Thank you to everyone who joined us to help make the recent second annual Philadelphia Environmental Justice Summit at the Academy of Natural Sciences such an enormous success!
The event brought together 150 attendees, and while it was hosted by Clean Water Fund, it also featured organizations like William Penn Foundation, Philadelphia Water Department, Trash Academy, Glitter, Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) at the University of Pennsylvania, Tiny Trekkers and Black Farmers Cooperative.
For those who unfortunately couldn’t join us, the theme of this year’s summit was “The Invisible Labor of Community Leaders”. It centered the often unseen and underfunded efforts that keep our communities thriving. Four inspiring community leaders delivered powerful reflections on their personal experiences, victories and the broader challenges of grassroots leadership:
- Dianna Coleman, Founder of Ms. Verna's Garden and recipient of the Block Captain of the Year award
- Dr. Carol Simmons, Founder of the Black Farmers Cooperative
- Gail Pryor, Founder of Ur the Key: Block Captains Association
- Kiasha Huling, Executive Director of Food Moxie
A deeply engaging panel discussion followed, moderated by Xeyah Martin, President & CEO of Empowered CDC. The panel included both this year’s speakers and two distinguished leaders from last year’s summit:
- Meeka Outlaw, Founder of Residents Organized for Advocacy and Direction (ROAD)
- Elaine Wells, Founder of Global Thinking Initiative and Executive Director of Tiny Trekkers PHL
Audience members asked thoughtful questions about the nature of this work, the barriers community leaders face, what keeps them motivated, and how institutions can better support them. The summit offered a rare and important opportunity to ‘flip the script’; allowing community leaders to speak directly to an audience of funders, non-profit professionals, academics, and resource providers about what it truly takes to do this work.
The event concluded with a moment of deep recognition. As the panel closed, Xeyah Martin addressed the speakers saying, “We would like you to know that in this moment you are seen, you are heard, you are recognized. Thank you for all you continue to do.”
The room responded with a standing ovation—a spontaneous and heartfelt acknowledgment of the invisible labor that so often goes uncelebrated.
We look forward to seeing everyone next year and continuing to advance this work with all of you until then.
