Environmental Justice

The environmental justice movement organizes at the intersection of community health and racial injustice. By working in solidarity with those most impacted by the climate crises and ecological degradation, TMCRC seeks to call attention to the way racial capitalism has harmed the planet, its people, and our relationships with each other. We do this work by supporting ongoing organizing through a legal framework, leveraging our skills as activists and attorneys to further movement goals and build a healthier environment.

Meet our newest team member, Staff Attorney Maggie Ellinger-Locke!

Maggie Ellinger-Locke (she/her) serves as environmental justice staff attorney for the Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center. In this role she seeks to provide support to communities confronting the root causes of environmental harm, and support activists engaged in long term struggle.

Building on the Shoulders of Environmental Justice Giants

The Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center builds upon the 150+ year legacy of the Howard University School of Law. In the last 50 years, environmental justice has emerged as an important aspect of social justice because black, brown and low income communities have been disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards.

Building on the Shoulders of Environmental Justice Giants

Mitchell v. Kirchmeier Amicus Brief

Law fellows from the Thurgood Marshall Center drafted an amicus brief for the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of Marcus Mitchell, who brought claims alleging violations of his First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights related to law enforcement’s use of excessive force against him during his participation in the Dakota Access Pipeline demonstrations of 2016 and targeting of him as an Indigenous Water Protector during the demonstrations.

Mitchell Brief as Filed