“Together, we’re going to heal the heart of Curtis Bay.”

Other Groups and Organizations working in and around Curtis Bay

  • The Well
  • South Baltimore Community Land Trust 
  • Greater Baybrook Alliance 
  • SB7 Coalition
  • Brooklyn Homes Tenant Council 
  • Concerned Citizens for a Better Brooklyn
  • Action Baybrook 
  • Baltimore Compost Collective 
  • Baltimore Broken Glass
  • Free Your Voice
  • City of Refuge, Baltimore
  • Coal Free Curtis Bay 
  • Habitat for Humanity Chesapeake

Schools and Rec Centers

  • Curtis Bay Elementary School 
  • Benjamin Franklin High School
  • Baybrook Elementary Middle School
  • Curtis Bay Recreation Center

Labor Unions

  • IBEW local 24
  • Teamsters local 570

Academic, Research and Legal Partnerships 

  • Towson University 
  • Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • CHARMED Center 
  • University of Maryland
  • Environmental Integrity Project 
  • Namati

Groups and entities we have found we are not aligned with: 

  • Curtis Bay Energy Medical Waste incinerator 
  • WIN Waste a.k.a Wheelabrator a.k.a BRESCO Incinerator 
  • CSX Coal Terminal 
  • Energy Answers Incinerator aka “Fairfield Renewable Energy project”
  • Energy Justice Network 
  • Coal Kills Baltimore 

 

Our Core Values and Principles 

As a frontline environmental justice community we aspire to work in accordance with the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing. We seek to build lasting and meaningful collaborations founded on the following:

#1 Be Inclusive

If we hope to achieve just societies that include all people in decision-making and assure that all people have an equitable share of the wealth and the work of this world, then we must work to build that kind of inclusiveness into our own movement in order to develop alternative policies and institutions to the treaties policies under neo-liberalism. This requires more than tokenism, it cannot be achieved without diversity at the planning table, in staffing, and in coordination. It may delay achievement of other important goals, it will require discussion, hard work, patience, and advance planning. It may involve conflict, but through this conflict, we can learn better ways of working together. It’s about building alternative institutions, movement building, and not compromising out in order to be accepted into the anti-globalization club.

#2 Emphasis on Bottom-Up Organizing 

To succeed, it is important to reach out into new constituencies, and to reach within all levels of leadership and membership base of the organizations that are already involved in our networks. We must be continually building and strengthening a base which provides our credibility, our strategies, mobilizations, leadership development, and the energy for the work we must do daily.

#3 Let People Speak for Themselves

We must be sure that relevant voices of people directly affected are heard. Ways must be provided= for spokespersons to represent and be responsible to the affected constituencies. It is important for organizations to clarify their roles, and who they represent, and to assure accountability within our structures.

#4 Work Together In Solidarity and Mutuality

Groups working on similar issues with compatible visions should consciously act in solidarity, mutuality and support each other’s work. In the long run, a more significant step is to incorporate the goals and values of other groups with your own work, in order to build strong relationships. For instance, in the long run, it is more important that labor unions and community economic development projects include the issue of environmental sustainability in their own strategies, rather than just lending support to the environmental organizations. So communications, strategies and resource sharing is critical, to help us see our connections and build on these.

#5 Build Just Relationships Among Ourselves

We need to treat each other with justice and respect, both on an individual and an organizational level, in this country and across borders. Defining and developing “just relationships” will be a process that won’t happen overnight. It must include clarity about decision-making, sharing strategies, and resource distribution. There are clearly many skills necessary to succeed, and we need to determine the ways for those with different skills to coordinate and be accountable to one another.

#6 Commitment to Self-Transformation

As we change societies, we must change from operating on the mode of individualism to

community-centeredness. We must “walk our talk.” We must be the values that we say we’re struggling for and we must be justice, be peace, be community.

 

The Community of Curtis Bay Association (CCBA) is steadfast in our commitment to the core principles of environmental justice, which include inclusivity, bottom-up organizing, enabling affected individuals to speak for themselves, working together in solidarity, building just relationships, and a commitment to self-transformation. These principles guide all our collaborative efforts and partnerships.

In our commitment to these values, it is important to work with partners who consistently demonstrate alignment with these principles. Unfortunately, we have found that the actions and approaches of the groups “Coal Kills Baltimore” and “Energy Justice Network” do not align with our foundational values. As a result, CCBA will not be collaborating with either group. We believe it is crucial to maintain integrity in our partnerships and to ensure that all associations truly reflect our commitment to environmental justice and community-centered action.

We will continue to engage with partners who share and uphold these critical principles, focusing on building strong, just, and equitable relationships within our community and beyond. Thank you for your support as we pursue our mission with clarity and purpose.