Community
Local Groups Commemorate 40th Anniversary of Warren County PCB Protest
Several groups in Warren County will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1982 PCB protest that sparked the environmental justice movement
“Birthplace of the Environmental Justice Movement”
The Warren County Environmental Action Team, Warren County Community Center, NAACP Warren County Branch, Coley Springs Missionary Baptist Church, United Church of Christ, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University along with other groups will hold a multi-faceted commemoration of the historic 1982 Warren County PCB protests this month. These protests led to the birth of the environmental justice movement.
Organizers plan to retrace the landmark marches and sing many of the protest songs when they walk to the Warren County dumpsite on Sat., Sept. 17. In addition to an ongoing exhibit at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Wilson Library, there will be panel and webinar discussions and an NAACP virtual banquet.
Among the events are:
Aug. – Dec. 22: UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Library Environmental Justice Exhibit
Sept. 14 at 1 PM: Webinar discussion with former protester Dollie Burwell, the Rev. Dr. Ben Chavis and the Rev. Bill Kearney. Register here
Sept. 14 at 5:30 PM: “Recalling Warren County – Discussing the Birth of the Movement. Discussion between former protesters, a protest photographer, the first NC Black woman elected to Congress and the Rev. Dr. Ben Chavis at Duke University’s Penn Pavilion Garden Room. Register here
Sept. 15 at 1-3 PM: UNC-Chapel Hill Wilson Special Collections Library panel discussion and exhibit viewing
Sept. 15 at 5:30 PM: “Environmental Justice: Past, Present and Future” with Rev. Dr. Ben Chavis and Catherine Coleman Flowers at Duke’s Chapel (see attached flyer) Register here
Sept. 17 from 8 AM – 2 PM: Commemoration Ceremony & March to the landfill. Registration and gathering at Coley Springs Missionary Baptist Church in Warren County. Address: 224 Parktown Road, Warrenton, NC 27589 More info. here
Sept. 18 from 2 – 4 PM: Community Worship Service at Coley Springs Missionary Baptist Church. Info. here
Sept. 20 from 5 PM – 8 PM: Downtown Warrenton & Warren County Jail Museum EJ Tour. Info. here
Sept. 24 at 1:00 PM: EPA to make policy announcement at the Warren County Courthouse Square. Address: 109 S. Main Street, Warrenton, NC 27589
Sept. 24 at 6:30 PM: “Back Together Again” Virtual gathering NAACP Warren County Branch. Register
Sept. 30 at 12-1 PM: “40 Years of Environmental Justice: Birth in Warren County to Today & Beyond” with Rev. Bill Kearney and additional speakers TBA, a free lunchtime webinar hosted by Clean Water for NC. Info here
Sept. 30 at TBD: “The Roots, Experiences, and Future of Climate Justice” with William Barber III, Yumna Kamel, and Dr. Jennifer Hadden at Duke University Gross Hall room 107, Ahmadieh Family Auditorium. Register Here.
Community
Green Rural Redevelopment Organization Launches Eva Clayton Rural Food Institute, Will Host Rural Food Forum
The 2023 Rural Food Forum to convene subject matter experts at Vance-Granville Community College January 12.
The Green Rural Redevelopment Organization, with the help of the honorable Eva Clayton, is set to launch the Eva Clayton Rural Food Institute and host the inaugural Rural Food Forum scheduled for Thursday, January 12, at 8:30 a.m. at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center.
The Green Rural Redevelopment Organization (GRRO), founded in 2012 with a vision to revitalize rural communities across NC and focus on poverty, food insecurity, and chronic health issues, is excited to launch the new Institute named in honor of board member and the first African-American woman to represent North Carolina in Congress Ms. Eva Clayton.
“I am a Board Member of GRRO and continue to be impressed with its founders Ardis and Henry Crews. I believed in the vision and mission of the Institute and how it could help rural communities across North Carolina,” said former Congresswoman Clayton. “I want to play a significant role in its success. The data in most rural counties in North Carolina clearly show high levels of food insecurity, poor health indicators, weak school systems, and weak economies. Rural North Carolina is home; I care and have a responsibility to help make it a healthy, better educated, more prosperous, and engaging community where I can.
The launch of the Eva Clayton Rural Food Institute will take place during the organization’s inaugural Rural Food Forum on Thursday, January 12.
