Rooted in Community. Cultivating Change.
Chicago's Frontline Communities Are Organizing for Environmental Justice
The Chicago Environmental Justice Network (CEJN) is a coalition of grassroots organizations on Chicago's South and West Sides. We bring neighborhood groups together to share strategies and resources to harness our power against industrial polluters and environmental injustices.
The Organizations Leading This Work
CEJN is led by frontline, community-based organizations, most of them led by women of color. Each one organizes its staff and members in the neighborhood they call home.
Campaigns Our Members Are Leading
Ways to Take Action
Become a Member Organization
Grassroots groups doing environmental justice work in Chicago can inquire about joining the network.
Donate
Your gift funds campaigns run by the residents closest to the harm.
Stay Informed
Get campaign news, policy updates, and stories from our member neighborhoods.
Updates & Stories from the Frontlines
What CEJN Does
The Chicago Environmental Justice Network (CEJN) is a coalition of grassroots organizations cultivating environmental justice on Chicago's South and West Sides.
We exist to make sure the people carrying Chicago's heaviest pollution burden are the ones organizing and making a difference.
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CEJN works to change systems and build power through transformative campaigns, policy advocacy, and community-based education. We connect allied environmental justice organizations across Chicago so they can develop and share strategies, resources, and experiences.
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Environmental justice means every person has a real say in the decisions that shape the air they breathe, the water they drink, and the ground their children play on, no matter their income, race, national origin, or immigration status. It also means every community has equitable access to a healthy, sustainable environment in which to live, play, work, learn, grow, and worship.
Environmental Justice (As adapted from the US EPA definition)
Environmental justice is the just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of income, race, gender, color, national origin, Tribal affiliation, disability, documentation status, or occupation, in agency decision-making and other Federal activities that affect human health and the environment so that people:
Are fully protected from disproportionate and adverse human health and environmental effects (including risks) and hazards, including those related to climate change, the cumulative impacts of environmental and other social and economic burdens, and the legacy of racism or other structural or systemic barriers; and
have equitable access to a healthy, sustainable, and resilient environment to live, play, work, learn, grow, worship, and engage in cultural and subsistence practices.
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Our members organize across Chicago's South and West Sides, including Little Village, Pilsen, Altgeld Gardens, South Chicago, South Deering, Pullman, and Roseland. Our policy work reaches citywide and statewide.
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Start with our newsletter to hear about upcoming hearings, town halls, and actions. Residents can connect directly with the member organization closest to their neighborhood. Grassroots organizations can inquire about becoming a member on our Take Action page. If you want to dig into a specific fight first, see our campaigns.
