Food Justice and Urban Agriculture | BMI Summer Institute on Environmental Justice
Black Midwest Initiative Facilitator Talk Series
July 24, 2025
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location
Institute for the Humanities
Address
1007 W. Harrison Street, Suite 153, Chicago, IL 60607
Calendar
Download iCal FileFree and open to the public. Visit the Black Midwest Initiative website for more information.
10:00am | Presentation: “Community Wealth: Future Opportunities in Community Food Systems and Cultural Preservation” | Erika Allen, Urban Growers Collective
Erika Allen is the CEO for Urban Growers Collective, President of Green ERA Educational NFP, and Co-Owner of Green Era Sustainability Partners. Her work exemplifies a strong commitment to sustainability with her dedication to the eradication of environmental injustice and promotion of regenerative, urban agriculture within Chicago. Her commitment to the public sector through the promotion of sustainable agriculture, forging economic opportunities for low-income individuals and creating access to healthy food has made a strong and considerable impact. Erika has dedicated her professional career to public service, developing sustainable community food systems and addressing structural racism and its inherent barriers to justice.
11:15am | Presentation: “The Land and the Legacy: Building Healthy Black Communities Through Agriculture” | Monica M. White, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Dr. Monica M. White is the Distinguished Chair of Integrated Environmental Studies (2021-25), associate professor of environmental justice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and past president of the board of directors for the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network. She is the first Black woman to earn tenure in both the College of Agricultural Life Sciences and the Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies, to which she is jointly appointed. As the founding director of the Office of Environmental Justice and Engagement (OEJ) at UW-Madison, Dr. White works toward bridging the gap between the university and the broader community by connecting faculty and students to community-based organizations that are working in areas of environmental/food/land justice toward their mutual benefit.
Date posted
Jun 10, 2025
Date updated
Jun 10, 2025