The forum will convene leaders, community members, rural farmers and a host of influential guests to discuss existing programs, resources and opportunities to address challenges and solutions to create sustainable economic growth in rural communities through the creation and increased utilization of rural farming and equitable food systems.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for our organization and the people in rural North Carolina, said Henry Crews, executive director of GRRO. “Ms. Clayton has dedicated a large part of her life to fighting for rural communities, equitable care, and access to nutritious food, and we can’t think of a better way to tap into that knowledge. The forum is how we share knowledge, resources and bring others to the table to ensure a healthier rural NC together.”
Key speakers include Stacy Dean, Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services; Debra Farrington, Deputy Secretary/Chief Health Equity Officer NC Department of Health and Human Services; Bob Etheridge, State Executive Director, USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in NC; Dr. Norbert Wilson, Director of Duke University’s World Food Policy Center; Honorable G.K. Butterfield, Former Congressman First District of North Carolina and a host of other community leaders and advocates.
While the forum is free, registration is required to ensure adequate seating and food accommodations.
See the full forum agenda at: grronc.org/rural-food-forum
Community
What is the Average Commute in Warren County, NC
Stacker compiled statistics about the average commute in Warren County NC using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
ddisq // Shutterstock
See what the average commute is in Warren County, NC
American commutes are getting longer, with a U.S. Census Bureau report released in 2021 revealing the average one-way commute in 2019 reached a record high of 27.6 minutes. Combined with high gas prices, workers’ daily commutes are increasingly time-consuming and expensive—so much so that some are calling for commutes to count as part of the workday.
Even worse are travel times for “super commuters“—that unlucky 10% of Americans traveling more than one hour each way to punch a clock.
Stacker compiled statistics about the average commute in Warren County using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Statistics are calculated based on 2020 5-year estimates. Warren County has a longer commute than five out of six neighboring counties, with Nash County, NC having the shortest commute at 23.5 minutes.
Warren County commuting by the numbers
– Average commute: 27.4 minutes
— 9.8% higher than state average
— #29 worst commute in the state
– Workers with 1+ hour commute: 9.1%
– Workers who drive to work: 93.9%
— Workers who carpool to work: 11.6%
– Workers who take public transport to work: 0.1%
– Workers who work from home: 2.4%
– Left for work between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.: 15.0%
– Worked outside county of residence: 52.1%
Commutes in neighboring counties
#1. Nash County, NC: 23.5 minutes
#2. Halifax County, NC: 24.6 minutes
#3. Mecklenburg County, VA: 24.7 minutes
#4. Vance County, NC: 24.9 minutes
#5. Northampton County, NC: 26.0 minutes
#6. Warren County, NC: 27.4 minutes
#7. Brunswick County, VA: 32.9 minutes
Counties with the best commute in North Carolina
#1. Swain County: 19.0 minutes
#2. Hyde County: 19.6 minutes
#2. Jackson County: 19.6 minutes
Counties with the worst commute in North Carolina
#1. Gates County: 36.9 minutes
#2. Currituck County: 35.1 minutes
#3. Perquimans County: 34.4 minutes
Community
Warren County Memorial Library Hosts Oasis Spaces: North Carolina Green Book Project
The Warren County Memorial Library will host the “Oasis Spaces: North Carolina Green Book Project, 1933-1966” exhibit through January 31st.
The Warren County Memorial Library will host the “Oasis Spaces: North Carolina Green Book Project, 1933-1966” exhibit through January 31st. The exhibit is made possible through a partnership with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources as part of the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission.
The exhibit reflects the Heritage Commission’s research about “The Negro Motorist Green Book,” which identified business that in essence served as “oasis spaces” for African American travelers during the time of segregation. The book was both a travel guide and a tool of resistance designed to confront the realities of racial discrimination in the United States and beyond. It listed over 300 North Carolina businesses including restaurants, hotels, tourist homes, nightclubs and beauty salons.
“We are pleased to present this exhibit for the community to explore a part of history that has been overlooked,” said Library Director Christy Bondy.
The library has several programs planned that accompany the exhibit including film screenings, and a virtual visit with author, Calvin Ramsey.
The Green Book Project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The Warren County Memorial Library is located at 119 S. Front St., Warrenton, NC.
For more information about the Green Book project, visit www.wcmlibrary.org.
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