Peggy Shepard began her career at the Indianapolis News as the paper’s first African-American reporter. In 1971, she moved to New York City and became a Time-Life Books, Inc. researcher until 1973. In 1974, she started working as a copy editor for the San Juan Star. In 1976, Shephard was the Associate Editor at Redbook Magazine. Her last reporting job was as the editorial coordinator for VERVE Magazine from 1977 to 1978. This position did not last as the newspaper began focusing on radio stations. Eventually, Shephard took up speechwriting for the New York State government.

In 1979, Shepard started working for the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal. She began as a Consumer Affairs Specialist and, in 1980, was promoted to Consumer Affairs Director. From 1983 to 1985, Shephard was the Special Assistant to the Commissioner and, in 1985, became the Director of Public Information for Rent Administration until 1988. In 1984, while still working for the Division of Housing, Shephard joined Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign as its public relations director.

In 1985, Shephard campaigned for and was elected the Democratic District Leader for her community in West Harlem. While campaigning for that post, she learned about the environmental justice issues the community experiences. New York City’s largest sewage treatment plant, initially sited in a white, upper-middle-class neighborhood, was being constructed in her community. Further, the city had plans to build a bus depot across the street from a West Harlem school. All these issues made her realize that her community was a “sacrifice zone,” and she shifted her career toward environmental justice advocacy (Nelson, 2018). Shephard was the District Leader from 1985 to 1993. “Working in politics, I began to understand that neighborhood quality was in a large part governed by the advocacy systems that those communities had,” said Shepard in an interview with Nelson (2018).

While serving as Democratic District Leader, Shephard continued working for the state. From 1988 to 1993, she was the Special Assistant for Government and Community Affairs. Shephard began to work with her fellow district leader to organize the community against environmental injustices and co-founded the West Harlem Independent Democratic Club. In 1988, on Martin Luther King Day, she and six other activists protested the North River Sewage plant by stopping traffic on the West Side Highway. They also sued the Department for Environmental Protection over the public and private nuisance the North River Sewage Plant created.

Her peers and community organizations often recognize Shephard’s political and environmental activism. In 1990, she received the New Yorker for New York Award from the Citizens Committee of New York, and in 1991, the Life of the City Award from NY Woman Magazine.

Building on their protest success and lawsuit, in 1988, Shepard co-founded West Harlem Environmental Action (now known as WE ACT) with Vernice Miller-Travis and Chuck Sutton. WE ACT became one of the first environmental justice organizations in New York City and the first environmental organization founded by people of color in the state (Our Story).

While organizing with WE ACT, Shepard continued working for the state government. She also started additional environmental justice programs. In 1991, Shephard helped create the First People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit. Shephard continued her political career, serving as the President of the National Women’s Political Caucus-Manhattan from 1993 to 1997 (CEHN). From 1993 to 1994. Shephard was the Women’s Coordinator for the NYC Office of the Comptroller.

In 1993, WE ACT won its lawsuit against the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). In 1994, WE ACT became a nonprofit organization and hired its first professional staff with the help of its DEP settlement funding. Shephard left her government job to serve as the organization’s Executive Director. Their win included a $55 million odor abatement commitment from the city government. The organization has continued to grow and advance environmental justice. Shepard transformed a small group of committed volunteers into a national environmental justice nonprofit.

In 1993, Shepard and her work on the North River Sewage Plant were recognized when she received the City Club of New York’s Earthling Award for Environmental Justice and the New York State Environmental Woman of Action award by Tambrands, Inc. National Wildlife Magazine also recognized her as one of the People Who Make a Difference in 1993. In 1993, Shephard was also selected to participate in the NYC Mega Cities Urban Leadership Project. She was a part of the leadership project until 1995.

In 1997, Shephard led WE ACT in a public awareness campaign, “Dump Dirty Diesel,” emphasizing the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s placement of diesel-bus depots predominantly in Northern Manhattan and communities of color. The “Dump Dirty Diesel” campaign garnered support from political leaders and the Transit Workers Union. The multi-year public awareness campaign pushed the city to retrofit and change all buses from diesel-powered to natural gas, hybrid, and other cleaner options.

In 1997, Shephard received the Susan B. Anthony Award from the New York City Chapter of the National Organization of Women. In 1998, Shephard received the Earth Day Award for Excellence in Environmental Advocacy from Earth Day New York.

WE ACT gave voice to underserved communities and put environmental racism and justice on local government agendas (Nelson, 2018). It was one of the first initiatives to call the placing of an abundance of toxic industry in minority communities what it is: environmental racism.

In 2000, Shepard received the Union Square Award from the Fund for the City of New York for her grassroots leadership and advocacy. In 2003, Shephard received the 10th Annual Heinz Award for the Environment. The award recognized her contributions and leadership to advocacy and addressing environmental racism.

Capacity building is a central component of WE ACT’s work. As Shephard explains, “One concern that impacts the entire environmental justice movement, no matter where you are, is having the capacity to address the impacts that are confronting our communities. The State House can be three to four hours away from a community. A community not only needs the capacity and sophistication to work at a state level, but also the resources to travel to the state capital and spend a couple of days there” (Nelson, 2018). WE ACT helps communities increase their capacity to address environmental injustices and to build common goals and campaigns. WE ACT advocates city and state governments to enact their desired legislation and policy changes. 

WE ACT is a lead organizer of the national coalition Environmental Justice Leadership Forum on Climate Change, comprising 41 environmental justice organizations working to advance climate and environmental justice and impact policy to ensure the protection and promotion of the most vulnerable communities. WE ACT has supported communities and organizations globally, including Switzerland, Peru, and Fiji.

In 2004, Shephard received Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health Dean’s Distinguished Service Award and the Rachel Carson Award from the Audubon NY. In 2005, she received the Feinstone Environmental Award from SUNY Syracuse’s Environmental School of Forestry. In 2005, the American Public Health Association recognized Shephard with the Calver Award.

Shepard is a tireless crusader for environmental justice. Because of her work, Shepard frequently speaks at universities on environmental justice and community-based health research. In 2008, the State of New York awarded Shephard the Women of Excellence Award. Also, in 2008, the Rockefeller Foundation recognized Shephard with the Jane Jacobs Medal for Lifetime Achievement. Shephard has received two honorary doctorate degrees. The first was bestowed by Smith College in 2010. The second she received a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Lawrence University in 2018.

Shephard is motivated by the work of others, “Every day, I see that some organization is doing something positive, and I’m inspired to work harder” (Nelson, 2018). Shephard is the principal investigator at the Children’s Environmental Health Network and a member of their advisory council. The network is a partnership with Columbia University that addresses children’s health in Manhattan and the Bronx. Shephard is also a New York League of Conservation Voters board member.

Shepard has served as a mentor and advisor to several organizations and individuals. She was co-chair of the Northeast Environmental Justice Network and sits on the board of the Environmental Justice Fund. She is also a member of the National Institute of Health’s National Advisory Environmental Health Sciences Council. Shephard serves on the Institute of Medicine’s committee “Ethics of Housing-Related Health Hazard Research Involving Children, Youth, and Families.” Shepard is a member of several environmental committees, including the Environmental Justice Advisory Committee to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. She sits on the boards of the national and New York State League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense, New York Earth Day, Citizen Action of New York, the Children’s Environmental Health Network, and Healthy Schools Network, Inc. Lastly, she is an advisory board member of the Bellevue Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic, the Harlem Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Mt. Sinai’s Children’s Environmental Health Center.