Volume I SPRING 2015 COLLABORATIVE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ONE BLOCK AT A TIME www.PURECITIES.ORG

Climate Change and the

Beloved

Community

January 2015, Atlanta, GA - 2015 began with Founder, Djuan Coleon celebrating the 86th birthday of “Our Beloved” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as key note for “The Race Factor Conference” held at the King Center. He was invited by CEO of the King Center, Dr. Bernice King to paint a holistic picture of

how innumerable industries have been allowed to systematically dump in communities of color. “A society in which all people around the globe would share in the wealth of the earth. A society where equity was given to even the least of these”

Dr. Martin L King, Jr.

PURE’s efforts, participation and accomplishments this quarter were critical to begin the conversation of connecting the dots between Civil Rights, Race Relations, Climate Change and Environmental Justice, fueled by Dr. King’s vision of “The Beloved Community”, “a society where equity was given to even the least of these”. PURE was able to engage in candid dialogue with other invited panelists: Goldie Taylor - Political Commentator Tim Wise - Anti-Racism Activist Arno Michaelis Former Member Aryan Brotherhood

Elle Lucier Activist/ Organizer, #It’s Bigger than You, and

Mary Pat Hector Activist/Organizer

Nat’l Action Network on the strong need to work with industries to collaboratively solve the issues our communities are facing to better secure our energy efforts. In our inaugural newsletter, you will read other stories of how PURE had an impact locally, regionally, and nationally by sharing our vision of building sustainable communities one block at a time and educating industries on the importance of becoming leaders and advocates for climate-impacted communities.

LEAD [YP] National Urban League Young

Professionals Conference

January 2015, Birmingham, AL – LEAD was a call

to action for diverse Millenials and Gen-Xers from

across the country to learn, grow and network to

continue to LEAD in their communities as Leaders,

Entrepreneurs, Advocates and Dreamers. Djuan was

highlighted as a subject matter expert on

SUSTAINABILITY in a session on The Future of Energy: Crafting a Millennial

Energy Agenda with luncheon keynote speaker John Hofmeister, Founder and

CEO, Citizens for Affordable Energy, and Nick Sellers, Vice President of

Regulatory and Corporate Affairs. The National Urban League and PURE will be

working together to craft a 50-Year Energy Plan to best manage our resources,

and Djuan challenged Millennials to be contributors of this 50-year strategy.

Brenda R Smith - CEO, BRSmith, Inc. and former

Chief of Staff/Communications Manager at Intel, joins

PURE as Director of Communications and Public

Relations. Brenda is a U.S. Army veteran and former

Supplier Diversity Director for Nike. Her roots are in

the Mississippi Delta, born in Germany, and raised

her two children in the Pacific Northwest both are

HBCU alumni.

Building and Sustaining Healthy

Communities

February 2015, Atlanta, GA – PURE attended the Atlanta Community

Leaders Institute (CLI) at Morehouse School of Medicine Conference on

“Building and Sustaining Healthy Communities”. CLI focuses on the unique

relationship between environmental protection, human health,

environmental justice and economic development. “A critical factor in the

success of community development is a well-informed community. “Action”

occurs when those with authority assume an informed and active leadership

role.”

9 out of 10 EPA regions have racial disparities in the location of hazardous waste sites.

Therefore in building sustainable communities we cannot restore, rebuild, retrofit and

revitalize some communities and leave others behind to languish in an unhealthy

environment

PURE ENERGY

PURE ENERGY FALL 2015 COLLABORATIVE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ONE BLOCK AT A TIME www.PURECITIES.ORG

2015 Third Annual HBCU Student Climate Change Conference – Bridging the Gap March 2015 - New Orleans, LA

PURE partnered with The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and sponsored students and professors from Alabama A&M and Alabama State University. PURE is working with these schools to establish student-led groups to deal with Climate Change, Energy Solutions and Environmental Justice issues in their local communities. This partnership is important as we work towards a Green Magic City Classic for the upcoming 2015 season. A poster session encouraged students to create posters in areas of sustainability and social responsibility as it relates to factors that affect our environment and daily living. Sessions on “Why A Southern Initiative On Climate Justice Is Needed” Dr. Robert Bullard, Dean BJ-MLSPA Texas Southern University. “Defining Vulnerabilities for

Communities Impacted by Climate Change” – “Exploring the Impacts of Flood Insurance Reform on Vulnerable Communities”, Dr. Earthea Nance, Texas Southern University.

National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program

March 2015, Washington, DC - Leaders from various sectors engaged in free exchange of new ideas and new approaches to

environmental justice. Program speakers were from Federal and state agencies, local governments, tribes, community groups, business and

industry, public interest groups, academia and other entities. A few of the presenters were Congressman James E Clyburn and sessions on Building

and Operating a Petrochemical Complex in a Poor Community: Not in My Backyard (Nimby), Climate Change: Energy and Community Impacts

by Dr. Jonathan Pershing and Achieving Indoor Environmental Justice through Weatherization and Healthy Homes Initiatives by Ruth Ann

Norton, and Incorporating Environmental Justice into the National Environmental Policy Act Process by Kim Lambert. Climate change and Tribes:

Places at the Table; roles in Action Plan by Dean Suagee. PURE is working with the EPA on future blogs to engage the community about Climate

Change

STEMFEST 2014 November 2014, Atlanta, GA –

Last quarter, PURE partnered with Atlanta CARES to celebrate it’s Five-Year STEM Campaign at Atlanta STEMFEST 2014 on Georgia Tech’s campus to present workshops about sustainability and energy efficiency. Atlanta Cares is an affiliate of the National CARES Mentoring Movement a 501c3 founded by former Editor in Chief of Essence Magazine, Susan Taylor.

“

STEMFEST provides awareness

to youth and the overall community about the bright futures arising from

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and encouraging

minority participation. Djuan was able to bring awareness of the

environmental, ecological and social issues that we face today in a modern

world. The students were challenged to build a sustainable city model using

online software. For example, the scenario engaged high school students to

understand environmental stewardship and managing energy resources

with the sustainability game.

STEMFEST Sponsors Chick –Fil-a, The Atlanta Housing Authority Georgia

Pacific, and CH2Mhill, Georgia Tech, the Alonzo Crim Center at Georgia State

University, Atlanta Public Schools, and Dekalb County Schools. STEMFEST

Partners STEM ATL, the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of

Bio Diversity, Operation Hope, the A.D. King Foundation, the APEX Museum,

STEM Compass, AYA Academy of Excellence, Academic Solutions and

Programs, LLC, Level Blend Communications, Kingdom Fortunes

Development Group, ME^3 Engineering, LLC, Tameka Williamson-College,

Career Planning Coach.

ATLANTA CARES

“.Children signed up for class with

PURE as their first choice, because

they are interested in preserving our

community and world. Kudos to

PURE for really empowering our youth with knowledge about saving

the planet”

Brenda Coleman, Executive Director

PURE ENERGY FALL 2015 COLLABORATIVE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES ONE BLOCK AT A TIME www.PURECITIES.ORG

PURE EVENTS

King Center - The Race Factor

HBCU Student Climate Change Conference – Dillard University

PURE PARTNERS .

9 out of 10 of hazardous waste sites. Therefore in building communities and leave others behind to languish in a

unhealthy

2015 © PURE Project Urban Renewal Energy

p © Command. Jack Aver y Esq. D eputy C ommander. G2@nabvetsnv.or