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.