In Tribute to Raúl M. Grijalva
Representative Raúl M. Grijalva was a tireless advocate for the Mountain Valley Pipeline fight. He and his incredible staff always made time for impacted community members, listening to their concerns, uplifting their voices, and building personal relationships that meant so much to those who were going through hell in the pipeline fight. He was a leader we could always count on to be on the side of justice and the sanctity of life on earth. He was absolutely crucial in leading the defeat of Senator Manchin’s Dirty Deal, which attempted to pass a policy rider greenlighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline and curtailing public input into must-pass legislation. In his role as Ranking Member and Chair Emeritus of the House Natural Resources Committee, Representative Grijalva fought hard to protect communities and public input, uplift Indigenous affairs, bring about climate justice and make environmental justice a reality for all. He never stopped advocating for strict regulation of oil and gas industries, protection of endangered species and public land, decolonization of US territories, and much more.
His groundbreaking work along with the late Representative A. Donald McEachin to craft an inclusive, community-led, transparent policy led to the passage of the Environmental Justice for All Act through the House Natural Resources Committee. Representative Grijalva’s hard-working and dedicated staff made time to educate and include communities impacted by the Mountain Valley Pipeline in the advocacy around EJ for All.
Representative Grijalva was a compassionate, principled, fierce leader who always made time to connect with those most impacted by the causes he championed. He included and uplifted Appalachians, and Appalachia. He did not back down on his values or let those who depended on him down. For these reasons and many more, we will never forget him or what his leadership meant to us. We will strive to uphold his legacy and continue his work. Thank you, Representative Grijalva, and all of the staff who helped us in the fight.
Grace Tuttle, POWHR’s former Advocacy Director.
Grace is currently in graduate school for Clinical Mental Health Counseling and lives in the Charlottesville, VA area.
Join the Congressman Grijalva Celebration of Life event on March 26 at 1:00 PM EST via Vimeo.