CEJA Stands Together for Healthy Hoods

Sens. Kevin de León, Speaker Pérez, Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins, Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Assemblymember Anthony Rendon, and Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez Join Residents of State’s Toxic Hot Spots to Demand Action to advance key environmental justice legislation

To see more photos from the 2013 Healthy Hoods Rally and Green Zones Congreso, click here.

The CEJA Congreso on August 27th and 28th united hundreds of residents in the call to transform toxic hotspots into healthy hoods. Over the course of the two days, CEJA members and our allies shared stories, trained each other and of course, rallied for healthy hoods not toxic hotspots!

Tuesday August 27th featured workshops on community-based land-use, climate and clean energy, and CEJA’s Green Zones Initiative. Drawing from our incredible network of organizers and advocates, CEJA members trained each other on key environmental justice issues. Always keeping it interesting and pop-ed, we concluded the workshops with a lively skit.

Our team of 20 lobby team leaders then helped participants get trained up on our priority bills for a full day of advocacy in the Capitol! In the evening, we ran a live screen-printing party to make posters for the upcoming rally and print beautiful bandanas for everyone to take home.

The next day we gathered early to hear inspiring keynote addresses from Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins and Assemblymember Anthony Rendon, who spoke about the need for environmental justice and their personal story that makes them so invested in winning on these important issues.

CEJA folks then descended on the Capitol to advocate for our three priority bills – AB 1330, SB 726, and SB 43 – which are much needed policies that will promote healthy hoods for all Californians. We heard from inspiring community leaders and elected officials Senater De Leon, Speaker Perez, Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez about the power of our voice and the need for our advocacy in the Capitol.

We are so thankful to everyone who traveled long distances, led workshops, trained community leaders on advocacy, ran registration tables, and coordinated travel for members across the state. The 2013 Green Zones Congreso truly showed the power of the growing environmental justice movement!