The Latest News and Updates
Feb 16, 2023
Justice40 Initiative Gaining Momentum as 22 Environmental Justice Hub Leaders from 10 States Convene for Training Institute
Justice40 Initiative Gaining Momentum as 22 Environmental Justice Hub Leaders from 10 States Convene for Training Institute Dr. Beverly Wright of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and Dr. Robert D. Bullard of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University Continue Collaboration to Implement Justice40 Initiative FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 16, 2023 Contact: Ginger LeBlanc | gingerl@dscej.org Briana Augustus | briana.augustus@tsu.edu NEW ORLEANS, LA – In the coming weeks, Louisiana and Texas are where environmental justice communities will converge to participate in education and research skills training provided by the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), led by Dr. Beverly Wright and the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University, led by Dr. Robert D. Bullard. Recently, DSCEJ and the Bullard Center organized 22 Regional Hubs in 10 U.S. states that will be managed by leaders of community-based organizations. Both organizations will continue their collaborative work on the equitable implementation of Justice40 as they convene leaders of the Justice40 Regional Hubs in New Orleans and Houston for education and research skills training. The first 2-day Communiversity training for Regional Hub Leaders will take place February 22 - 24, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana at the NOPSI Hotel. The convening will help bolster the capacity of community-based organizations to secure funding for environmental justice projects in their communities. The Communiversity model can help to create a collaborative learning environment that brings together academic researchers, community-based organizations, and residents to address environmental issues in a holistic and equitable way, “The goal of this training is to empower our hub leaders to pursue and advocate for federal dollars that can improve environmental conditions and address climate risks in their communities. For over 30 years, we’ve witnessed projects and funding intended to benefit our communities never reach them. Our Justice40 work has been designed with that history in mind so that our community-based organizations can advocate with authority, equipped with the tools necessary to successfully secure Justice40 mandated funding and resources that will have a lasting impact on their communities.” said Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder & Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. On March 20-22 on the campus of Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas, leaders will be the first to test the new HBCU Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tool (HCEJST) that was created to show the disparities in neighborhoods after the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) created by the federal government left out race. Leaders will learn how to use the tool and will be responsible for teaching other organizations in their respective communities how to use the tool as well. The Justice40 Initiative, announced 2 years ago, is a part of President Biden’s Executive Order, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, creating a government-wide initiative with the goal of delivering 40 percent of the overall benefits of relevant federal investments to disadvantaged communities and tracks performance toward that goal through the establishment of an Environmental Justice Scorecard. “To reverse years of environmental racism in our communities, we must make sure that those hit hardest by environmental and economic neglect worsened by the climate crisis have the resources and infrastructure investments necessary to address years of pollution and sickness for its residents,” said Dr. Robert Bullard, founding director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice. “Our supplemental screening tools will address systemic environmental racism head on and ensure communities of color are not left out once again. By working together, we can empower communities to hold government officials and policy makers accountable to the people they serve.” The growing list of Justice40 Hub Leaders are: Susanna Almanza of People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources (PODER) in Austin, TX; Rev. Calvin Avant of Unity in the Family Ministry (UFM) in Pensacola, FL; William Barber, III of Rural Beacon Initiative, LLC of Durham, North Carolina; Rev. James Caldwell of Coalition of Community Organizations (COCO) in Houston, TX; Katherine Egland of Education, Economics, Environmental, Climate and Health Organization (EEECHO) in Gulfport, MS; Rashida Ferdinand of Sankofa in New Orleans, LA; Dawn Hebert of the East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Commission in New Orleans, LA; Dr. Nataki Jelks of West Atlanta Watershed Association (WAWA) in Atlanta, GA; Darren Leach of Genesis Church in Columbus, MS; Paulina Lopez of Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC) in Seattle, WA; Carolyn Moseley of Eastwick United CDC in Philadelphia, PA; Bridgette Murray of Achieving Community Tasks Successfully (ACTS) in Houston, TX; Għanja O'Flaherty of North Carolina Environmental Justice Network in Rocky Mount, NC; Juan Parras of Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (TEJAS) in Houston, TX; Robert Taylor of Concerned Citizens of St. John (CCSJ) in St. John the Baptist Parish, LA; Angel Torres of Organization for Human Rights and Democracy (OHRD) in Atlanta, GA; Darilyn Turner of Zion Travelers’ Cooperative Center in New Orleans, LA; Debra Walker of Sunnyside Community Redevelopment Organization (SCRO) in Houston, TX; Donele Wilkins of Detroit Green Door Initiative in Detroit, MI; Huey Wilson of Northeast Houston Redevelopment Council (NEHRC) in Houston, Texas; and Joe Womack of Clean, Healthy, Educated, Safe & Sustainable Community (CHESS) in Mobile, AL. ### About the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Families