Founded in 1996, UPROSE has evolved under Elizabeth Yeampierre's leadership to focus on environmental justice, addressing the community's urgent needs related to racial and environmental issues. Yeampierre engaged locals to understand their priorities, leading to significant actions against polluting developments and advocating for sustainable job creation. Her leadership emphasizes the interconnectedness of civil rights and environmental issues, showcasing successful initiatives that promote economic growth while reducing environmental harm. UPROSE aims to replicate these models for future developments, ensuring that community concerns are prioritized in all negotiations and projects.
Since then, UPROSE has opposed the expansion of a highway that would pollute the local community, helped lead the push for legislation that would fund a revamp of abandoned toxic sites, and fought a developer's plan to transform the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into an office park out of step with the community—and won.
I hope people can see that something that has had a legacy of harm can become something that is not only incentivizing the local economy, hiring people, reducing emissions but also addressing the future needs of our communities.
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