jan 1, 2007 - Richard Mabion

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Richard Mabion was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. He served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1968. He later graduated from college with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a minor in Psychology in 1971. For three decades, Mabion has worked as a self-educated urban social engineer and businessman in Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri, committed to involving more people of color in environmental matters.

In 2007, Mabion founded an Environmental Literacy organization called Building A Sustainable Earth Community. He is also the founder of the Environmental Literacy conference called Breaking The Silence.

Later in 2007, the Pitch News organization selected J-14 Inc., the “Q” Brew Coffee Shop, and two Black-owned Quindaro businesses as their choice for Best of Kansas City 2007. Mabion had personally endorsed these businesses. In 2008, he was selected Activist of the Year for the state of Kansas by the same news organization.

In 2011, Building A Sustainable Earth Community was one of two organizations selected by the Midwest Sociological Society for the annual Social Action Award, the honor given to recognize exceptional grassroots organizations working to further social justice in the Midwest.

In 2012, the Kansas Sierra Club elected Mabion as their first statewide Black Board member. Then in 2013, the National Sierra Club selected him as the Achiever of the Year.

In 2014, Mabion was elected the president of the Kansas City, Kansas NAACP Branch.

In 2016, Richard Mabion and Margaret May were selected as the EPA Region 7 Environmental Justice department man & woman of the year.

Since the founding of the Building A Sustainable Earth Community, the organization has held several conferences attended by hundreds of people. Presentations topics have included everything from addressing environmental injustices and home energy-efficiency to STEM education training in local schools.

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