UMD Symposium Highlights Environmental Health Disparities in Maryland and DC

WHAT:

The First Annual Symposium on Environmental Justice (EJ) and Environmental Health Disparities in Maryland and Washington, DC is a day-long event at the University of Maryland, College Park designed to raise the visibility of racial and ethnic environmental health disparities in the region. More than 400 participants are expected to attend, including community members, researchers, public health practitioners, policymakers, students, youth and EJ advocates.

WHEN:

Saturday, December 1, 2012, 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM

WHERE:

University of Maryland, Adele H. Stamp Student Union

BACKGROUND:

Leaders in the environmental justice/environmental health movement from the University of Maryland School of Public Health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Sierra Club are partnering to launch this annual forum to address environmental health disparities in Maryland and the District of Columbia and establish a regional environmental justice network. Symposium Leaders and Keynote Speaker include:

DR. SACOBY WILSON Director of the Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health (CEEJH) initiative in the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health	MUSTAFA ALI US EPA Office of Environmental Justice
LESLIE FIELDS National environmental justice director for the Sierra Club	Keynote Speaker: VERNICE MILLER-TRAVIS Principal at the Environmental Consulting Group Miller-Travis & Associates, and Senior Associate at Skeo Solutions

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, and Dr. Carlessia Hussein, director of the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, will be among the distinguished guest speakers. The meeting will include a series of activities for youth from the region with a focus on developing intergenerational leadership on environmental justice and health issues. The Dance Exchange, an intergenerational community-engaged dance company, will also present an artistic work as part of the program.

For more information and an agenda of the days events, visit: http://www.ceejh.org/symposium

Symposium topics will include:

Environmental Justice in the Chesapeake Bay
Food Injustice and Health Disparities
Traffic, Air Pollution, and Respiratory Health Disparities
Maryland Health Disparities Reduction Act
Community Capacity-Building and Empowerment
Green Jobs, Sustainable Development, and Community Revitalization

MEDIA:

Members of the press are welcome to attend and cover the event. Interviews with presenters can be arranged.

CONTACT:

For more information, contact: Kelly Blake, 301-405-9418 or 443-851-0272.

Health Symposium