in the Gulf Coast deserve to live in communities that are free from deadly air and are more resilient to climate change and extreme weather. The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) works to empower and engage communities to put environmental justice and equity at the center of all climate action. Led by environmental justice scholar and advocate, author, civic leader and professor of Sociology Dr. Beverly L. Wright, the DSCEJ uses research, education, and community and student engagement to advocate for policy change, lead health and safety training for environmental careers, develop social and emotional community wellness programs, and create new and environmentally healthy opportunities for the residents of communities disproportionately impacted by historic environmental injustice. About the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice The Robert D. Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University was launched to address longstanding issues of systemic inequality and structural racism that cause disproportionate pain, suffering and death in Black and other people of color communities. Texas Southern University is a student-centered comprehensive doctoral university committed to ensuring equality, offering innovative programs that are responsive to its urban setting, and transforming diverse students into lifelong learners, engaged citizens, and creative leaders in their local, national, and global communities. ...
Jan 9, 2023
DSCEJ Statement regarding the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Announcement on Particulate Matter in the Air We Breathe
NEW ORLEANS: Following the EPA's announcement on a proposal to strengthen a key national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS) for fine particle pollution also known as PM2.5, to better protect communities, Dr. Beverly Wright, Founder and Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), released the following statement: Black people are exposed to PM2.5 air pollution at a rate that is 1.54 times higher than the population at large. The recent announcement by the EPA on a proposed standard for PM2.5 does not address this racially disproportionate pollution burden, which causes premature deaths and damages the heart and lungs. We need the EPA to follow the science showing public health benefits can be achieved by reducing the annual level of PM2.5 to 8 micrograms per cubic meter. As we near the second anniversary of the Biden Administration’s policy to “deliver environmental justice,” we are encouraged by EPA Administrator Regan’s efforts to ensure that communities whose everyday lives are impacted by pollution are heard. We urge the EPA to hold public hearings on its draft PM2.5 regulation in communities overburdened with pollution, in particular the fine soot particles emitted from smokestacks and tailpipes. The time for debating whether or not to reduce PM2.5 is over. Now is the time for action that sets and enforces a standard protective of environmental justice communities. ...
Dec 13, 2022
Development Director (copy)
The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice is seeking a Development Director Position Summary: The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) is now hiring an experienced Development Director. Reporting to and in partnership with the Executive Director (ED), the Development Director will spearhead development efforts as DSCEJ continues to grow. The Development Director is a new position in the organization. The incumbent will have the opportunity to build the development function. The successful candidate will help forge new relationships to build DSCEJ visibility, impact, and financial resources. The Development Director will lead the Development Team and is a liaison between the agency and its investors. The Development Director will be responsible for the execution of all grant proposals, submissions,and reports that support agency goals and meet funder guidelines and criteria. This person serves as the primary grant writer, manages funder relationships, engages in compliance reporting, and supports special project initiatives. This position requires strong writing, data analysis, program budgeting, project management skills, with an emphasis on outcome measurement. The Development Director will have primary responsibility for establishing and implementing the infrastructure needed to grow the financial resources of the organization through the solicitation of major gifts, federal and state grants, special events, and corporate and foundation support. The Development Director will expand and diversify DSCEJ’s donor base/pipeline and work closely with other team members to secure funding for new initiatives. In addition, the Development Director will work closely with the board of directors and support board members as they take on a more active fundraising role. . . . READ THE FULL POSITION DESCRIPTION AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS ...
Dec 13, 2022
Contractor - Program Manager Worker Training Program
The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice is seeking A Contractor - Program Manager Worker Training Program (WTP) 4 Month Assignment | January 2 – April 30, 2023 Position Summary: The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice is seeking a highly motivated person who can perform day-to-day administrative duties including trainee management, grant reporting, and data management. The Program Manager Worker Training Program contract position reports to the Assistant Director for Training and Operations and works closely with the Technical Training Director and Training Coordinator. This is not a remote position. The contractor will be required to work at the DSCEJ Office (9801 Lake Forest Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70126) Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 4:00pm throughout the duration of the 4 month assignment. READ THE FULL POSITION DESCRIPTION AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS ...
