Illinois public officials from the state assembly joined community residents on Chicago’s South Side for a dedication ceremony to rename 130th Street as “Hazel Johnson EJ Way.” Hazel Johnson, called by many the “Mother of Environmental Justice” was a legendary environmental activist from Chicago’s South Side. Hazel rallied her community of Altgeld Gardens to fight asbestos, challenge industrial polluters and empowered her community to stand up and fight for a clean and healthy environment. Hazel was one of the first to welcome a young President Barack Obama into her neighborhood when he was a community organizer.
Hazel’s legacy in Altgeld Gardens continues today through the work of People for Community Recovery, a group she founded that continues to educate low-wealth communities and communities of color about pollution and environmental hazards. The group is focused today on advocacy for the U.S. Clean Power Plan and creating local clean energy jobs, which are pillars of President Obama’s legacy on climate action.
The event culminated in a “Lock and Love for Environmental Justice,” with community residents locking arms down 130th Street in honor of Hazel.
To mark the street dedication, Cheryl Johnson, Hazel’s daughter and leader of People for Community Recovery, released the following statement:
“My mother- Hazel Johnson – believed that a healthy and clean environment was a right for every human being, and she fought every day for environmental justice. She worked for love and peace in the face of pollution, illness and injustice.
“My mother’s legacy lives on today in the work that we’re doing to support the U.S. Clean Power Plan. We’re organizing to shift how we get our energy, and we’re working to be sure that communities that have been burdened for decades by dangerous pollution from industry are prioritized for clean energy development, jobs and savings.”
Today’s dedication was attended by the following public officials:
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Sheila Lewis, Deputy Director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Environmental Justice
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State Rep.Thaddeus Jones (29th District)
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State Rep. Marcus Evans (33rd District)
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State Senator Napoleon Harris (15th District)
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State Rep. Will Davis (30th District)
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