Front and Centered

???? #AboutLastNight: We held our legislative reception in Olympia yesterday and had a great time! These receptions are a great opportunity for our coalition to build community with each other; celebrate wins and build hope after losses; and connect with partner organizations, legislative staff, and/or elected officials. We're really honored to be able to make gatherings like these happen. ???????? Many thanks to all of our coalition members who were able to join us in Olympia, as well as all the partner organizations, legislative staff, and elected officials who were in attendance! #WAleg WASHINGTON STATE COALITION OF AFRICAN COMMUNITY LEADERS Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light Washington State Office of Equity Washington Federation of State Employees

The King County Superior Court just ruled that Initiative 2066 is unconstitutional! This initiative would raise energy costs, it attacked energy efficiency, and tried to drag Washington backward on the transition to clean and efficient homes and buildings. A large coalition of plaintiffs--Climate Solutions, Washington Conservation Action, City of Seattle, King County, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Front and Centered, Dwell Development, Washington Solar Energy Industries Assoc., and Sierra Club Washington State--brought forward the legal challenge since the initiative was deceptive to voters. “We are celebrating today’s ruling as a win for Washington families, and for our state’s efforts to improve people’s lives. We’ll continue working to keep energy bills affordable, especially as we prioritize cleaner air in- and outside of our homes and buildings.”?

Feeling immense gratitude to Center for Story-based Strategy, Front and Centered and other fantastic nonprofits at the incredible training yesterday. “When individuals work together under a common goal to address common issues such as the current climate emergency, then a process of liberation begins through critical-collective action. At the core of community education is the realization that political action and community resilience rely on incorporating Black, Brown, Indigenous, immigrant, and low-income narratives into learning opportunities.” #climatejustice #environmentaljustice

Give our friends at Ensemble Washington a follow! As one of the awardees in the Transportation Justice Leadership Grant Program that Front and Centered and the Washington State Department of Transportation worked together to establish, Ensemble WA's mission is to address transportation inequities and reduce carbon emissions within underserved communities, many of whom face systemic barriers to mobility and sustainable transit options. The founders of Ensemble WA are former student immigrants who created their organization because they were all too familiar with the inequities that African immigrants and people in the BIPOC community face. As Ensemble WA says, centering the voices and leadership of overburdened communities through funding for community-led solutions in transportation will create lasting, equitable solutions that enhance mobility and reduce emissions for those most in need. We couldn't agree more and we're so grateful for their work! ???????? #TransportationJustice #WashingtonState

Thank you to our coalition members and partners in government and community who have made our work to advance community-centered transportation justice leadership such a success! In partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation, Front and Centered worked to reimagine granting and to prioritize the funding of community-led transportation solutions to curb carbon emissions statewide. Co-created with our frontline coalition and funded by the Climate Commitment Act, our grant program has put $2.1 million in the hands of community-based organizations to develop and amplify relevant solutions for the families they serve. Projects include rideshare programs, Native community education series, e-bikes, transit planning, safety solution meetings and more. All projects will advance the programs’ goals to reduce carbon emissions, in addition to increased safety and access to sustainable transportation options for frontline communities. In order to advance a Just Transition, community-informed and -led solutions to reducing carbon emissions must be given the opportunity to be heard, implemented, and nurtured. That’s why we’re so grateful to have had the opportunity to reimagine community granting in partnership with WSDOT and frontline communities across Washington State. Learn more about our #TransportationJustice work at: https://lnkd.in/gBANx89r Disability Rights Washington UTOPIA Washington Puget Sound Sage Renton Technical College Pacific Education Institute Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association

Friends, lately you’ve been hearing a lot from us about?what’s going on in?the current legislative session, but did you know that we also work on policy solutions year-round??We’re excited to share with you our recommendations report:?Lessons from IVAN-Washington. Our latest policy paper is the culmination of our work?with frontline communities in our statewide coalition,?as well as?with government agencies and other partners.?Together we?came?up with?recommendations to address?the barriers people face when they try to report environmental issues. All too often, environmental violations?go unaddressed?in frontline communities across our state because the system for submitting reports about these incidents is fragmented and difficult for Washingtonians to navigate. Different state agencies have?varying?areas of responsibility, which can often make figuring out whom to contact quite difficult in the event of an environmental violation. What community input and research show is that a single, statewide environmental violations reporting tool can change the game for the better and ensure we can advance equity, health, and environmental justice statewide. Check out the full report at our new Reports and Tools webpage: https://lnkd.in/gtfNYzgJ ... a big thank you to all who lent their time and energy to engage in the development of this report! #EnvironmentalJustice #WashingtonState #Pollution Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle DUWAMISH RIVER COMMUNITY COALITION El Centro de la Raza

Friends, thanks to your strong support, House Bill 1303, our bill to ensure that #EnvironmentalJustice is considered in Washington’s State Environmental Policy Act, is still alive!?By passing HB 1303 into law, we can get one step closer to healthier communities for all Washingtonians. Many bills and environmental justice bills in particular have not made it this far in this year’s legislative session.?We need you to take action before 4:00pm TODAY to ensure that HB 1303 is voted on by the full House of Representatives! #WAleg Please take thirty seconds to tell your state representatives to stand with frontline communities!?All you need to do is to fill out this short form and hit send: https://lnkd.in/gJp9cmqE P.S.?For more information, you can read more about?HB 1303 and changes that were made to the bill here: https://lnkd.in/dM2Q3T-x

As Black History Month comes to a close, we want to spotlight these outstanding Black-led organizations and invite you to learn more about the important work they are doing in the environmental justice movement. Give them a follow and support their work! #BlackHistoryMonth #SupportBlackLeadership #BlackChangemakers Follow these organizations today!

At a time when “leaders” are choosing to cut and run my only choice is to stand 10 toes down on BLACK business. Close out Black History Month watching me on THE Jennifer Hudson show talking about Black In Marine Science and my journey to build innovation and excellence in marine science. We WILL Rise! #ForTheOcean #JoyfulLeader #MarineScienceForThaStreetz

In 3 weeks, JustLead will be hosting the ?????????????????????????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????? session as part of our Equity Training Series! This session, in collaboration with Basilica Bio and Front and Centered, introduces the core concepts and importance of environmental justice within equity work. Participants will explore the movement's history, key principles, and its connection to social determinants of health. Through interactive discussions, attendees will reflect on current challenges and identify actionable steps to address environmental injustices in their communities. This session will be held on??????????? ???? ???????? ????:???? ???? ???? ????:???? ???? ??????. If interested, please register here: