In 2022, Yellow Springs became the only Ohio municipality to have passed either an ICAN or Back from the Brink resolution.
Despite having a population of less than 4,000, Yellow Springs, Ohio has a strong legacy of vibrant community activism and leadership. The town is home to the largest LGBTQ population in Ohio and has an active arts community with numerous theaters, choirs, and orchestras. Antioch College, a small liberal arts college, is also situated in Yellow Springs. Together, the college’s student body and local community have spearheaded expansive, social justice-focused, citizen-led initiatives, including anti-nuclear weapons efforts.
“Since it began, Yellow Springs has been known as a small town where creative thinking and innovation flourish. Villagers, influenced by the presence of Antioch College, have also been known for their activism and spirit of social responsibility.”
Diane Chiddister, editor of the Yellow Springs News
Former Yellow Springs residents, Earle and Barbara Reynolds, were particularly operative in nuclear justice-focused initiatives. As part of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission, Earle traveled to Hiroshima to study the effects of nuclear radiation. Driven by his experiences there and inspired by Veterans for Peace Golden Rule Peace Boat, Earle created his boat, The Phoenix of Hiroshima, which he sailed around the world as a form of peace activism. This included voyages to Bikini Atoll and the then Soviet Union. Dedicated to peace work, his wife Barbara additionally established the World Friendship Center, a peace educational retreat, in Hiroshima.
Current residents of Yellow Springs are maintaining this commitment to nuclear justice. Around 30 miles away from Yellow Springs, in Miamisburg, Ohio, sits the former Mound Nuclear Facility. During World War II, the site played an instrumental role in research and design for the Manhattan Project. Its history and role in developing the atomic bomb remained secret until recent years, where it was revealed in a museum exhibit at the former facilities. Deb Jerison, a Yellow Springs resident, founded the Energy Employees Claimant Assistant Project (EECAP) after witnessing her mother’s struggles with filing compensation claims for her father’s radiation exposure as a physicist at the Mound Laboratories. The nonprofit helps energy workers file for compensation claims from the federal government. As a firm advocate for those exposed to nuclear radiation, Jerison has actively encouraged local and state legislators to support the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).
In each anti-nuclear campaign, Yellow Springs has been one of the first cities in the country to pass nuclear weapons-related resolutions. Consistent with the town’s dedication to social justice, in 2022 the village passed a resolution urging Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) to divest from companies involved in the production and maintenance of nuclear weapons and encouraging the US to sign on to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Having passed this resolution under unanimous vote, Yellow Springs became the only Ohio municipality to have passed either an ICAN or Back from the Brink resolution.
Resolution 2022-30 calls on Ohio to divest in companies that are involved with the production and manufacturing of nuclear weapons as well as encouraging the US to sign on to the TPNW. The resolution details the missions of the Treaty while highlighting Yellow Spring’s dedication to the opposition of nuclear weapon use. The resolution uniquely expresses the use of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) by the Village of Yellow Springs employees and retirees, realizing the system’s potential investments in financial institutions and other companies involved in producing key components for and maintaining nuclear weapons through equity holdings, bond holdings and other assets, and therefore urging the divestment in these companies.
The resolution was heard in the regular session of the Council for the Village of Yellow Springs. Upon calling of the resolution, Council President Housh commented on how Yellow Springs joined ICAN cities appeal at the previous meeting, and that now as the next step, they would be sending the legislation to those that can sign on to further action. Solicitor Breanne Parcels spoke in support of the resolution, noting that the treaty is directed at nation-states which are composed of constituents— including municipalities. She further remarks that passing this resolution directs their local officials to state a stance and affirms that the citizens of Yellow Springs do not want their retirement invested in nuclear weapons or companies affiliated with nuclear weapons.
