corrective responses to egregious harms and environmental injustices, an issue that is central to the NAACP's mission.
We applaud the Biden Administration and the Department of Justice for taking this pivotal step towards addressing the ever-increasing disparities that our communities are faced with and look forward to supporting the Office of Environmental Justice work to achieve the goals it sets out."
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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.