Corbin-Marks, Cecil
Cecil Corbin-Marks
Cecil Corbin-Mark was an environmental justice leader and was the Deputy Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice until his passing in 2020. Corbin-Mark was the first paid staff member at WE ACT and helped advocate for numerous bills in New York City and New York State. He was a lifelong resident of New York City, attending college at Hunter College, CUNY, and later pursued his graduate degree overseas at Oxford University, in which he studied radical political traditions of the African-American Diaspora. Corbin-Mark is a highly regarded figure in the environmental justice movement and mentored many young people during his career. His legacy and community impact are honored by WE ACT’s “Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellowship for Environmental Justice Leadership,” dedicated to supporting young professionals in the environmental justice realm.
Foster, S. R., Leichenko, R. M., Nguyen, K. H., Blake, R., Kunreuther, H., Madajewicz, M., Petkova, E. P., … Ravenborg, D. 2019. New York City Panel on Climate Change 2019 Report Chapter 6: Community-Based Assessments of Adaptation and Equity. Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 1439(1). doi: 10.1111/nyas.14009
Vant-Hull, B., Ramamurthy, P., Havilk, B., Jusino, C., Corbin-Mark, C., Schuerman, M., Keefe, J., Drapkin, J. K & Glenn, A. A. 2018. The Harlem Heat Project: A Unique Media/Community Collaboration to Study Indoor Heat Waves. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 99(12). doi: 10.1175/BAMS-D-16-0280.1
N’Dri, L., White-Newsome, J. L., Corbin-Mark, C. & Shepard, P. 2015. The Invisible Threat: Bisphenol-A and Phthalates in Environmental Justice Communities. Environmental Justice, 8(1). 10.1089/env.2014.0015
Cecil Corbin-Mark was born in Harlem, New York, to Winnifred Corbin and Luces Mark on March 23rd, 1969. He studied political science at Hunter College, part of the City University of New York University system of New York City. He pursued his graduate studies at Oxford University, where he studied the political traditions of the African-American Diaspora. While studying at Hunter College and Oxford University, Corbin-Mark explored his interest and passion for local, national, and international politics. Crobin-Mark continued to give back to his alma mater and other institutions through guest lectures at Hunter College, Cornell University, Yale School of Forestry, Columbia University School of Public Health, and Buffalo State, among others.
Cecil Corbin-Mark began his environmental career at WE ACT for Environmental Justice, a non-profit focused on fighting injustice and racism in the environmental space. He started as a volunteer, and in 1991, at 25 years old, he became the organization’s first paid staff member. At WE ACT, he was the Director of Policy Initiatives and helped advance numerous bills in New York City, New York State, and Washington, D.C. His work specialized in building healthy communities through meaningful and inclusive participation in policy and practice.
Corbin-Mark also served on environmental boards, coalitions, and committees, including Friends of the Earth, the Center for Environmental Health, and New York Jobs with Justice. Moreover, he co-chaired the Just Green Partnership and chaired the Historic Preservation Committee on Manhattan’s Community Board 9. Corbin-Mark also served on several steering and advisory committees, including the BEA Initiative, the Windward Fund, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. While he served on boards, coalitions, and committees at the federal level, Corbin-Mark always served New York City – the place he called home his entire life. Corbin-Mark was on the advisory boards for the New York State Cumulative Risk Assessment Work Group, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Water Quality Citizen Advisory Committee, Manhattan Sold Waste, the Association for Clean Water Action, and the New York City Environmental Education Advisory Council, among numerous others.
Among his many achievements, he helped pass landmark legislation at the local and state level in New York and nationally. These wins included a commitment from New York State to net-zero emissions by 2050, with at least 35% of energy and climate spending going to environmental justice communities. He dedicated his career to serving communities of color, and his legacy and impact have been honored with a fellowship in his honor to support underrepresented groups in the environmental justice field.
Corbin-Mark dedicated his 26-year career to WE ACT, holding the position of Deputy Director when he passed away in 2020.
The Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellowship for Environmental Justice Leadership. WE ACT for Environmental Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.weact.org/ccm/
The Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellowship for Environmental Justice Leadership [Photo]. WE ACT for Environmental Justice. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.weact.org/ccm/
WE ACT Update. WE ACT for Environmental Justice. 2020. Retrieved from https://www.weact.org/2020/10/we-act-update/
Ramirez, R. The Legacy of an EJ Titan. Grist. 2021. Retrieved from https://grist.org/fix/justice/cecil-corbin-mark-legacy-we-act-environmental-justice/
117th Congress. H. Res. 171 – Honoring the life and work of Cecil Corbin-Mark, a highly respected leader in the environmental justice movement, whose lifelong dedication to combatting systemic racism and economic disparities serves as an inspiration for all people. Congress.gov. 2022. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-resolution/171/text?r=652&s=1
The Cecil Corbin-Mark Fellowship for Environmental Justice Leadership [Photo]. WE ACT for Environmental Justice. n.d. Retrieved from https://www.weact.org/ccm/