You can’t talk about a greener, safer Philly without talking about Jerome Shabazz and the work being done at the Overbrook Environmental Education Center.
A North Philly native, Shabazz joined us on ECO WURD to discuss what environmental justice really looks like. It’s not just recycling bins and park cleanups. It’s about how toxins, chemicals, and even noise pollution are quietly killing our people in the neighborhoods we call home.
For over twenty years, Overbrook has been educating, activating, and organizing West Philly residents around environmental health. While it’s easy to get distracted by national politics, Shabazz reminds us that real change starts hyper-local. From teaching young people how to test their own soil to helping elders understand EPA rollbacks, the center is a hub for community-powered solutions.
He also didn’t hold back when discussing the recent federal environmental funding cuts. “The money’s not gone,” he said. “It’s just being redirected. And if we don’t organize, it won’t come back to us.”
Environmental justice is racial justice, healthcare, housing, and a fight we can’t afford to lose.
Good stuff. I built the floating islands down in Spruce Street Harbor Marina so I follow water issues in Philly.