History Moment: The Origins of Earth Day

By Friday, May 5, 2023
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Main article image for story titled 'History Moment: The Origins of Earth Day'In honor of Earth Day, which is celebrated annually on April 22 in the US and in many other countries, today I would like to share a Rotary history moment about the origins of the event. I will quote primarily from a blog post written by my National Museum of American History colleague Joan Boudreau.

“What would you have done if you saw your river burning? The Cuyahoga River that runs through the northeastern corner of Ohio was so polluted in the 1950s and 1960s that fish populations were decimated because of the river’s oily, industry-produced pollution. In 1969, with a spark from a train traveling nearby, the river began to burn.
 

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Rotary Club Washington DC

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Learn more about the Rotary Club of Washington, DC's service projects and activities.

Rotary Club Washington DC
PP Lisa gives an update to Lisa's Law and recent coverage of the initiative by WTOP at: https://wtop.com/dc/2025/08/dc-foster-youth-get-bags-of-dignity-instead-of-trash-bags-for-their-belongings/

PP Lisa gives an update to Lisa's Law and recent coverage of the initiative by WTOP at:
https://wtop.com/dc/2025/08/dc-foster-youth-get-bags-of-dignity-instead-of-trash-bags-for-their-belongings/

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Lisa's Law Update August 2025

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Barrington D. Scott served as a Trustee of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) for a decade, applying his expertise in higher education and community service. As both an alumnus and board member of the UDC Foundation, Inc., Scott contributed to fundraising and the university’s development, helping UDC rise from 77th to 23rd among HBCUs nationally. Scott led a campaign honoring 1904 alumnus Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson, raising $300,000 for a statue at the Sports Complex bearing Dr. Henderson’s name. Beyond UDC, Scott is an engaged parent, grandparent, and co-founder of the Calvin Coolidge Association, which has provided over $4 million in scholarships to graduating seniors. In 2018, he established the Academic Excellence Awards to support high-achieving HBCU students. Currently, Barrington D. Scott is President of the Pigskin Club of Washington, Inc., and serves as a Deacon and Intercessor at City of Praise Family Ministries in Landover, Maryland. His ongoing commitment to education, leadership, and community uplift continues to inspire those around him.

Barrington D. Scott served as a Trustee of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) for a decade, applying his expertise in higher education and community service. As both an alumnus and board member of the UDC Foundation, Inc., Scott contributed to fundraising and the university’s development, helping UDC rise from 77th to 23rd among HBCUs nationally.

Scott led a campaign honoring 1904 alumnus Dr. Edwin Bancroft Henderson, raising $300,000 for a statue at the Sports Complex bearing Dr. Henderson’s name. Beyond UDC, Scott is an engaged parent, grandparent, and co-founder of the Calvin Coolidge Association, which has provided over $4 million in scholarships to graduating seniors. In 2018, he established the Academic Excellence Awards to support high-achieving HBCU students.

Currently, Barrington D. Scott is President of the Pigskin Club of Washington, Inc., and serves as a Deacon and Intercessor at City of Praise Family Ministries in Landover, Maryland. His ongoing commitment to education, leadership, and community uplift continues to inspire those around him.

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Barrington D. Scott | Dr. E.B. Henderson–The Grandfather of Black Basketball | August 27, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 16 views August 28, 2025 8:03 am

Angela Franco is President and CEO of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC). Prior to joining MCCC, Franco was President and CEO of the DC Chamber of Commerce from 2020 to 2024. Her commitment to support and advocate for Chamber members demonstrates passion and vision to grow the organization. Franco joined the DC Chamber of Commerce during civic unrest and a global pandemic and continues to move the organization forward. By working with its executive team and board of directors, Franco creates programs and services that position the Chamber as a valuable resource and leading advocate for businesses throughout DC. Franco is an experienced business leader who has strengthened and revitalized organizations, including the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority and the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Before relocating to the US, Franco held management positions in Bogotá, Colombia. Franco has received many prestigious honors. Most recently, she was recognized with the 2023 and 2022 Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 list. In addition, she is a Board Member at Large for the United Way of the National Capital Area, a Board Member of the Cherry Blossom Festival, DC Policy Center and Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and an appointee to the DC Workforce Investment Council (by the DC Mayor). Franco is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery and Leadership Greater Washington. She holds a Master of Science degree in Finance and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.

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Angela Franco | Role of Chambers of Commerce in the New Era | August 20, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 20 views August 25, 2025 8:03 am

Our own Kenny Barnes and May O'Brien give a brief introduction to the Rotary Club of Washington DC's Peace Initiative Committee. Including but not limited to its founding members, its history and current endeavors.

