At One Earth Collective, we have something special for our readers today. In honor of Black History Month, we had the privilege of speaking with a true trailblazer in the environmental justice movement, Cheryl Johnson. Cheryl is the daughter of Hazel M. Johnson, widely regarded as the mother of the environmental justice movement and a local Chicago icon.
Taking meaningful action within your community is more than just a noble endeavor; it is a catalyst for transformative change. Whether through education, volunteering, or sharing your unique skills, each contribution can create ripples of positive impact. By focusing on areas where your passions and community needs intersect, you can drive significant progress and inspire others to join in. This article explores various pathways to empower your community, offering practical insights and strategies to make a difference.
Chicago’s legendary rock music hall Double Door is overcoming the typical odds faced by those looking to preserve the best of a historic building while revamping it with both modern and green features. To paraphrase George Harrison, it takes plenty of money, a whole lot of precious time, and much patience, to do it right.
In collaboration with One Earth Collective, the Austin Eats’ Verses & Vittles Lyrical Slam aimed to promote healthy eating and advance food justice in Chicago’s West Side neighborhoods. This year’s event featured a screening of They’re Trying to Kill Us, a documentary about the intentional inaccessibility to healthy food options in predominantly black and brown neighborhoods. The poetry slam was a chance for attendees to share their responses to themes in the film, as well as personal observations of food injustice and associated health crises in Chicago.
One Earth Collective helped Austin Eats host a screening of “They’re Trying To Kill Us,” at Bethel New Life Mildred Wiley Wellness Center in the West Side neighborhood of Austin. Austin Eats is a 26-member coalition of organizations working to create a healthy food system on the West Side of Chicago.
Chicago’s storied Bridgeport neighborhood has been the home of mayors, police, and firefighters for years. But hidden in plain sight is another feature of that illustrious neighborhood: the almost century-old Ramova Theatre, newly renovated and reopened for business. Now it anchors a 36,000-square-foot entertainment complex including a live music hall, banquet space, brewery, and restaurant. The upstairs banquet space, called the “Ramova Loft,” was once a karate/boxing gym.
