Uplift CDC was born from the lived experience and vision of its founder, Turqueya Wilson, a lifelong resident of Bronzeville who has seen firsthand how environmental hazards quietly shape the futures of Black children on Chicago’s South Side.
Turqueya first encountered the depth of the lead problem through her work as a real estate professional. The mandated disclosures about lead hazards — documents she once viewed as routine — took on new meaning as she worked closely with families navigating aging housing stock. She realized how many children were being exposed to lead in the very places meant to keep them safe.
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Her understanding deepened when she became a general contractor. Turqueya discovered the harsh reality that while lead poisoning remains at epidemic levels in neighborhoods like Bronzeville, the economic opportunities tied to lead abatement rarely benefit the people who live here. Outside contractors and companies are typically hired to perform remediation work, while local workers — who face high unemployment — are left out of the economic remedy.
She also learned that lead abatement is a viable, well-paying career path, with certified workers earning $25–$50 an hour. The contradiction was striking and unacceptable: families harmed by hazardous housing conditions were not being included in the job opportunities created to solve the very problem impacting their children.
This realization became the catalyst for Uplift CDC.
Turqueya founded the organization to address both sides of the issue — reducing lead exposure in South Side homes and creating real economic opportunities for South Side residents, especially those whose families have been affected by lead poisoning.
Uplift CDC exists because Turqueya believes the people most impacted by environmental injustice should also be the ones empowered to eliminate it. Her vision is a community where families are safe, workers are trained and well paid, and Bronzeville — and all surrounding neighborhoods — are restored by the people who call them home.