Community Events

From Voices in the Dust
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Why this Information Is Important: Residents, activists, and advocates have been meeting, listening to each other, sharing information, raising awareness, and organizing against coal dust pollution in community events for decades. Included here are resources from past community events and materials to support future event planning, outreach, and grassroots organizing. This is central to advancing solutions to coal dust pollution, as there has never been proactive intervention by elected officials, regulators, or industries—only reaction to community pressure.

Attention: Residents, activists and advocates

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Resources and Materials: See for Yourself and Dig Deeper

Event-Related Materials and Templates

Sign in Sheet Template, Coal Dust Kills Kick Off, January 27, 2024

Email Invitation Template, Coal Dust Kills Kick Off, January 27, 2024

Event Agenda, Coal Dust Kills Kick Off, January 27, 2024

Request for People to Speak at the Newport News City Council Meeting, January 23, 2024

Take Action to Reduce Coal Dust in Your Community, 2024

Coal Dust Written Testimony Worksheet Sierra Club, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, 2024

Tell Your Story: Coal Dust Community Impacts, New Virginia Majority and Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, 2024

Old Dominion Student Organizations for Possible Partnerships, 2024

Tell Your Story: Coal Dust, Coal Dust Kills, 2024

Is Coal Dust Impacting You? (1), New Virginia Majority and Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, 2024

Is Coal Dust Impacting You? (2), New Virginia Majority and Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, 2024

Environmental Justice Day Flyer, East End Civic Association, April 13, 2026

Past Community Events

Grimes, Coalition to Hold Programs on Health, Daily Press, July 4, 2013

Salasky, Forums and Flue Shots, Daily Press, September 28, 2013

Air Quality Workshop, Daily Press, May 6, 2016

Repair Lab and Empower All, Coal Dust Kills Kick Off, Event Photographs, Piggly Wiggly Community Center, Southeast Newport News, January 27, 2024

  • Two men stand at a white board talking
    Photograph: Coal Dust Kills Kick Off. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • A woman stands at the front of a crowd
    Photograph: Coal Dust Kills Kick Off. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • Two people sit, eat, and look at a print out. One is smiling and the other is looking down
    Photograph: Coal Dust Kills Kick Off. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • Mayor Jones taking the floor and pointing at a white board at the Coal Dust Kills Kick Off event
    Photograph: Mayor Jones taking the floor at the Coal Dust Kills Kick Off event on January 27, 2024. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • Two men stand at a white board talking
    Photograph: Coal Dust Kills Kick Off. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • A woman stands at the front of a crowd
    Photograph: Coal Dust Kills Kick Off. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • Two people sit, eat, and look at a print out. One is smiling and the other is looking down
    Photograph: Coal Dust Kills Kick Off. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • Mayor Jones taking the floor and pointing at a white board at the Coal Dust Kills Kick Off event
    Photograph: Mayor Jones taking the floor at the Coal Dust Kills Kick Off event on January 27, 2024. Photograph by Adrian Wood.

Repair Lab and Empower All, The Air We Breath, Event Photographs, Zion Baptist Church, Southeast Newport News, April 20, 2024

  • Someone stands up in a room full of people and is speaking
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • Two people stand in the front of a crown with one holding a Coal Dust Kills sign
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • People at a community meeting with one woman talking
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • The Air We Breathe
    The Air We Breathe
  • People talkings together around a table at a community meeting
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • People talking at a community meeting. One woman wears a shirt with NAACP on the front
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • Someone stands up in a room full of people and is speaking
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • Two people stand in the front of a crown with one holding a Coal Dust Kills sign
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • People at a community meeting with one woman talking
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • The Air We Breathe
    The Air We Breathe
  • People talkings together around a table at a community meeting
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.
  • People talking at a community meeting. One woman wears a shirt with NAACP on the front
    Photograph: The Air We Breathe. Photograph by Adrian Wood.

East End Civic Association, Environmental Justice Day, Event Photographs, April 13, 2026

  • group of people smiling and posing for a picture
    Photograph: East End Civic Association Environmental Justice Day tour, April 13, 2026. Photograph uncredited.
  • Three people standing next to an air monitor on a tripod
    Photograph: Yugonda Sample-Jones, Malcolm Jones, and Lathaniel Kirts speak about air monitoring and the VOICES Network during Environmental Justice Day, April 13, 2026. Photograph by Katherine Hafner.[1]
  • Projector screen displaying an map of asthma across Newport News
    Photograph: A slide from Professor Johnny Finn's presentation on asthma rates across Newport News, April 13, 2026. Photograph by Katherine Hafner.<ref name=":0"
  • group of people smiling and posing for a picture
    Photograph: East End Civic Association Environmental Justice Day tour, April 13, 2026. Photograph uncredited.
  • Three people standing next to an air monitor on a tripod
    Photograph: Yugonda Sample-Jones, Malcolm Jones, and Lathaniel Kirts speak about air monitoring and the VOICES Network during Environmental Justice Day, April 13, 2026. Photograph by Katherine Hafner.[1]
  • Projector screen displaying an map of asthma across Newport News
    Photograph: A slide from Professor Johnny Finn's presentation on asthma rates across Newport News, April 13, 2026. Photograph by Katherine Hafner.<ref name=":0"

Visit Next

The Front Porch and Community Action

Have a question? Want to start a conversation or share an observation? Join the discussion: Front Porch

Do you have photographs or stories to add to this page especially of past events? Add Your Voice

You can also email the Repair Lab at editor@voicesinthedust.org or call, text, or send a voice memo to (757) 317-0356. If you prefer, a Repair Lab team member can record your story in person or collect physical materials to digitize and then return them to you.

Make Some Noise and Be Heard

Do you have an upcoming event related to fighting coal dust pollution? Tell the media to reach a wider audience. Find a press release template and guidance here:

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hafner, 'Coal Dust Kills': Environmental Justice Event at CNU Highlights Problems, Progress in Newport News, WHRO, April 14, 2026.
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