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Philadelphians gathered at a leafy community center in West Philly Monday for a day of talking, learning, and connecting.
The inaugural ecoFEST hosted by WURD Radio centered around one goal: shaping vibrant and resilient Black green futures.
“We’re trying to ensure a world where not just the planet exists, but also Black people exist — and are living in a sustainable way,” said EcoWURD project manager and content coordinator Dylan Lewis, who organized the event.
Monday’s ecoFEST featured workshops, panels, vendors, and live music. It was an evolution of the Environmental Justice Summit EcoWURD has hosted the last several years on Indigenous Peoples Day, with a celebratory tone and programming aimed at a younger crowd.
Andres Gonzalez-Bonillas speaks about local land-related movements during a workshop at ecoFEST. (Sophia Schmidt/WHYY)
“We thought about, how can we reimagine this event so that it attracts people who are younger, who are activists — people who definitely want to talk about the problem, but also people who are actively doing something about the problem,” said WURD General Manager Ashanti Martin.
Attendees of all ages roamed through One Art Community Center’s gardens, visited the center’s chickens, and took part in workshops.
“It’s an honor to be here to intergenerationally organize, but also support WURD and their efforts to continue what they’ve been doing,” said Keyssh Datts, the young founder of the environmental justice activist group DecolonizePhilly.