Dec 2, 2022
The Next Generation of Environmental Justice Leaders Tour Cancer Alley
A fenceline community in Cancer Alley. Four New Orleans high school students participating in the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice’s (DSCEJ) Environmental and Climate Justice Storyteller (ECJS) internship program completed a tour of Cancer Alley, an 85-mile stretch of land along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans that is home to over 150 petrochemical plants and refineries. ECJS Interns, Langston Bishop, St. Augustine High School, Lael Tolbert, Mount Carmel High School, Re’Kal Hooker, The Living School, and Victoria Cager, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts met with community leaders throughout the corridor to learn more about the environmental injustices that have been occurring for decades in their own backyard. Concerned Citizens of Gordon Plaza New Orleans, LA New Orleans ECJS Intern Re’Kal Hooker interviews Gordon Plaza Community Leader, Shannon Rainey The students kicked off the Cancer Alley Tour in in the Gordon Plaza Community of New Orleans, LA, which sits on top of a municipal landfill. For forty years, residents in Gordon Plaza have complained of exposure to toxic waste in their yards, pipes corroding underneath their homes, and high rates of cancer in their community. Re’Kal Hooker interviewed community leader Shannon Rainey about her experience living in Gordon Plaza. Ms. Rainey spoke about the challenges she has experienced living in her community, such as seeing friends and neighbors succumb to cancer due to exposure to toxins in the soil. Although residents in this community have spent years in court fighting for relocation, many are hopeful that things may be different this time. Ms. Rainey said that “they are currently negotiating with the City of New Orleans for a fully funded relocation of residents living in Gordon Plaza.” She is hopeful and looks forward to a victory for the Gordon Plaza Community soon. Citizens of St. John the Baptist Parish Reserve, LA New Orleans ECJS Intern, Landon Bishop interviews St. John the Baptist Parish Community Leader, Robert Taylor. The next stop on the Cancer Alley Tour was St. John The Baptist Parish in Reserve, LA, where the students met with community leader and President of Concerned Citizens of St. John the Baptist Parish Robert Taylor. During his interview conducted by Langston Bishop, we learned that Mr. Taylor started Concerned Citizens of St. John the Baptist Parish in 2016 after his wife became ill from exposure to toxic chemicals coming from the nearby Denka/Dupont Plant. “The odors from the plant caused my wife to become extremely ill,” said Mr. Taylor. “After this incident, I reached out to the Environmental Protection Agency, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and St. John Parish Homeland Security. I also reached out to local representatives from St. John the Baptist Parish and the local school board for help. The Fifth Ward Elementary School is only 1500 feet from Denka/Dupont.” Mr. Taylor shared with Bishop that “Denka emits chloroprene levels over 400 times the Environmental Protection Agency safety standard for long term exposure,” which is why “it’s hard to find a family in Reserve, LA who hasn’t been touched by cancer.” As a senior in his 80’s, Mr. Taylor’s advice to the next generation is to continue the fight for environmental justice with great allies. “Unity is the key to fighting industry,” he said. Rise St. James St. James Parish ECJS Team Leaders and New Orleans Interns from left to right: Landon Bishop, St. Augustine High School, Re’Kal Hooker, The Living School, Dr. John Warford, DSCEJ, Victoria Cager, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Dr. Deb Morrison, CLEAR Environmental, Sharon Lavigne, RISE St. James, and Mary I. Williams, DSCEJ The final stop was in St. James Parish, where Victoria Cager had the distinct honor of interviewing Sharon Lavigne, the 2021 Goldman Environmental Award recipient and President of Rise St. James. In 2018, Ms. Sharon Lavigne smelled odors in the air and began work with the Help Association. Over the last four years, Rise St. James has prevented plants from coming to St. James Parish. Ms. Lavigne said, “the local officials don’t represent the community, they represent the industries. They have let us down.” Rise St. James has hosted town hall meetings and distributed flyers to raise awareness about plants coming into their community. Unfortunately, residential homes, the sugar mill, and St. James High School were sold to industry. There are twelve plants on the West Bank and seven plants on the East Bank of St. James Parish. Additionally, Lavigne built storage plants next to homes in the community. As a result of the long-term exposure to toxic chemicals and high cancer rate in her community, Ms. Lavigne encourages the next generation to get their education and do their research so that they can come back to St. James Parish with ways to help their community. She would also like the federal government to declare a public health emergency in St. James Parish. ECJS Interns look forward to continuing their work with these communities as they develop creative ways to chronicle their story as they demand the right to clean air, water, and soil for all. About the Environmental and Climate Justice Storyteller Internship program ECJS is a program funded by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM). The $1.25 million, five-year grant awarded to the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) is dedicated to equipping the next generation of environmental and climate justice leaders with the technical skills to chronical the stories of marginalized communities along the Gulf Coast Region in LA, FL, MS, AL, and TX. ...
