Love Canal activist Lois Marie Gibbs to speak at UB event Nov. 14

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning and the Urban Land Institute’s WNY Women’s Leadership Initiative are hosting a talk on Nov. 14 by Lois Marie Gibbs, the retired environmental activist known for her work during the Love Canal crisis in Niagara Falls, N.Y., in the 1970s.

Gibbs’ talk, which is open to the public and the media, will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in room 403 in Hayes Hall on UB’s South Campus (see map). The talk will also be streamed via Zoom. Registration is required for all non-UB affiliated attendees and can be done by completing the online RSVP form.

During her talk, Gibbs will reflect on her grassroots activism, environmental policy and the ongoing battle for a cleaner, safer environment.

Gibbs is the founder of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice. In the late 1970s and with no prior community activism experience, Gibbs fought for the evacuation and cleanup of her community after discovering that her Niagara Falls neighborhood sat upon chemical waste — now known as the Love Canal.

After years of struggle, more than 800 families were eventually evacuated, and cleanup of Love Canal began. National press coverage made Lois Gibbs a household name and her work during the Love Canal crisis brought national attention to toxic waste issues, efforts that were pivotal in shaping environmental activism and policy.

Gibbs is now an accomplished speaker, published author and recipient of numerous awards. She has received honorary doctorates from SUNY Cortland College and Haverford College.

Gibbs’ talk is part of the School of Architecture and Planning’s fall public programs series supported by Viviane Jammal, UB Department of Architecture, UB Department of Urban and Regional Planning, UB Asia Research Institute, Rudy Bruner Center for Urban Excellence, and the Urban Land Institute Western New York Women’s Leadership Initiative.