Michigan communities lead the way at the 2025 Environmental Justice Conference

Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II delivered the keynote address, emphasizing that the most powerful solutions come from those closest to the problem. He highlighted state efforts, like the Environmental Justice Impact Grant Program, which awarded $20 million to 43 community-led projects across Michigan in 2024. From water protection to housing upgrades and green space development, his message was clear: Michigan’s investment in environmental justice is happening neighborhood by neighborhood.

Focusing on the theme “Drive Environmental Justice Forward: Action, Equity and Impact,” the one-day conference included a wide range of notable speakers and panelists who spoke about moving environmental justice forward, turning advocacy to action, economic equity and health equity.

“Environmental justice is about action, equity and measurable impact in communities that too often bear the brunt of legacy pollution and climate change,” said Regina Strong, who leads the OEJPA. “The 2025 Michigan Environmental Justice Conference aims to highlight not only the challenges, but also the solutions—led by real people and advocates across the state—to shine a light on how advocacy turns to action, why having equity at the core of how we advance environmental justice is critical and where resources can have impact on communities.”

Conference attendees also had the opportunity to go on tours of Environmental Justice Impact Grantee sites in Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Seeing the work firsthand made one thing impossible to ignore: environmental justice in Michigan is visible, personal and it’s working.

In Highland Park, Shamayim “Mama Shu” Harris welcomed the group to Avalon Village, where a $499,748 state grant is transforming a long-abandoned home into a healing and wellness clinic. What once symbolized blight is becoming a space for care, recovery and hope. On Detroit’s Eastside, the Eastside Community Network showcased its plans for a wellness campus, a project turning vacant land into green buffers, playgrounds and gathering spaces designed to shield residents from industrial pollution while restoring a sense of pride and safety.

Other tour stops highlighted projects led by the St. Patrick Senior Center, Inc., EcoWorks, Bridging Communities, Mexicantown Community Development Corporation and Salina School.

To learn more about Michigan’s environmental justice programs, community initiatives and the Office of the Environmental Justice Public Advocate, visit Michigan.gov/EnvironmentalJustice.