Nov 28, 2022
Ms. Magazine: COP27’s Newest Headliner: Environmental Justice
Ms. Magazine: COP27’s Newest Headliner: Environmental Justice Dr. Wright, Executive Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Talks Climate Justice Pavilion at COP27 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 28, 2022 New Orleans, LA – Dr. Beverly Wright, Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) penned an op-ed in Ms. Magazine bringing attention to the first-ever Climate Justice Pavilion inside the Blue Zone at COP27, the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The Climate Justice Pavilion was created in collaboration with DSCEJ, WE ACT for Environmental Justice (WE ACT), and the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University (BCECJ). In her piece, COP27’s Newest Headliner: Environmental Justice, Dr. Wright discussed how the environmental movement pushed for more equitable solutions to tackle the world’s biggest problems. The Climate Justice Pavilion was successful in its efforts to address the risk of carbon capture and storage technology to front-line communities and the need for just solutions to reduce carbon, assess the damage to underserved communities due to years of colonialism and environmental racism, and rethink climate reparations for poor communities burdened by the world’s richest people. The COP27 Climate Justice Pavilion is a collaboration effort from Dr. Beverly Wright, Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice; Peggy Shepard, Executive Director of WE ACT For Environmental Justice; Dr. Robert Bullard, Director of Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, Texas Southern University; Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense Fund, Abigail Dillen, President of Earthjustice; Dr. Deb L. Morrison, CLEAR Environmental; Marina Macal, Instituto Clima e Sociedade; Cathy Eatock, Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform; and Mithika Mwenda, PACJA, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance. See below for excerpts from the op-ed, or read it in Ms. Magazine here. COP27’s Newest Headliner: Environmental Justice Dr. Beverly Wright, November 18, 2022 “This year, as I traveled to COP for the 13th time, my organization, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice in partnership with WE ACT for Environmental Justice (WE ACT), and the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University (BCECJ) hosted a Climate Justice Pavilion designed to foster environmental justice conversations between diplomats, policymakers, businesses and professional advocates. This first-of-its-kind pavilion brought together people from the Global South, the U.S. environmental justice movement and Indigenous peoples to highlight the voices of communities disproportionately impacted by our climate crisis. The pavilion focused on historically overlooked sectors of climate policy, including the risk of carbon capture and storage technology to front-line communities and the need for just solutions to reduce carbon.” *** “Environmental justice must be at the forefront of every conversation about climate change and what our country and others will do to reverse the dangerous path we are on. From the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act in the United States to the significance of hosting a climate conference on the content of Africa, we welcome the opportunity to make bolder strides toward environmental and climate justice.” Click here to read the full op-ed. ### ...
