MILWAUKEE WATER COMMONS

The state of Wisconsin is emerging from a period when the state’s environmental regulation agencies

were gutted. With the change to a more pro-

environment Wisconsin state government in 2018,

MWC along with other partners began a process of

engaging state officials in discussions around

environmental justice through a series of roundtable

meetings between people of color, indigenous folks, 

white allies and the administration.

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MWC helped convene a meeting between Gov. Evers, Lt. Gov. Barnes,

and a diverse group of allies from Milwaukee’s Black, Indigenous, and

Latino communities. Over time, we expanded this group to a broad

coalition of partners and decision-makers, including nontraditional

allies outside the environmental movement who recognize the

intersections between their work and environmental justice. At these

meetings, we discussed what environmental justice means for the state

and for Milwaukee’s communities.

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The goals of the Roundtable are to speak boldly into policy and                   

decision-making, build power among environmental justice leaders

inside and outside the environmental movement, and ultimately dismantle environmental injustice. Through a collective impact model, the Roundtable brings community members and the community organizations they work with – especially those not traditionally aligned with the environmental movement – together around issues and provides the information, understanding and tools they need to create impact. The Roundtable was designed to transform the environmental movement, because the movement will never be sustainable so long as it is built on a foundation of injustice. We see increased opportunities for dismantling injustices in the increasing awareness and actions of environmental organizations to include environmental justice as a component of their work.

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Environmental justice is an important part of the struggle to improve our environment and to mediate past environmental wrongs by developing and implementing response and solutions to improve and clean up our environment.

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The Milwaukee Environmental Justice roundtable was created to:

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1. Create a space for resource sharing and networking,

2. Critically evaluate who is benefitting from policies and projects. Elevate People of Color, Indigenous, and women environmental leaders.

3. Hold policy makers accountable to diversity and anti-oppression.

4. Establish ways to assist frontline organizations around EJ issues,

5. Receive guidance input and feedback from frontline organizations,

6. Incorporate EJ in state policies and regulations.

7. Flag or call out misguided regulations or policies.

8. Reaffirm the sacredness of unity and interdependence of ecological systems.

9. Ensure climate justice..