EJLF Convening
About the convening
"Frontline Power: Organizing for Environmental Justice" The 2026 Environmental Justice Leadership Forum Convening is taking place in Chicago, Illinois this June 2026. The convening will bring together members from across 24 states and D.C. to connect, build momentum, and grow critical skills. The agenda reflects the theme of supporting the capacity and skills of groups on the ground and their "frontline power," as well as growing together as a collective advancing environmental justice policies in a difficult political moment, and into the future. As a forum, the group will reflect on best practices and expertise from groups, grow essential organizational knowledge, and design efforts to take advantage of opportunities ahead to continue to advance the work to ensure clean air, water, and land for all.
Explore member Directorybecome a memberOUR AGENDA - DAY 1 & 2
The 2026 EJLF Convening will take place from Tuesday June 23th -Friday June 26th.
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 - Arrival Day
- Welcome Dinner - Opening remarks by Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 - Day 2
- Welcome - Intro by Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice and remarks by Cheryl Johnson, Executive Director of People for Community Recovery.
Call on Our Ancestors
Celebrating Our Movement
- Denise Patel, WE ACT’s National Organizing Director, will present a recap of the Environmental Justice Leadership Forum’s progress and work over the past year.
Meet & Greet: Elevator Pitch Speed Networking
Meet & Greet: Elevator Pitch Speed Networking
Members will get to know each other and polish their pitching skills with a round of EJLF speed networking. This activity will help build confidence, get you out of your comfort zone, and make new friends in the movement.
Panel: Grounded in Grassroots - Air Quality Monitoring
Panel: Grounded in Grassroots - Air Quality Monitoring
Panelists will speak about their community-based air quality monitoring networks, discussing how they got started, best practices, and how they use this data in their grassroots advocacy.
Panelists:
- Simone English, Community Resilience & Stakeholder Engagement Program Manager, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice
- Kim Gaddy, Founder and Executive Director, South Ward Environmental Alliance
- Francisco Mercado, Policy Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics
Panel: Building Our Legacy - Succession Planning
Panelists will join a conversation with young leaders about the history, lessons learned, and what it takes to develop a vision for our communities and the movement.
Panelists:
- Cheryl Johnson, Executive Director, People for Community Recovery
- Dr. Mildred McClain, Executive Director, Harambee House
Training: Building for Success - Strategic Planning
Members of WE ACT leadership will lead an interactive session to developing a strategic plan for your organization. We will explore what the stages of organizational growth are, critical hiring roles, developing internal leadership, and how to align planning with expansion.
Led by: Karla Cordero, Chief of Staff, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Training: Future Proofing - Financial Planning
Training: Future Proofing - Financial Planning
In this session, we will sharpen our pencils and get the legal pads out. Whether your organization manages its own finances or relies on fiscal sponsors, you will leave this session with best practices and thoughtful feedback on your financial plans.
Local Spotlight Panel: Midwest Organizations
In light of this year’s theme, this panel will spotlight four Midwest environmental justice organizations. Panelists will speak on the obstacles they have faced, how they mobilized people, and how they won resources for their communities. Each panelist’s story will bring a new perspective on the meaning of frontline power.
Panelists:
- Beto Lugo-Martinez, Executive Director, RiSE4EJ
- Courtney Hanson, Deputy Director, People for Community Recovery
- Oscar Sanchez, Executive Director, Southeast Environmental Task Force
- Edith Tovar, Senior Just Transition Organizer, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
OUR AGENDA- DAY 3
Thursday June 25, 2026 - Day 3
Panel: Block the Buildout - Data Centers
Panelists will discuss the ways that they are organizing against data center buildout, highlighting the similarities, differences, challenges, and outcomes in their campaign approaches.
Panelists:
- Dr. Rania Masri, Co-Director, North Carolina Environmental Justice Network
- Kermit Moore, President, Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute
- Tristan Thomas, Director of Policy, Alternatives for Community and Environment
Data Center Strategy Session
Data Center Strategy Session
EJLF Members will strategize and share ideas for how the network can support efforts in their communities to address data center siting, environmental and economic impacts, and policy fights.
Documentary Film Screening
Recycle & Reinvest will screen their new documentary and share their plans to use film, music, and art to organize in their community in Nashville, Tennessee. B.4.L – The Environmental Justice Army is a powerful documentary spotlighting Nashville’s Hip Hop-rooted environmental justice movement rising from the ground up. Through voices of artists, organizers, and community leaders, the film shows how culture, conscience, and collective action intersect to confront environmental racism, reclaim neglected land, and build pathways for youth leadership - this is Hip Hop as service, activism as art.
Envisioning an Environmentally Just Future
This discussion will lay the foundation for the next few months of shared environmental justice centered efforts. We will identify key areas of convergence in our goals and priorities for the policies, regulations, and institutions that will advance and protect environmental justice for the next 30 years.
OUR AGENDA- DAY 4
Friday, June 26, 2026 - Half-day & Travel Day
Environmental Justice Tour with People for Community Recovery
People for Community Recovery's Toxic Tour features sites in the Lake Calumet areas focused on current and historical struggles for environmental justice and highlights the reasons why this community - and every environmental justice community in Chicago - advocates for an ordinance to address cumulative impacts.
Closing Reflection & Remarks
Featured
Organizations
Explore our spotlight on inspiring organizations dedicated to addressing and centering environmental justice in the effort to achieve a just transition and fight for the right to clean air, water, and land. Learn about our impactful work and innovative solutions driving progress for equitable policies and connect with your local organizations!