Nov 15, 2022
Environmental Organizations File Suit Against Louisiana Dept. of Natural Resources for Illegally Exempting LNG Facility from Critical Permit
Deep South Center of Environmental Justice, Sierra Club, and Healthy Gulf hope to prevent further construction of a fracked gas export facility that will further harm Black and Indigenous communities in Southern Louisiana without the proper environmental precautions FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 15, 2022 (New Orleans, LA) – PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LA - Last week, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Sierra Club, and Healthy Gulf filed a petition for judicial review against the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR). This petition follows the LDNR’s decision in a one-page letter to illegally exempt Venture Global Plaquemines LNG, LLC from obtaining a Coastal Use Permit for further development of a fracked gas export facility under construction in Southern Louisiana. The LDNR’s decision provides no analysis, finding of facts, or any showing that it considered the data and scientific reports showing the immense damage that can result from the Venture Global Plaquemines LNG facility. Located 35 miles south of New Orleans in the Plaquemines Parish coastal zone, the Venture Global LNG facility will contribute to the climate crisis and cause irrevocable damage to surrounding communities of color. Construction of the site will destroy nearly 400 acres of vulnerable wetlands that serve as a storm buffer for nearby communities including New Orleans. An affidavit by Dr. Ivor Van Heerden concludes that the existing and proposed levees around the LNG site are inadequate, risking surge flooding and levee failure for major hurricanes and other severe storms. “Substantial design flaws in the proposed storm wall and construction process pose substantial risk of a levee failure. Failure of any levee and especially the I-wall ring dike will result in catastrophic release of chemical contaminants towards Barataria Bay impacting wetlands as well as the waters of the Bay. The impact to wetland fauna and flora would be immense,” according to Dr. Van Heerden’s affidavit. Just last year, Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 storm, flooded the site for over a month. With an operational LNG facility at the location, a similar storm would release pollution into homes, businesses, farmland, and coastal waters. Further disruption to these coastal lands continues an unjust pattern of people of color bearing the brunt of the climate crisis despite contributing to it the least. By not requiring Venture Global to obtain a Coastal Use Permit, the LDNR has put the priorities of a large corporation ahead of the safety of families in Plaquemines Parish. Despite input from the scientific community and lessons from previous natural disasters, the LDNR unlawfully ignored the damaging effects of the facility. When presented with facts and data necessitating Venture Global Plaquemines LNG apply for a Coastal Use Permit, Thomas Harris, Secretary of the LDNR, said, ". . . I do not find that conditions have changed sufficiently for me to reopen this matter.” "The LDNR continues its track record of failure to execute its duty as a public trustee under the Louisiana Constitution which harms Black and Indigenous communities and damages our coast,” said Monique Harden, Assistant Director of Law and Public Policy at Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. “Venture Global is not above the law that requires companies to minimize harm in a coastal zone." “The LDNR's refusal to require a Coastal Use Permit for Venture Global's Plaquemines LNG facility puts frontline communities and precious Louisiana coastal waters at severe risk, and we look forward to the court's review,” said Lisa Diaz, attorney for Sierra Club. "The people of Louisiana have to endure enough with natural disasters threatening our coast and way of life. We absolutely do not need the compounded risk of environmental damage caused by facilities in the aftermath of detrimental storms, yet we see this happen time and time again,” said Jessi Parfait, a citizen of the United Houma Nation and Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels Campaign Representative. “In the face of evidence, LDNR is refusing to do what is right and are instead choosing to risk the lives and health of communities who are already vulnerable because as a resident of coastal Louisiana, we know it isn't a matter of if we will get another big storm but when.” "The LDNR's decision that a Coastal Use Permit isn't required runs contrary to what we know about this Environmental Justice community in Plaquemines Parish that already had a backlog of wetlands restoration needs before the impacts of Hurricane Ida," said Scott Eustis, Community Science Director for Healthy Gulf. ### Contact: Ginger LeBlanc | gingerl@dscej.org Valerie Keys | vkeys@skdknick.com About the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Families in the Gulf Coast deserve to live in communities that are free from deadly air and are more resilient to climate change and extreme weather. The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) works to empower and engage communities to put environmental justice and equity at the center of all climate action. Led by environmental justice scholar and advocate, author, civic leader and professor of Sociology Dr. Beverly L. Wright, the DSCEJ uses research, education, and community and student engagement to advocate for policy change, lead health and safety training for environmental careers, develop social and emotional community wellness programs, and create new and environmentally healthy opportunities for the residents of communities disproportionately impacted by historic environmental injustice. ...
Oct 25, 2022
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE GROUPS DEBUT FIRST-EVER CLIMATE JUSTICE PAVILION AT COP27
Deep South Center For Environmental Justice, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice Join International Partners for Historic Environmental Justice Presence in the Blue Zone FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 25, 2022 (New Orleans, LA) – The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ), WE ACT for Environmental Justice (WE ACT), and the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University (BCECJ) will debut the first-ever Climate Justice Pavilion inside the Blue Zone at COP27, the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, November 6-18, 2022. The pavilion will bring together representatives from the Global South, the U.S. Environmental Justice Movement, and Indigenous peoples to spotlight the voices of communities disproportionately impacted by climate change. The IPCC reports consistently raise the alarm about the worsening impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable communities, countries, and island states. Yet, the voices, stories, and perspectives of residents of these localities are rarely heard, communicated, or promoted – despite the increasing incidence of climate migration due to extreme weather events that cause flooding, destruction, drought, and soil and coastal erosion. The Climate Justice Pavilion will help to bridge that gap by serving as a space for productive conversations in the Blue Zone, which is where the majority of diplomats, policymakers, business, and professional advocates convene at COP27. Historically, grassroots groups and activists have been providing environmental justice programming for years in the conference’s Green Zone which is geographically isolated from the Blue Zone. Because of this segregation, a collaboration was developed to build a Climate Justice Pavilion where individuals from the Global South, the U.S. Environmental Justice Movement, and other international movements can dialogue on issues including: Connecting the people of the global migrating south forced to flee their homes because of unsafe communities due to outsized natural disasters or life-taking pollution; The risk of carbon capture and storage technology to front-line communities and the need for just solutions to reduce carbon; Climate Finance and the need to support communities with mitigating and adapting policies that will address climate change; Loss and damage to underserved communities due to years of colonialism and environmental racism; The need for energy justice, including equitable reparations for communities historically harmed by climate change; and climate reparations for poor communities burdened by the world’s richest people. “Women, children of color and the communities where they live are too often an afterthought when talking about climate justice. The first-ever Climate Justice pavilion will provide a global stage to highlight their stories and others, encouraging governments to develop policies and clean energy transition plans that are inclusive, equitable, and reflect research on the effects on our communities.” said Dr. Beverly Wright, Executive Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. “The Global South from the United States to Africa is bearing the brunt of our climate crisis. Natural disasters coupled with centuries of colonialism and racism that underpin global environmental policy have devastated countless communities. This pavilion will challenge the world’s best and brightest to reimagine how to tackle climate change and protect the most vulnerable all around the world.” “You cannot talk about solving the climate crisis if the people most impacted are not at the table,” said Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director of WE ACT for Environmental Justice. “The historic nature of the Climate Justice Pavilion cannot be understated, as it creates a space for those voices, their stories and perspectives, to be heard by decision makers on the international stage. We look forward to elevating the discussion of climate migration, energy justice, and the risk of false solutions to our communities as well as the need to center equity when addressing climate change.” “The significance of COP27 in Africa underscores the importance of environmental justice and the significance of our first-ever climate justice pavilion. Those who visit the pavilion will hear about sectors of climate policy routinely overlooked and marginalized because of historic environmental racism,” said Dr. Robert Bullard, Director, Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, Texas Southern University. “We will host discussions on climate finance, loss and damage, energy justice, and climate reparations, among the topics most important to vulnerable communities bearing the brunt of the climate crisis around the world. I am very excited about what our team and the Climate Justice Pavilion are bringing to this year’s conference.” A delegation of over 40 representatives of grassroots communities; Students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and staff support will accompany the collaboration to manage logistics, travel, programming of the pavilion, and relevant research. The COP 27 Climate Justice Pavilion is a collaboration effort from Dr. Beverly Wright, Executive Director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice; Peggy Shepard, Executive Director of WE ACT For Environmental Justice; Dr. Robert Bullard, Director of Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, Texas Southern University; Fred Krupp, President of Environmental Defense Fund, Abigail Dillen, President of Earthjustice; Dr. Deb L. Morrison, CLEAR Environmental; Marina Macal, Instituto Clima e Sociedade; Cathy Eatock, Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform; and Mithika Mwenda, PACJA, Pan African Climate Justice Alliance. Sponsors Include: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Environmental Defense Fund, Earthjustice, Union of Concerned Scientists , The Kresge Foundation , National Wildlife Federation, Center for American Progress, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Columbia Climate School. ### Contact: Ginger LeBlanc | gingerl@dscej.org Valerie Keys | vkeys@skdknick.com About the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Families in the Gulf Coast deserve to live in communities that are free from deadly air and are more resilient to climate change and extreme weather. The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) works to empower and engage communities to put environmental justice and equity at the center of all climate action. Led by environmental justice scholar and advocate, author, civic leader and professor of Sociology Dr. Beverly L. Wright, the DSCEJ uses research, education, and community and student engagement to advocate for policy change, lead health and safety training for environmental careers, develop social and emotional community wellness programs, and create new and environmentally healthy opportunities for the residents of communities disproportionately impacted by historic environmental injustice. About WE ACT for Environmental Justice (WE ACT) WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a Northern Manhattan membership-based organization whose mission is to build healthy communities by ensuring that people of color and/or low-income residents participate meaningfully in the creation of sound and fair environmental health and protection policies and practices. WE ACT has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. About the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University (TBC) The Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at Texas Southern University addresses longstanding issues of systemic inequality and structural racism that cause disproportionate pain, suffering and death in Black and other people of color communities. The Center is directed by environmental justice scholar Dr. Robert D. Bullard and is housed in the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs. It strives to be a leading force for transformative environmental, climate, and racial justice using rigorous science, community-driven research, policy, civic engagement programming, and effective advocacy. ...
Sep 28, 2022
Take Action Alert: Tell Your City Councilmember to Support Healthy Homes!
DSCEJ is proud member of the Healthy Homes Coalition in New Orleans, which believes that everyone deserves a home free of leaks, mold, and other major health and safety hazards. TOMORROW (Thursday, September 29), the New Orleans City Council will introduce the Healthy Homes Ordinance (Ord. Cal. No. 33,898). We invite NOLA citizens to take action for healthy homes for all. 1. ATTEND the Healthy Homes Council Hearing and make a comment in support of the proposed Healthy Homes ordinance. WHEN: Thursday Sep 29, 2022 ⋅ 1pm – 5pm (Central Time - Chicago) WHERE: New Orleans City Council Chambers, 1300 Perdido St, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA This hearing will be in the City Council Government Affairs Committee. The front desk staff will guide people to council chambers. Once inside, you may fill out a yellow speaker card, located on a table at the far right side of the chamber. Submit your card and wait to be called up to the mic to speak. 2. SUBMIT A COMMENT on the Council website. To submit your comment to the Governmental Affairs Committee, click here. Be sure to click agenda item "1. Healthy Homes Ordinance (Ord. Cal. No. 33,898)." 3. CALL your Councilmember. Call your Councilmember to tell them you support Healthy Homes! VISIT THIS LINK FOR MORE DETAILS ...
Aug 25, 2022
DSCEJ Receives $500,000 Grant from The Windward Fund to Support New Data Hub
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 25, 2022 (New Orleans, LA) – The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) has been awarded a $500,000 grant from The Windward Fund through its Environmental Justice Data Fund project. This grant will fund DSCEJ’s creation of the Environmental Justice Data Hub (EJDH), an interactive online portal to provide environmental justice organizations the opportunity to conduct research relevant to the needs of their communities. “The Environmental Justice Data Hub will be an invaluable tool for our community partners as well as environmental and climate justice advocates across the country,” said Dr. Beverly Wright, DSCEJ Founder and Executive Director. “One of the best tools we have to advocate for policy change is data. We will develop the EJDH to help communities to effectively show what is in the air we’re breathing and the water we’re drinking, as well as bring more attention to the impacts of toxic chemicals on our health and quality of life. We thank the Windward Fund for this award and the ability to continue empowering advocates and climate justice leaders with the resources they need to catalyze change in their communities.” The EJDH will leverage DSCEJ’s 30 years of education and research programs that provide community-based organizations with the tools needed to advocate for change on local, state, and federal levels of government. ### About the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Families in the Gulf Coast deserve to live in communities that are free from toxic air and are more resilient to climate change and extreme weather. The Deep South Center for Environmental Justice (DSCEJ) works to empower and engage communities to place environmental justice and equity at the center of all climate action. Led by environmental justice scholar and advocate, author, civic leader and professor of Sociology Dr. Beverly L. Wright, the DSCEJ provides research, education, and community and student engagement to advocate for policy change, lead health and safety training for environmental careers, develop social and emotional community wellness programs, and create new and environmentally healthy opportunities for the residents of communities disproportionately impacted by historic environmental injustice. About the Winward Fund’s Environmental Justice Data Fund The Environmental Justice Data Fund (EJDF or “the Fund”) is an $8 million fund, created and seeded by Google.org, that aims to help frontline communities who have been historically underserved and disproportionately impacted by climate change and environmental injustice. ...