• The Maryland People's Hearing

    Bowie, MD

     

    The Maryland People’s Hearing will be a one-day public gathering centered on testimonies, community-driven solutions, and cultural celebration. This event invites communities from across Maryland and surrounding regions to come forward — to share, envision, and to keep our collective aspirations alive.


    The National People’s Hearing Tour invites community members to come together and testify to the threats on their health, land and work and put those solutions on the record. Representatives from over 34 states have attended the five People’s Hearings: 

    Greensboro, NC June 2025
    Tucson, AZ September 2025
    Pittsburgh, PA November 2025
    Miami, FL April 2026
    Detroit, MI June 2026

     

    Building on the success of the People’s Hearings, we are excited to be in community with you all in Maryland.

  • The People's Hearing in Maryland will:

     

    • Create space for dialogue where community representatives, partners and elected officials will lay the groundwork for policies and movements to secure a cleaner, healthier, economically and culturally vibrant future
    • Have leaders from across the country bear witness and lift up the stories and solutions of the community leaders and change-makers of Maryland
    • Center the plight and promise of our communities in their work

  • People’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council (PEJAC)

    In 2025, the Trump Administration shut down the Council. The White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) marked the first time that a Presidential advisory body was tasked with providing recommendations on environmental justice. Thousands of people from across the Nation and its Territories shared public comments with the WHEJAC to express their most pressing environmental problems and solutions, putting their experiences and knowledge on the public record. 

     
    In June 2025, the inaugural People's Hearing was hosted in Greensboro North Carolina, creating a spark for a new public accounting of environmental justice that can inspire new coalitions, supercharge movements, and stoke policy change locally and nationally. Due to the former WHEJAC members' role in the hearing process, attendees and organizers alike dubbed the witnesses as the People’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council, or PEJAC. Honoring the hard work of the organizers in North Carolina, the PEJAC has fully committed to working to continue to receive testimony from attendees during the nationwide People’s Hearings. In doing so, the PEJAC aims to keep the public record on what is happening to our communities and to elevate environmental justice solutions back onto the national stage.

  • Supporting the engagement of community members

    We value and are committed to the engagement of community members regardless of means and have a limited pool of funds available to support accommodation and travel associated with this event. All requests for travel and/or lodging sponsorship must be submitted by September 3, 2026 in the registration form below. Lodging assistance is available  only for participants traveling from locations approximately 2 hours or more from the event venue.

  • Location:

     

    Bowie State University

    Student Center, Ballroom

    14000 Jericho Park Road Bowie, MD 20715-9465

     

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    Important Dates

    September 3, 2026: Deadline to submit requests for travel and/or lodging support

    September 17, 2026: 8:00 AM Registration and Breakfast

             9:30 AM Program Start

    12:00 PM Lunch

        3:30 PM Conclusion 

     

  • Format: (000) 000-0000.
  • I agree to my registration information (name and organization) being shared with event organizers and other attendees*
  • Would you like to provide public comment at the event?*
  • I would like to attend a virtual testimonial information session on:*
  • Would your organization like to table at The People’s Hearing?

  • Financial Assistance

    Please note: Financial assistance is subject to available funding and cannot be guaranteed. Lodging support is limited to the night of Septemer 17th only.

  • Do you require financial assistance to attend this event?*
  • Is your organizational budget $1.75M or less?
  • If yes, what type of financial assistance are you requesting?**
  • How would you like to arrange your lodging?**

  • Accessibility & Additional Needs

  • Dietary Restrictions (check all that apply)*
  • Will you require parking?*

  • Press

  • Type of Coverage Planned*
  • Will you be recording audio, video, or taking photographs during the event?*
  • Are you requesting interviews with speakers, organizers, or participants?*
  • Will you need access to attendees or testimony participants for interviews, photography, or recording?*
  • Should be Empty: