Sponsored by the United Church of Christ's Commission for Racial Justice, the summit marks a turning point in the development of the Environmental Justice movement.

The 17 principles of environmental justice that emerge from this summit expand the definition of the environment beyond the "pristine wilderness" envisioned by the predominantly white environmentalist movement to include issues of toxic pollution, militarism, access to resources, worker safety, housing, and self-determination.

Eleven hundred people attend the summit from all 50 states as well as Puerto Rico, Chile, Mexico, and the Marshall Islands.