Environmental Justice Begins With Community Action

GLOBAL25 MAGAZINE  |  COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT

Reflections on heat, work, and the responsibility to invest with communities

By Malikka D. Karteron President and CEO, Global25 International

In college, I participated in a “Tour de Trash” and learned that other states were shipping their garbage to Virginia. That experience stayed with me. Waste does not disappear when it leaves our sight. It arrives somewhere else, where another community must live with the consequences.

That lesson shaped the perspective I brought to “Environmental Justice, Heat, Work, and Us,” the October 3, 2026 panel at Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning in New York City. With discussion questions developed by Project Petals leadership and support from a Pulitzer Center grant, the conversation offered an opportunity to examine how environmental conditions affect daily life—and what meaningful action should look like.

For Global25, environmental justice is connected to education, workplace safety, family well-being, and equitable access to resources. Our approach to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) priorities brings education, the arts, and collaborative partnerships into the work of advancing equity. Communities must have a meaningful role in shaping the solutions that affect them.

Closing the gap between need and response

In my work with communities and organizations, I see a persistent gap between recognizing environmental challenges and delivering improvements. Residents may face flooding, noise, air pollution, or concerns about nearby industrial activity while struggling to access protection, reliable information, and funding.

Those concerns can follow people into the workplace, where ventilation, hazardous conditions, and exposure to heat demand attention. A response should be judged by what changes for people: safer homes and workplaces, clearer emergency procedures, and resources that reach the communities carrying the greatest burdens.

Extreme heat calls for shared responsibility. Employers should provide drinking water, cooling / ventilation, suitable rest areas, and schedules that reduce exposure during the hottest hours. Community organizations can share accessible information and connect residents with cooling resources. Government investment and enforcement should support protections that people can depend on.

Giving community voices influence

Listening must lead to decisions. Community members should help identify priorities, shape plans, and define success. Their participation needs to continue after a meeting ends or a report is published.

A public progress tracker can make that connection visible: What did residents recommend? What action was taken? Who is responsible? When should the work be completed? If a recommendation is not adopted, organizations should explain why and discuss alternatives. Regular roundtables and working groups can help residents review progress and address barriers.

Investing with communities also means valuing their expertise. Institutions should create accessible opportunities to participate, compensate community knowledge, and give residents meaningful authority in investment decisions. The responsibility for change cannot rest on residents alone.

Funding solutions that can last

Local ideas need resources for planning, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation. Partnerships among residents, community organizations, businesses, universities, and government can connect lived experience with technical expertise and financial support.

Green spaces, flood protection, cooling resources, energy-efficient buildings, and workforce training are possible areas for collaboration. The right priorities should be determined with the people affected. Clear responsibilities and public reporting can help ensure that funding produces benefits communities can see and sustain.

Telling stories and following the results

Storytelling helps people understand environmental conditions through daily experience. Photographs, maps, personal accounts, and intergenerational stories can preserve community history and make overlooked problems visible. Education and the arts can create space for residents to communicate what they know and what they need.

Communication should use clear language and the languages spoken in the community. Reports need concise explanations of findings, timelines, and proposed actions. Residents should be able to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and receive updates that show how their feedback influenced decisions.

Stories also need follow-through. Coverage should examine whether commitments changed policies, delivered resources, or improved conditions. It should make room for the emotional strain residents describe when flooding, pollution, or uncertainty disrupt their sense of safety.

I appreciate Project Petals, the organizers, fellow participants, and the Pulitzer Center that made this discussion possible.

Global25’s commitment is to keep connecting dialogue with action. The questions raised at this panel belong in the places where budgets, policies, and partnerships are decided—with communities helping to set the direction.