Today we’d like to introduce you to JD Dixon.
Hi JD, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my nonprofit grassroots activist organization, Empire 13, on Juneteenth 2020. We champion the fight for racial, social, economic, and environmental justice reform. We formed because a group of my black co-workers and I took a stand against the racial discrimination we faced at my former job. I had to endure being cussed out at, assaulted, spit on by white co-workers, and racist satire drawings hung for display around the factory, and when I reported these incidents to the HR department, it was swept under the rug. I finally took a stand when the racist drawing was hung in the factory. I took the drawing to the local NAACP Branch President, and he agreed it was a racist drawing. From there, and in the following months, I and my other black co-workers took a stand against the racial discrimination we had been facing, and it culminated in a protest and march in Juneteenth 2020. We received media coverage, and the racist treatment and culture my former job inflicted on us were made public.
The fire to bring change has always been in me and is in my family’s blood. My grandfather marched and organized with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. My great-great-grandfather helped build and was on the first board of education for East St. Louis District 189, helping and advocating to bring education to the black community. So from the momentum for change, we gained from fighting against workplace racial discrimination, we started championing the fights for all the issues plaguing black American and marginalized communities.
We started advocating for families who suffered from police violence and brutality, from an innocent black teenager who was attacked and bitten by a police K-9 for over 8 minutes while he screamed in pain to a black autistic teenager who was assaulted and tased by an officer while he was handcuffed. These are the situations that perpetuate systemic racism, and if we don’t take a stand against these injustices, then they will continue and get worst.
Through our efforts to address all forms of systemic racism, I started Empire 13’s Boots to the Streets Campaign using demonstrations to enact legislative and policy reform to address the effects environmental racism has had in the black American communities in St. Clair County. I organize environmental justice action clean-ups to raise the alarm about the illegal dumping that devastates East St. Louis and have been able to build strong support behind the campaign and is currently working with IL US Senator Duckworth’s office and the City of East St. Louis to create policies and legislation to end illegal dumping in Black American communities not just in St. Clair County but across the country by creating Federal Legislation to end it and policies and programs that can be used as a blueprint in other disadvantaged communities across the country.
The fight for systemic change and to create change is a marathon, not a sprint, and we are in the fight until we achieve equity and justice for all marginalized people.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
The fight for justice is exactly what it is, a fight, but the importance of achieving change not just for now but for the upcoming generations of black and brown children; it’s a fight that must be taken on. There were plenty of times when I would organize a protest or action clean-ups, and only a few people would show up, but that never deterred me. I knew that no matter how many people showed up, the fight was too important to give up. In those tough times, I knew I had to stay persistent because bringing change and creating change would not happen overnight. Those times when numbers were low were tough, but those times got us closer to creating systemic change. Still, I knew if I quit, it was guaranteed that it wouldn’t occur from any of my efforts, and my passion and love for my people and my community wouldn’t allow me to stop. I found my purpose when I started fighting for justice, and the tough times made me a more formidable fighter for justice. And in time, It was proven. I advocated to create change, and the momentum continued to build. Now we are getting legislation passed that is banning PFAS, the most dangerous artificial chemicals, from being burned next to predominantly black American communities like East St. Louis, ending illegal dumping addressing environmental racism, and holding officers accountable for inflicting violence on innocent black Americans that is attempting to perpetuate systemic racism.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My time and effort are dedicated to creating a better world for the next generation and changing the oppression my people and marginalized communities face across this country. I want to continue to work to teach and show the people we all have the power to be the change we seek; it’s on us to take action and do it, and with the courage of just taking action and being bold, we can create a future of equity and justice and end systemic racism and oppression.
What changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
In the next 5-10 years, I plan to see a shift in legislation that will usher in real equity and address the systemic racism and oppression we have endured for decades. We are ending the culture of poverty created to destroy black American communities in this country. And replace them with hope, opportunity, and resources for the communities and youth to thrive.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jddixon_914?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyjddixon.dixon?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Richard Riley
