The event will also welcome pre-1985 historic vehicles to a cruise in so residents can enjoy the past while learning about the future, said Rap Hankins, a former city council member and organizer of the event. COVID-19 precautions will be taken during the expo.
Hankins said he turned his attention to clean energy after Trotwood was hit by the Memorial Day 2019 tornadoes that damaged homes and knocked out power. Hankins brought a gas-operated generator but found that the exhaust from the unit required him to close his doors and windows.
“I decided then that it was important to go out and look for safer units, so that if any disasters affected us in the future that we could actually educate our people about things that they could use to protect themselves,” he said.
Through his research he found that there are no electric charging stations in Trotwood, and he is now advocating for businesses and government officials to begin installing them to prepare for the future.
“For us in Trotwood, we are a majority African-American community, so when I look at this, the lack of infrastructure really relates to economic and racial equity,” Hankins said. “Many times the reason people leave our community is that they don’t have the means to stay here. They don’t have the same amenities that other people have.
“And now they say by the year 2030, there will be manufactures that are only going to make green cars,” he said. “And if you don’t have the infrastructure in place, our people again are at a real disadvantage.”
He said the event aims to bring awareness that changes are coming and the community has to be ready.
Anyone interested in learning more about the event can do so by visiting http://www.trotwoodcic.org/evevent.html.
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