TEXT DWEJ$ to 44-321 TO DONATE

Network Directory

This is a living document and subject to change! If you would like to be included in this directory or share a resource that is not listed please email Andrew. Your help is appreciated.

This list includes various organizations that work to stop environmental racism, offer helpful resources, or advocate for policy solutions. This directory focuses on orgs that offer the most relevant resources to grassroots organizers.

The directory is generally organized as follows although there is a lot of overlap. Groups are listed alphabetically.

  • Detroit Focused Groups
  • State-Wide Groups
  • Media

A Note on Block Clubs

We live most of our lives locally. Sure, we may commute to work or build online communities, but studies show that when environmental or other disasters strike it’s the people we live closest to that play the biggest role in determining if we’re all right at the end of the day.

If you have a question or need support and are not sure where to start, try asking around your neighborhood or reaching out to your block club. There’s a wealth of local knowledge and most likely your neighbors will point you in the right direction. That said, we’re not gonna list out block clubs or neighborhood associations in this guide because it would simply be too long to be useful and honestly you probably know better than us!

For folks who are holding it down on a local level and looking to link with others or collaborate with DWEJ you can reach out to Andrew.

Detroit Focused Groups

Black to the Land Coalition

  • Location: Citywide
  • Focus Area: Outdoor Education, Youth Programming
  • Notes: Black To The Land’s programs have offerings for all ages and include things like the Urban Forest School. They are Black and Indigenous led and centered.

Detroit Environmental Agenda

  • Location: Citywide
  • Focus Area: Policy, Networking
  • Notes: This coalition brings together numerous research groups and non-profit orgs. Check out their member orgs for more research leads!

Eastside Community Network (ECN)

  • Location: Mack and Conner (Eastside Detroit)
  • Focus Areas: Community Development, Policy Advocacy, Organizer Training
  • Notes: ECN hosts a whole variety of programming for community residents as well as some environmental justice specific initiatives like a fellowship program, regular climate action coalition, and facilitating a network of resiliency hubs to administer relief in the event of a natural disaster like floods or heat waves. ECN also has a fleet of vans that folks can rent at low cost for your community events.

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

  • Location: Statewide
  • Focus Area: Legal Support, Air Quality
  • Notes: Great Lakes Environmental Law Center offers legal services to folks facing environmental injustices. They also run a Permit Tracker and an Enforcement Tracker for monitoring air quality in Wayne County.

Ecology Center

  • Location: Ann Arbor and Detroit
  • Focus Areas: Citizen Science, Air Quality
  • Notes: Ecology Center works on various fronts from helping research and report on diverse pollution and sustainability issues to supporting with community-based science.

Transit Riders United (TRU)

  • Location: Metro Detroit
  • Focus Area: Transportation
  • Notes: TRU advocates for sensible transit policy and host various educational events. They also engage in some lobbying and campaign work.

Soulardarity

  • Location: Highland Park
  • Focus Areas: Utility Accountability, Policy Advocacy
  • Notes: Soulardarity started as a resident led campaign to get solar powered streetlights after DTE repossessed and removed streetlights from Highland Park. Now they focus on advocacy and are a presence at the Michigan Public Service Commission – the governmental body that regulates things like utility rates and other energy infrastructure.

Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision (SDEV)

  • Location: Southwest
  • Focus Area: Air Quality, Land Use
  • Notes: SDEV works with both residents and businesses to help address some of the issues with air quality. SDEV is currently convening a coalition focused on trucking and it’s impact on air quality.

We The People of Detroit

  • Location: Detroit
  • Focus Area: Utility Accountability, Policy Advocacy, Organizer Training
  • Notes: One of the foremost organizations advocating for comprehensive statewide water affordability bills – which are different from “assistance programs” that have limited funds and don’t ensure people’s access to water. We The People of Detroit also runs organizer trainings and supports various campaigns based around youth leadership.

State-Wide Groups

These are included because some of their activities are in Detroit.

Just Air

  • Location: Statewide
  • Focus Area: Air Quality
  • Notes: Just Air offers technical tools to support with air quality monitoring.

Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition (MEJC)

  • Location: Statewide
  • Focus Areas: Policy Advocacy, Utility Accountability, Organizer Trainings
  • Notes: MEJC is a coalition formed of various member orgs. They have a broad reach and host various initiatives that include everything from policy analysis and advocacy work to grassroots volunteer campaigns.

Also note: Michigan Alliance for Justice In Climate (MAJIC)

  • Location: Statewide
  • Focus Areas: Coalition Building, Organizer Training
  • Notes: A project spun out from MEJC devoted to supporting grassroots organizers.

Michigan United

  • Location: Statewide
  • Focus Area: Policy and Lobbying Campaigns
  • Notes: Michigan United organizes various campaigns related to everything from immigration to criminal justice reform to labor to the environment and more. They offer resources to help organizers get experience.

The Peoples Water Board Coalition

  • Location: Statewide
  • Focus Area: Water Rights, Policy Advocacy
  • Notes: The People’s Water Board coalition advocates for safe, accessible, and affordable water.

Water Equals Life Coalition (WEL Coalition)

  • Location: Statewide
  • Focus Area: Water Rights, Policy Advocacy
  • Notes: WEL is advocating for policy that will ensure everyone has enough clean, safe, affordable water by making sure each family has a water bill capped according to their monthly income.

Media

Below are some outlets that you may find helpful.

Planet Detroit

Outlier Media

Detroit News

Metro Times

Riverwise Magazine

Fighting Words

Energy Affordability Guide


We’re here to help.

At risk of a shutoff? Check out this “Know Your Rights Guide” for tips to keep your power on!

Scroll down for info on:

  • how to lower your bills
  • ways to get involved
  • why our bills are so high.

How to lower your energy bills:

Bill Payment Assistance Programs

  • State Emergency Relief Program (SER)
    • Up to $850 for electric and up to $850 for gas utility bills. Available to low-income households. You can apply multiple times via MIBridges.
  • Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP)
    • If you have a valid SER approval letter you can apply for additional funds through MEAP. This program is administered by various providers.

Energy Efficiency Improvements

You Can Get involved

The Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition is leading a “Dismantle DTE” campaign. This is a place for us to educate each other about helpful resources and build a movement capable of challenging DTE’s power! You can also sign their petition to demand lawmakers stop taking dirty money!

Michigan United is running a “Taking Back Our Power” campaign to get corporate money out of politics. Have you had a bad experience with a big corporation like Blue Cross Blue Shield, Delta Dental, DTE Energy, Consumers Energy, Ford or GM? Share your story with them here!

We The People Michigan is working for a clean, and affordable energy future. Sign Up to stay up to date on their work.

Why Are Our Bills So High?

Detroiters pay too much for unreliable electricity.

The average cost of energy for a Detroit resident is 16% of their income! This is much higher than 6% which is is considered affordable.

DTE rates are higher than 95% of utilities in the United States, and folks in Detroit also experience higher rates of shut offs than other utility customers. Your power could be shut off after just 1 missed bill!

And if that isn’t bad enough, Detroit also has some of the most frequent and longest lasting power outages in the nation!

Things don’t have to be this way!

Our current energy system is unaffordable and unreliable because of policy decisions made by those in power in government and at utilities like DTE. Some examples are:

  • The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) allows DTE to raise, and set, charge rates. (Source)
  • Politicians receive money from DTE and rely on DTE provided experts to tell them what is possible while ignoring other experts. (Source)
  • Detroit homes are old and drafty, requiring more energy to stay warm (or cool) and programs to help homeowners are not funded regularly or adequately.

Do you run a program or know a useful resource that would be a good fit for this page? If so email Andrew!