RECLAMATION: BLAC’s Storytelling and Policy Summit: July 17-20, 2025
July 17, 8:00 am - July 20, 5:00 pm EDT
Join Green Amendments For The Generations at RECLAMATION: BLAC’s Storytelling and Policy Summit in July 2025! As the Green Amendment seeks to constitutionally recognize environmental rights for all people, the BLAC Policy and Storytelling Summit uplifts the specific struggles and solutions of Black Appalachian communities who have long borne the brunt of environmental degradation. By connecting these two movements, the Summit not only amplifies the call for systemic change but also reinforces the urgent need to embed Appalachian stories and solutions into the very fabric of our legal systems and proposed policy changes. Attendees can join virtually OR attend in-person in Pittsburgh, PA!
What is the BLAC Storytelling and Policy Summit?
- The BLAC Storytelling and Policy Summit is where lived experiences meet legislative action. Black Appalachian communities have long been on the frontlines of environmental harm, yet our voices are too often excluded from decision-making spaces.
- By blending storytelling and policy change, we ensure that those most impacted are heard and leading the fight for justice. Stories make the issues real, personal, and urgent—policy turns those stories into action. This summit will equip attendees with the tools to use their narratives to influence lawmakers, mobilize communities, and drive systemic change that protects our people and our land.
Registration:
→ https://blackappalachiancoalition.org/events/
What To Expect:
At RECLAMATION: BLAC’s Storytelling and Policy Summit, attendees can expect an immersive, multi-day experience designed to uplift Black Appalachian voices and turn personal narratives into powerful tools for change. Through interactive workshops, storytelling circles, policy trainings, and community-building sessions, participants will gain the skills and strategies to influence legislation, mobilize their communities, and advocate for justice across Appalachia and the Ohio River Basin. Rooted in joy, resistance, and the leadership of Black women, this summit is a space for healing, learning, and collective action.
Who is BLAC?
- BLAC’s mission is to use storytelling as a strategy and a precursor to policymaking, building collective power to reclaim our communities, reshape systems, and drive transformative, cross-sector justice across Appalachia and the Ohio River Basin. As a Black women-led organization, BLAC is leading a bold movement beyond equity toward true justice and equality, rooted in reclamation, resistance, and the power of our narratives.
- The Black Appalachian Coalition (BLAC) leverages black women’s organizing skills, leadership potential and political power to influence and positively impact the community.
