The Unity One Movement Incorporated

UNITY 1 1st day of Kwanzaa “UMOJA”

In this final part 3, 3-minute chapter of The Rising SUNS of Sunnyside docuseries TRASH INTO TREASURE segment, the late Air Force Veteran and South Union Community Development President, Efrem Jernigan, speaks passionately about his mission to revitalize his birth community Sunnyside, Houston, Texas, through a 52-megawatt solar farm that would transform a landfill into clean energy for generations to come.

💬 “We’re not just building a community, Efrem once said. “We’re building people.”
But the reality? The project has been stalled for years by political red tape in the City of Houston’s current administration, despite being approved back in 2019.
🔧 This video continues from the previous episode, featuring Green Careers Texas Lead Trainer, Mark McCollum, who joins Efrem on-site to discuss their partnership with South Union Community Development Corporation. Together, they’re training local residents in solar installation, workforce readiness, and safety protocols, turning education into empowerment.

👷‍♂️ Mark and his associate trainer Nicholas share how their 2-day Basic Solar Training class teaches essential skills like OSHA safety, wire management, and ground prep, preparing everyday citizens to take part in Houston’s clean energy revolution.

☀️ The segment wraps up with Efrem Jernigan back in teaching mode, demonstrating different solar installation solutions and challenging major corporations like CHASE BANK to lead by example.
🏦 His final call to action:
“Imagine if Chase Bank — one of our proud supporters — installed solar panels on one of their 50-story buildings. That one act could inspire an entire city and eventually the entire country to follow.”

Efrem’s vision remains more than a dream, but it’s a blueprint for economic justice, energy independence, and environmental responsibility in one of Houston’s most underserved communities.

💡 Be part of the change. Share his story. Support his legacy.
Together, we can build what politics delayed. A future powered by the people.