»Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ [BIG] is national network born to close America’s racial wealth gap via the new green economy — increasing Black household income and building oases of resilience against the harms of climate crisis where Black people live. Our Sustainable Square Mileâ„¢ system implements our 8 Principles of Green-Village-Buildingâ„¢ introduced in 2007 to achieve BIG’s theory of change: that only a whole-system solution can transform the whole-system problem common to Black communities everywhere; that ultimately self-sustaining Black communities everywhere would change the narrative of what it means to be Black in America: and that our communities would thereby become synonymous with beauty, prosperity, comfort, and joy.  

BIG works to increase the rate at which neighbor-owned businesses are created and sustained; build the capacity of neighbors to own, develop, and manage the property in their community; and remember and reinvent the conservation lifestyle ~ where households and homesteads produce their own energy, grow their own food, clean their own water, and recycle their own waste.  This reignites our Great Migration tradition of walk-to-work, walk-to-shop, walk-to-learn, walk-to-play villages where African Americans own the businesses, own the land, and live the conservation lifestyle ~ the beautiful and ‘do-for-self’ life!  

CONTACT US IF YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT OUR SUSTAINABLE SQUARE MILE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

BIG: »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ™ is an environmental economic development non-profit with a vision for self-sustaining Black communities everywhere.

• We're tackling pollution and poverty with a system tool we created and call The Sustainable Square Mile Handbookâ„¢- with a goal of closing the racial health/wealth gap

• by teaching the risks of climate crisis and opportunities of the new green economy.

• We serve as a bridge and catalyst among communities  and their stakeholders in the design and development of green, self-sustaining, mixed-income, walkable-villages where Black families live;

• where every household can walk-to-work, walk-to-shop, walk-to-learn, walk-to-play - and neighbor dollars can circulate locally to limit the greenhouse gases overheating our planet.

• The tools we use are our 8 Principles of Green-Village-Buildingâ„¢ and 12 Propositions of ³Ò°ù²¹²Ô²Ô²â²Ô´Ç³¾¾±³¦²õâ„¢ which we're piloting in our home community on Chicago's south side, and teaching and consulting nationally as a replicable model.

• The 8 Principles operate in the realms of wealth building through ownership, renewable energy, recycling, urban homesteading, celebration of heritage, system change organizing, green hubs for lifelong learning, and making an oasis wherever we live- by inventing, investing, manufacturing, and merchandising locally.

• In our process, communities of color are financed to design, direct, represent, and benefit fromeconomic development, with success measured by increase in household income, and ownership of local businesses and land.

• Can we support you and your stakeholders in creating a walkable-village within the neighborhood where you live?

  naomidavis@blacksingreen.org
  

RESOURCES

Did you know that Chicago has over 400,000 lead service lines connecting to people's homes? Lead in drinking water is toxic, especially for children. In 2023, »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ partnered with Elevate and the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health on a program called Lead-Free Water For All, in the Chatham and Woodlawn neighborhoods. 

Through this program, we educated and created awareness about lead in water, and provided free testing and filters to help households reduce lead in drinking water. The Lead-Free Water For All Program was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Justice Small Grant Agreement.

Below you will find resources to learn about lead in water and what you can do to improve the health of your home.

We encourage you to share these resources with anyone who may benefit from this information. 

WHAT ARE LEAD SERVICE LINES?

Watch this short video to learn how lead, a common toxic metal, that can enter your drinking water through pipes and plumbing materials made of lead.

RESOURCES

The following are a variety of resources available to you to learn more about lead in water and how to keep your home healthy and your loved ones safe.

LEAD IN WATER 

EPA:

EPA Brochure:

EPA Factsheet:

EPA Factsheet:

EPA:

EPA Guide:

City of Chicago:

City of Chicago:

HEALTHY HOMES & OTHER LEAD

EPA Brochure:

EPA Brochure: 

Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSU) Guide:

EPA:

EPA Booklet: 

EPA Booklet: 

EPA:

PARTNER RESOURCES

Elevate:

Elevate: Water Affordability - Need to Know for Your Home

University of Illinois Chicago - School of Public Health:

LeadCare Illinois: Free Lead in Water Testing for Child Care Providers

LeadCare Illinois: Your Free Resource to Reduce Lead in Drinking Water

National Drinking Water Alliance: Lead in Drinking Water - What to Know if You are a Homeowner

National Drinking Water Alliance: El Plomo en Agua Potable - Lo Que Debe Saber si Usted es Propietario de una Casa

National Drinking Water Alliance: Lead in Drinking Water - What to Know if You are a Renter or Condo Owner

National Drinking Water Alliance: El Plomo en Agua Potable - Lo Que Debe Saber si Usted es un Inquilino o Propietario de un Condominio

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

CHICAGO UTILITY BILLING RELIEF (UBR) PROGRAM & LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLD WATER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHWAP)

This program provides low-income City of Chicago residents with a reduced rate on their water, sewer, and water-sewer tax as well as debt relief for those who demonstrate they can manage the reduced rate bills for one year. Benefits for UBR participants include:

• A reduced rate on water, sewer, and water-sewer tax

• No late payment penalties or debt collection activity

• Debt forgiveness after successfully completing one year with no past due balance

Learn more:

CERTIFICATES OF ERROR

If a homeowner was eligible for a homestead exemption in tax years 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018, and the exemption was not applied to the paid property tax bill, a refund can be obtained through the Certificate of Error process.

Learn more:

SENIOR EXEMPTION

Most senior homeowners are eligible for this exemption if they are 65 years of age or older (born in 1956 or prior) and own and occupy their property as their principal place of residence.

Learn more:

CHICAGO’S ADDITIONAL DWELLING UNITS (ADU) ORDINANCE

This ordinance expands housing access by allowing ADUs in attics, basements, and accessory buildings such as coach houses, backyard houses, and in-law apartments.

Learn more at or contact Ladi at 312-730-6329.

PARTNERS

Blacks In Green has received financial support from the EPA under an Assistance Agreement for this grant project titled "Lead-Free Water For All". 

We’ve compiled a list of resources for our neighbors to tap into, as featured in our flyer below. Please check back often as we continue to build out these resources to help you with your block club goals.

DO YOU HAVE AN EXISTING BLOCK CLUB?

If you have an existing block club in the West Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, we provide free support for organizing and managing your block club. Connect with BIG and let us help you register for all the resources available to you through the City of Chicago and beyond.

DO YOU WANT TO START A CLUB ON YOUR BLOCK?

Are you interested in starting a block club in the West Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois?

FIRST STEP: Recruit two or three people on your block to help you organize your neighbors.

SECOND STEP: Pick a date and location for your first meeting. Create a simple flier that you can give to your neighbors. We can help with this.

THIRD STEP: Prepare and file organizational documents. We can help with this.

FOURTH STEP: Plug into all of

CONNECT WITH US

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We would like to thank the people and organizations that supported this collaboration and allowed us to list their work as case studies.

We would like to thank every person who responded and who connected to us with input and feedback on how best to portray examples from the field.

We would also like to thank Danna Walker for extensive review and insightful contributions to this document.

We gratefully acknowledge the Surdna Foundation for its generous financial support.