URGENT ACTION NEEDED

Defend Black Farmers and Indigenous Land in Pembroke Township 

Oppose HB 3404 to Cease the Nicor Gasoline Pipeline!

Pembroke farmers and residents want our collective assist for his or her battle in opposition to laws which seeks to deliver expensive and harmful fossil gasoline power by way of a Nicor pure fuel pipeline into Pembroke. The invoice, HB 3404, threatens Pembroke’s world-renowned 3-biome ecosystem–dwelling to the Kankakee Sands and blacks oaks savanna.

Because of Potawatomi and Black stewardship rooted in good relationship with the land and natural farming practices, the world has thrived as a sanctuary for a lot of uncommon and endangered plant and animal species. Pembroke can also be dwelling to a deep historical past and custom of Black freedom and self-determination. Based by Joseph “Pap” Tetter, spouse Mary Eliza, and their youngsters in 1862 after escaping from North Carolina previous to the Emancipation Proclamation, Pembroke Township served as a sanctuary for different runaway and freed enslaved individuals. The realm was an necessary terminal for the Underground Railroad and skilled continued waves of Black migration by means of the Nice Melancholy and Nice Migration. Pembroke’s Black farmers proceed to steward the land and develop self-sufficiency and self-determination utilizing the information and practices handed down by means of generations.

“Pembroke individuals are resilient. They’ve deep roots within the native soil. Residents have a lot to show the world about easy methods to reside as stewards of the land. Drawing on their wealthy tradition and pure setting, neighborhood members work to create sustainable livelihoods for future generations.”

– Discipline Museum, Rooted

The neighborhood has been preventing off pure fuel for over forty years to guard the setting and transition in direction of renewable power and a sustainable future. HB 3404 would violate Pembroke’s residents self-determination and permit the proposed fracked pure fuel pipeline to hazard Pembroke’s uncommon ecosystem and hurt its historic Black farming neighborhood. Regardless of widespread opposition, minimal alternatives for neighborhood enter, and failure to conduct and current affect research, the laws handed by means of the Basic Meeting with bipartisan assist as a method of “financial improvement.” Pembroke residents have made it clear that fossil gasoline power similar to this pipeline don’t have any place in Pembroke’s future. Quite the opposite, the Pembroke Township and Hopkins Park Sustainability Plan requires options similar to renewable and environment friendly power, sustainable meals methods, and assist for farmers. 

 “Folks right here love the earth. This pure fuel pipeline has nothing to do with the wellbeing of our neighborhood. We don’t must have it for our livelihood or financial improvement.”

 – Dr. Jifunza Wright-Carter, Black Oaks Heart 

The invoice (HB 3404) now sits on the Governor’s desk. The way forward for Black farming in Illinois is dependent upon your solidarity and motion. We solely have till August 29, 2021 to get calls and letters in opposition to Governor Pritzker. 

Under are 3 steps you possibly can take. 

TAKE ACTION NOW 

1. Name the Governor’s workplace at 217-782-6830 to demand that Pritzker veto HB 3404 and guarantee affect research, public course of, neighborhood involvement, and NO eminent area
   1. Pattern script from IEC: 
      1. “As a involved resident of Illinois, I urge you to guard public security, protect pristine agricultural land, and stop a utility price enhance through the use of your veto powers on HB3404. This laws solely provides a false answer to the very actual issues confronted by a neighborhood disinvested for many years. By giving a assured contract to Nicor Gasoline to construct unfettered into Pembroke township, the final remaining traditionally black farming neighborhood in Illinois, with out scrutiny of related businesses, vital public security protections, and solely meager public enter, Illinois residents will endure. As an alternative of assessing alternate options, this invoice would saddle Pembroke households and farmers with fracked fuel infrastructure effectively previous your proposed finish date for fuel in Illinois. As you already know, it’s time to put money into clear power, not double down on dangerous fossil fuels. Amending this invoice is a crucial step in defending Illinoisans from poor public well being outcomes, rising utility prices and the more and more perilous impacts of the local weather disaster.”
2. Ship e-mail letters by means of the next pages:
   1. Illinois Environmental Council: Stand with the Folks of Pembroke, Cease Fossil Gasoline Growth
   2. Illinois Stewardship Alliance: Inform Governor Pritzker to Veto HB3404, Protect Pembroke, and Cease the Nicor Pipeline
3. Uplift Pembroke’s efforts in opposition to the Nicor pure fuel pipeline by sharing these calls to motion amongst your networks and social media platforms!

To be taught extra:

1. WBEZ, Historic Black Farming Group In Pembroke Views Deliberate Gasoline Pipeline As Existential Menace
2. Chicago Solar-Occasions, In Kankakee County’s Pembroke Township, race, poverty, farming, Nicor fuel pipeline converge
3. Pure Assets Protection Council, Placing Pembroke’s Priorities Above a Gasoline Giveaway

Observe and assist the organizations on the frontlines: 

Black Oaks Heart

Blacks In Inexperienced

Illinois Environmental Council

Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Nature Conservancy 

Pembroke Farming Household Affiliation

Iyabo Farms