OUR STORY
The Harambee House, Inc./Citizens for Environmental Justice (HH/CFEJ) is a Savannah-based nonprofit with nearly two decades of practice helping people create safe, healthy communities that promote wellness, environmental justice and green sustainability. Founded in 1991 to engage African Americans in the fight for environmental justice and to bring attention to the nuclear issues affecting people of color in Savannah, HH/CFEJ was born out of a tremendous need for African Americans to develop collective strategies for the effective engagement of citizens in local decision-making.
HH/CFEJ's main goal has always been to build the capacity of disenfranchised or marginalized communities to speak intelligently and confidently about the social, economic and environmental problems they face. Its philology of change is grounded in the following simple equation:
community building + capacity building + citizen engagement in policymaking & government actions = sustainable environmental and social change
VISION STATEMENT
Our vision is a world where ...
- African history and culture, human rights and environmental justice are valued and practiced;
- community residents are empowered to speak in their own voice and are engaged in the public policy process;
- adults take full responsibility for the personal, educational, and spiritual development of future generations of youth and young adults;
- the community is engaged in creating and sustaining economic activities that are green and sustainable and enrich the lives of the community
- families live, work and play in communities free of toxins and other environmental health hazards; and
- peace and justice is a reality for ALL!
