Warren County (NC), 1982: Churches as Actors of Environmental Justice

The 1982 protests against a PCB landfill in Warren County, North Carolina, often seen as the symbolic origin of the Environmental Justice Movement, underscore the pivotal role of African American Protestant churches. These churches served as hubs of organization, mobilizing through Civil Rights networks and collaborating with national organizations for nonviolent resistance. Driven by both theological principles and opposition to systemic racial and socio-economic marginalization, the protests highlight the convergence of race, religion, and activism in shaping African American Christianity and advancing broader justice movements.