Our own Kenny Barnes and May O'Brien give a brief introduction to the Rotary Club of Washington DC's Peace Initiative Committee. Including but not limited to its founding members, its history and current endeavors.

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Introducing the Rotary Club of Washington DC Peace Initiative Committee | Kenny Barnes, May O'Brien

Rotary Club Washington DC 12 views August 23, 2025 8:03 am

Najiba Hlemi joined the rotary club in the fall of 2024. A seasoned nonprofit executive, Najiba brings nearly a decade of leadership experience in unions, associations, and charitable organizations. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Foster and Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center (FAPAC), where she champions the voices of families and youth involved in the child welfare system. Originally from the Ivory Coast and a former foster youth herself, Najiba is deeply committed to uplifting the most vulnerable in our communities. Her lived experience fuels her passion for service and drives her lifelong dedication to public impact—professionally, personally, and now through Rotary. In her free time, Najiba enjoys exploring Washington, DC and its surrounding areas, reading, and Latin dancing.

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Najiba Hlemi, Exec. Dir. FAPAC | Foster Care in Washington DC | August 13, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 3 views August 22, 2025 8:03 am

Lars Benson is the Managing Director at Insitor, an impact investment firm based in Singapore with investments across India, Pakistan, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Insitor backs businesses that drive positive societal impact in infrastructure, the environment, and entrepreneurship. Previously, Benson spent two decades working at the intersection of business, government, and civil society to advance policy and regulatory reforms across Africa. His work began in Angola as Country Director, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises serving the oil sector. He later led a private enterprise development program in Azerbaijan and contributed to numerous World Bank, USAID, and U.S. State Department initiatives in Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. Throughout his career, Benson has championed international development efforts with a strong focus on supporting women-led businesses. He has advised a broad range of enterprises—from micro-scale farmers in Nigeria to large-scale manufacturing exporters—emphasizing that women are essential to economic growth and transformation in emerging markets. He holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University.

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Lars Benson, Insitor | How Women in Business are Changing the World in Africa | August 6, 2025

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Alexander receives his Service Above Self Award recognition for the Rotary Year 2024-2025.

Alexander receives his Service Above Self Award recognition for the Rotary Year 2024-2025.

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Alexander Tu | Service Above Self Award 2024-2025

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“There’s no problem in our community that doesn’t have an entrepreneurial solution.” That’s not just a belief for Carl J. Gray III—it’s the mission. Carl is a Business Solutions Architect, speaker, 2x Best Selling author and founder of the Raising Founders Foundation, a national youth entrepreneurship movement known as the “AAU of Entrepreneurship.” Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, he’s a proud graduate of Hampton University, where his passion for culture, creativity, and community was shaped. With over 20 years of experience in consulting, assurance and entrepreneurial systems, Carl launched Raising Founders to solve a deeper issue: too many young people have vision but no structure. Through camps, incubators, in-school programs, and pitch competitions, the foundation equips students ages 12–20 to launch real businesses with real tools—websites, branding, AI training, funding, and mentorship. The flagship incubator, hosted at Jacob’s Ladder in Fort Washington, MD, is backed by community leaders, business partners, and a growing national footprint. Whether they’re launching merch brands or tech services, these students leave with ownership, confidence, and a strategy to sustain it. From school districts to CEOs, Carl teaches with faith, structure, and soul. No fluff. Just implementation. We’re not raising employees. We’re raising founders. Be blessed by building. Be blessed by selling. That’s the mission.

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Carl Gray III | Youth Entrepreneurship: Not the future, the NOW | July 30, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 18 views August 19, 2025 8:03 am

Iryna Lujan is the Executive Director of Universal Aid for Children, Inc. (UAC, Inc.), a charity dedicated to addressing the medical, educational, and emotional needs of orphans, orphanage graduates, displaced children, children with disabilities, and refugee children in the Odesa region of Ukraine. Since its founding in 1977, UAC, Inc. has worked tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of these deserving children. During Ukraine's defense against the ongoing war of aggression, UAC, Inc. has shifted its focus to urgent humanitarian aid, ensuring survival and support for children in crisis. The organization is recognized as a 2020–2025 Top-Rated Great Non-Profit and received the "Best Foreign Charity Angel of Goodness" Award in 2017 from the National Association of Philanthropists of Ukraine. Iryna was born and raised in Ukraine, is a proud mother of two children, and is married to Eliseo Lujan.

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Iryna Lujan, Exec. Dir., Universal Aid for Children | Ukraine Children Need Peace | July 23, 2025

Rotary Club Washington DC 1 views August 18, 2025 8:03 am

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