Dr. McClain founded The Harambee House / Citizen for Environmental Justice in 1990 and currently serves as its Executive Director. She brings vast knowledge and expertise from her experiences in education, community development, public health, environmental justice, and liberation. Under her leadership, the Harambee House has received grants and awards from the EPA, ranging from $20,000 to $300,000, mostly focused on workforce development.

She has been involved with the Black Youth Leadership Development Institute as a co-founder (1986), where over 3000 youth have been trained to work and serve others. Graduates of the institute have gone on to start neighborhood businesses and engage in community work.

Furthermore, Dr. McClain was involved with the Worker Education & Job Training Program, where she established partnerships with organizations and agencies, including the City of Savanna, Georgia Ports Authority, Youth Futures Authority, Step UP Savannah, EPA, Center for Disease Control (CDC), and Centers for Working Families, among others. She maintains contact with approximately 80% of graduates from the training program as part of a $10,000 grant from Step UP Savannah to track trainees and services provided via the Efforts to Outcome program. Other achievements include receiving a Kellogg Foundation grant to research the connection between environmental toxins and criminal/aggressive behavior in the Savannah area and representing the Step UP Savannah as a partner on the Governor's Savannah Steering Committee.

Dr. McClain has worked domestically and internationally with communities on capacity building and decision-making. She is an environmental justice pioneer, working on justice and self-determination worldwide. She has planned conferences, conducted research, and participated in working groups and important meetings, including the World Uranium Hearing in Salzburg, Austria. She received awards for her work and dedication to helping others and the environment, including the 2017 Sierra Club's Robert Bullard Environmental Justice Award, the 2017 American Public Health Association's Damu Smith, and the Environmental Health Achievement Award.