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 are located in the Appalachia. The investments would support clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation and reduction of legacy pollution, and development of clean water infrastructure. The listening session included information on program guidelines, implementation of the initiative, and an overview of The People’s Justice40+ Community Benefit Playbook created by Emerald Cities Collaborative. There is a lot of information and resources available regarding Justice40; This White House initiative has the potential to truly impact disadvantaged communities if implemented correctly by the initiative’s recipients. The playbook helps people navigate the complicated, fast-moving work. It answers a range of questions about the different federal spending bills, such as: What are the various bills?  How much money is available?   What kind of money is it – grants, loans, contracts?   What are the restrictions? What can the money be used for? How will the money flow from the federal government to state and local governments? Who is eligible to get the money?  What are the potential community benefits?   How can you influence how the money is spent?  How can you organize your own community benefit strategy and plan?  Where […]

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) and the Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI) hosted five virtual listening sessions where Black Appalachians shared stories about their past and present and thoughts about how the region should move forward. The first BLAC paper, publicly released in February 2022, highlights some common themes and policy needs across the listening session series. Across all of these policy issues, there is a common need for Black storytelling and participation as a precondition for policymaking. Policymakers should place more value on creating spaces for groups of Appalachians that have been historically oppressed or ignored to share their stories and on helping shift narratives to reflect the region’s past and present accurately.

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 excluded from conversations around regional infrastructure, both physical (roads, bridges, rail, etc.) and social (healthcare, childcare, schools, housing, etc). In many cases, federal infrastructure legislation has systematically harmed or discriminated against Black Appalachian communities. In pursuit of new infrastructure programs that deliver benefits, including economic access and mobility, the Black Appalachian Coalition and Ohio River Valley Institute invited Black Appalachians to share stories about: Past and present experiences related to accessing resources and the equitable (or inequitable) distribution of these resources Past or present experiences as a beneficiary or user of infrastructure, or conversely, lack of infrastructure Hopes or dreams for future opportunities (jobs, community projects, etc.) related to infrastructure Other narratives, asks, comments, or needs that come to mind for participants when they think about the infrastructure conversation happening throughout the country Stories submitted online and shared during the listening sessions were catalogued by the Black Appalachian Coalition and the Ohio River Valley Institute to compile an interactive story map. Visit the Where We Are tab to learn more.