Election 2025: Make Sure You Vote!

Have you voted yet? The last day to vote early is Sunday, Nov. 2nd. Or you can wait to Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 4th. See who is on the ballot, learn about the ballot measures, and find out when and where to vote at weact.org/vote.

November Membership Meeting: Wrap Up 2025 & Get Ready for 2026 on Nov. 15th

You don’t want to miss our November Membership Meeting, where we celebrate all that we achieved this year and preview what we have planned for next year – including the unveiling of our 2026 Policy Agenda. Join us in-person on Saturday, Nov. 15th (a week later than usual) from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall, located at 454 West 155th Street. RSVP

WE ACT Talking Environmental Justice at American Public Health Association Annual Meeting

WE ACT staff are featured speakers at the American Public Health Association’s Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. On Monday, Nov. 3rd, Manny Salgado will be presenting at 2:30 PM on Environmental Justice Mapping Tools as part of a panel discussion on Cumulative Impacts: Moving from Maps to Model Policies. On Tuesday, Nov. 4th, Denise Patel will be presenting at 5:30 PM on How Federal Environmental Health Policy Changes Impact Environmental Justice Communities as part of a session on Meeting the Moment in Environmental Health.

Leading with Justice: Principles for Community-based Participatory Research

WE ACT and the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum are hosting Leading with Justice: Principles for Community-based Participatory Research on Wednesday, Nov. 5 from 1:30-2:00 PM.” Organized alongside the American Public Health Association's Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, this panel discussion includes perspectives from leading academics and environmental justice organizations on how to plan for community-based research projects. Speakers include: Jordana Vanderselt, Director of Environmental Health at WE ACT; Dr. Chris Heaney, Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Carlos Sanchez, Youth Outreach Specialist at the South Baltimore Community Land Trust; and Darren Riley, CEO & Cofounder of JustAir. The event will be held in-person at Hotel Zena (1155 West 14th Street, NW in Washington, DC) and via Zoom. RSVP

Take Action: Urge Governor to Ban PFAS & Other Toxic Chemicals in Menstrual Products

Lawmakers and environmental advocates from the JustGreen Partnership braved gale-force winds this morning at a press conference in front of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building in Harlem to urge New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the bill banning PFAS and other toxic chemicals from menstrual products into law. Passed by both chambers of the legislature, unanimously, the law will prohibit the use of PFAS and other toxic chemicals in menstrual products, ensure clear ingredient labeling, hold manufacturers accountable for product safety, and protect public health – particularly in communities of color, which are already burdened with disproportionate exposure to toxic chemicals.

You can watch the press conference here. If you can hear them through the wind, the speakers included Sophia Longsworth, Toxics Policy Director at Clean+Healthy; New York State Senator Nathalia Fernandez (D) of the 34th Senate District; New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D) of the 67th Assembly District; New York City Council Majority Leader Amanda Farías (D) of the 18th Council District; and Elizabeth Reyes, Toxics Policy Campaigns Coordinator at WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

Take action by clicking here to send the Governor a letter urging her to sign this bill!

Peggy Shepard was featured in Harlem World Magazine with an in-depth interview as part of her participation in the Harlem World Magazine Summit.

Eric Walker was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article on our successful litigation to ensure that New York State issues regulations for the Climate Act.

Chris Dobens was featured in an AFRO News article on leaders combatting heat, pollution, and inequity in urban areas.

Uptown Chats Podcast: Youth-Led Climate Action

Children’s Environmental Health Month is almost over, but youth-led climate action is still going strong! In the latest episode of our increasingly popular podcast, Lonnie and Jaron are joined by Shiv Soin, Founder and Co-Executive Director of TREEage, to learn how young people are helping shape the climate justice movement and ways young people can get involved. Listen

Cancer & Environment 2025

Silent Spring Institute and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Irving Medical Center are hosting a one-day Continuing Medical Education event on the state of the science of environmental carcinogenesis and the role physicians, nurses, and healthcare providers play in reducing risk from exposure to environmental  chemicals. The event is in-person with a virtual option as well, from 10:30 AM  to 4:30 PM on Friday, Nov. 14th at the Irving Cancer Research Center Auditorium (1130 Saint Nicholas Avenue) or via Zoom. RSVP

Where in the World is WE ACT?

So many of our WE ACT colleagues are on the move this week and next. Peggy Shepard is on a panel at the Environmental Joy Congress up at Yale University in Connecticut today. And then she heads down to Rio for the C40 World Mayors Summit ahead of COP30, the annual United Nations' Climate Conference. Mae Kennedy is off to Geneva for the United Nations' COP6 Minamata Convention, sharing our work on getting mercury out of skin lightening products. And a good chunk of our staff are going to be down in DC for the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting as well as our Environmental Justice Leadership Forum advocacy day, which is bringing together environmental justice organizations to meet with their federal representatives. Those of us left here in our Harlem headquarters plan to be considerate colleagues and feast on everyone’s Halloween candy next week so it doesn't spoil by the time they return.

Happy Halloween! Don't forget to compost your pumpkins!