The tenets of the environmental justice movement birthed in the 1980s are still relevant today as leaders work to protect vulnerable communities from the disproportionate impacts of climate change. Those principles are at the core of Brenda Mallory’s work as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality to ensure the country’s environmental laws, policies, and infrastructure have an equitable impact in all communities.
Chair Mallory recently traveled to #Charlotte as part of a tour promoting a $1 billion @UsdaGov initiative investing in underserved communities across America. Charlotte was awarded $1.1 million from the fund to support programs that preserve and protect trees in the Corridors of Opportunity.
We invited Chair Mallory to Archive CLT – a small business that is part coffee shop, part exhibition of Black culture and nostalgia located in the Beatties Ford Road Corridor – for a conversation with Mayor Vi Lyles on Charlotte’s tree canopy, @WhiteHouse climate change initiatives, and the importance of environmental justice.
You can read more about the $1.1 million grant supporting the city’s tree canopy care and tree maintenance programs:
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Mayor Vi Lyles: Chair Mallory,
thank you for joining me today In Beatties Ford Road at Archive
CLT, a black woman-owned shop Here in Charlotte that makes the
best coffee and iced tea. So, I'm excited to talk with you
today about the city's Sustainability efforts. And the
recent USDA Forest Service Grants that we received for tree
canopy maintenance in the Corridors of Opportunity.
Corridors of Opportunity are Neighborhoods that were thriving
at one point, but because of the Lack of investment, and
certainly with the idea that we Were, by infrastructure,
disinvesting in the communities, We have realized the value of
where they are today. And so Part of this is around the idea
of bringing back those Neighborhoods that were so solid
for so long. I know that you Know that I'm the first African
American woman to serve as mayor In Charlotte. And you are the
first African American chair of The Council on Environmental
Quality. So let's talk about Some of your accolades, and to
say to you, congratulations on All that you're doing. Brenda Mallory: So first of all,
thank you. Thank you, for one Acknowledging that, but more
importantly, for hosting us Here. Because I think this place
and the connection between the Corridors and what the President
is trying to do through the Justice40 Initiative could not
align better at the focus on the Need to reinvest in communities
that we have for so long Disinvested in, is like critical
to all of the work that he's Doing. But in particular under
the Justice40 Initiative. So I'm Really grateful for the
opportunity to be here. My why Really is a recognition of just
the opportunity that this President and this Vice
President really offered to Address issues that I've spent
my entire career working on in Environment, and climate change,
and environmental justice, and Making them not only issues, but
pillar issues, central issues, To the work that we're doing, Mayor Vi Lyles: Talk a little
bit about examples of
Environmental justice that you
have helped create and Implement. Brenda Mallory: There's a core
premise that guides all of our Policies, which is we have a
clean air, a clean water, and a Healthy infrastructure in this
country that has been designed Through a series of
environmental laws and policies Over decades. But those policies
do not influence or affect Everyone equally. And so this
President and this Vice President are very laser focused
on the idea of making sure that The infrastructure that we've
created actually affects all People. So that is what we're
trying to address. The way it Looks in different communities
may vary. But some of the key Examples are communities that
are closer to Superfund sites, Or that have more examples of
legacy pollution that's related To brownfields or that have more
lead pipes. And what goes with All of those things and why it
matters are the health impacts. So you have higher rates of
asthma, you have higher rates of Diabetes, you have higher rates
of maternal issues. All of those Things are impacted by your
environment. And as we try to Tackle it, tackle the
environmental impacts, we're Trying to tackle those health
impacts as well. Mayor Vi Lyles: I love your
combining of health impacts with The environment. Because you
know, I grew up in the south. And you know, of course, we had
trees, and it was just very Different. You didn't worry so
much about asthma, or you didn't Worry so much about your tree
canopy. But as we continue to Develop, and we talk about
reinvesting in communities, what Makes tree and tree maintenance,
such a priority for climate Change and the environment? Brenda Mallory: So one of the
impacts on climate change that We heard a lot about this past
summer in particular is just the Heat. It is so much hotter now
than it has customarily been. And that is having impacts on
the ecology in lots of different Ways and on the communities in
lots of different ways. And you
Can have as much as a 17 degree
difference in what a community Is experiencing depending on the
tree canopy. And so what we are Trying to do is to focus on the
100 million communities that Have less trees, that are we
referred to as kind of nature Deprived, because those are the
places where you have that great Disparity in the heat. So when
we're looking at the different Kinds of climate change impacts,
the trees are helping us address That. Mayor Vi Lyles: Certainly in
your second stint as chair of The Council on Environmental
Quality, you've had that long Term view of what's necessary.
But I think we ought to ask you To brag about yourself a little
bit. So tell me, what are you Most proud of, two stints in
this role? Brenda Mallory: I will say that,
you know, I was trained as a Lawyer, and… Mayor Vi Lyles: We'll forgive
you. Brenda Mallory: I know, right.
But one of the things that goes With that is that I am
accustomed to not so much doing Things, but helping to make
everything better. So that is The way that I sort of
envisioned a lot of the work That I've done. I didn't create
it, but I made it better. I Think the things in the Obama
administration that I think that Actually translate over into the
Biden administration that There's some consistency, is the
work that we're doing on trying To make sure that the history
that we are telling about this Nation reflects a broader
community. You don't actually Correct in one move any of those
things. But what you do is you Start to talk about the healing
that's needed, in this country Overall, by making steps in the
direction of actually making Everybody part of this country. Mayor Vi Lyles: Well, I'm really
proud of the President for the Past actions that he has taken.
He has so many major Initiatives, and a lot of it
around how do we actually become A more sustainable city,
country, all together, and the
Investments that he's made, not
just the monetary investments That he's made, but actually
choosing people like you to be In charge. And to help us
understand best what we can do. Brenda Mallory: We really
appreciate having partners like You out in the community to work
with, who are serious about the Same issues that we are, and
trying to figure out how we can Actually support one another is
really what I think this Administration is about. Mayor Vi Lyles: But we've been
working really hard on a lot of Our 2030 goals. Now, some of
them that might be 2050. But We're never going to give up and
we appreciate so much your Support and efforts in this task
that we have to make this world Better for the next generation.
Thank you very much.
Living in Charlotte North Carolina
Events, Life, Sports, Weather, News
Charlotte is a city that has something for everyone. While it’s home to the Panthers and Hornets in the NBA, it’s also home to a multitude of outdoor activities including hiking Crowder’s Mountain or biking at the U.S. National Whitewater Center. The temperate climate makes it a great place to take advantage of the outdoors.
There’s no shortage of bars, restaurants and breweries in Charlotte. From the upscale dining at Fig Tree with menu items like lamb carpaccio or elk chop to the more casual eats at YAFO Kitchen, which offers a taste of the Middle East without having to travel to the region. In addition to traditional malls, the 7th Street Public Market is a fun way to shop and sample the area’s best foods.
As a growing community, Charlotte offers plenty of opportunities for employment. It’s home to the headquarters of Bank of America and Wells Fargo, but it’s also a hub for companies in a variety of industries from American Airlines to Lowe’s.
The Charlotte metro is also home to universities that include Johnson & Wales University, Central Piedmont Community College and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. For those who are interested in moving to Charlotte, real estate options range from condos in the heart of downtown to large family homes in one of the suburbs. There’s also a wide variety of schools for children, from neighborhood elementary schools to charter and private schooling.