RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF FEBRUARY 18, 2021
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners recognizing Blacks in Green
Body
WHEREAS, Blacks in Green is a West-Woodlawn based community organization that seeks to increase knowledge and awareness in Black communities regarding the value of incorporating green spaces into neighborhood designs to decrease emissions and other pollution caused by the use of vehicular methods of transportation; and
WHEREAS, Blacks in Green focuses on designing layouts for mixed income neighborhoods which encourage residents and visitors to walk from place to place rather than drive or take public transportation. The designs feature dynamics which promote neighborhood self-sustainability and energy efficiency; and
WHEREAS, founded 12 years ago by Naomi Davis, Blacks in Green seeks to recreate the neighborhood experience that she had as a child growing up in St. Albans, New York in which people could easily walk to the places that they needed to go to purchase food, participate in entertainment, and work; and
WHEREAS, Blacks in Green seeks to educate not only about the negative effects of commuting, such as global warming and additional expenses, but also the positive effects of staying within the community, such as the growth of local businesses and less reliance on outside resources; and
WHEREAS, Blacks in Green aspires to show that there is power in knowledge and that Black communities can not only be places where people reside, but also communities in which Black businesses are able to thrive; and
WHEREAS, in addition to concentrating on design components, Blacks in Green also endorses access to employment which centers on environmental preservation and emphasizes the importance of property ownership; and
WHEREAS, in partnership with ComEd, Blacks in Green has opened the Green Living Room, which serves as the headquarters for the organization. The Green Living Room is a multi-purpose space which promotes engaging conversations, provides educational materials, and allows access to technology-based resources; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and staff, do hereby recognize Blacks in Green and honor its role in encouraging environmental awareness and change; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and that a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to Naomi Davis on behalf of Blacks in Green.
Dated: February 18, 2021