The Latest News and Updates
Jun 17, 2020
COVID-19 Community Awareness & Disaster Preparedness Trainings
You Must Register to Attend. All Community Awareness and Disaster Preparedness Trainings are conducted by experts in community health, workplace safety, as well as disaster preparedness and response. Funded by: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences What faith-based organizations can do to stop the spread of COVID-19 Tue, June 23 @ 6-8 pm CT on Zoom To register, click here Protecting yourself from COVID-19 Thu, June 25 @ 6-8 pm CT on Zoom To register, click here Repeated Sat. June 27 @ 12-2 pm CT on Zoom To register, click here Hurricane and disaster was preparedness in the COVID-19 pandemic Tue, June 30 @ 5:30-7:30 pm CT on Zoom To register, click here Learn More ...
Jun 15, 2020
National Black Environmental Justice Network Relaunch
June 2020 - The National Black Environmental Justice Network (NBEJN) was conceived and founded in December of 1999, its inception precipitated by a call to Black leaders from diverse sectors in the United States to stop “Toxic Terror in Black Communities.” NBEJN delegates came together in New Orleans to organize and mobilize black people to fight environmental racism, map out a research agenda, and develop real strategies and plans to eliminate discriminatory policies and practices and toxic threats that sicken and kill black people. Polluting industries such as toxic waste facilities, high-risk chemical plants, oil refineries, and coal fired power plants have turned many African American and poor communities into “Cancer Alleys” and environmental “sacrifice zones.” Before environmental justice burst on to the national scene, pollution in black communities and poor neighborhoods was largely ignored by the media, industry, government, and green groups. The environmental justice framework grew out of grassroots community struggles committed to one simple principle; ‘All people and communities are entitled to equal protection under environmental, energy, health, employment, education, housing, transportation, and civil rights laws and regulations. The Network experienced a major setback in 2006 with the unexpected death of our visionary founding Executive Director Damu Smith. This “assault on Black America” has created a crisis that is fueled by racism, economic greed and reckless disregard for basic civil and human rights. In keeping with Principle 5 of the 17 Principles of Environmental Justice adopted in 1991 at the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, “Environmental Justice affirms the fundamental right to political, economic, cultural and environmental self-determination of all peoples.” As Black people under siege we cannot and must not leave our future in the hands of others to protect. We must lead and we must act now. The NBEJN is needed to lead during this crisis that threatens our humanity and right to enjoy “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” rights guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution enjoyed by White America—rights never realized for the first Africans who landed in 1619 more than 400 years ago to the present day. ...
Jun 14, 2020
COVID-19 Virtual Training
COVID-19 Virtual Community Awareness Training You must register to attend. Note: The same training is offered on different dates. Thu., June 25th @ 6:00 pm central To register, Click here. OR Sat., June 27th @ 12:00 noon central To register, Click here. Important Registration Info: Once registered you will receive a confirmation email that includes information on how you can join the selected training. Learn More ...
May 1, 2020
Congratulations! 2020 Environmental Career Worker Training Program Graduates!
Congratulations! 2020 Environmental Career Worker Training Program Graduates! May 2020 – Hats off to the recent graduates of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Spring 2020 Environmental Career Worker Training Program (ECWTP). Our New Orleans-based program took place January 21st through March 26th of 2020. An eager group of twenty-five (25) aspiring young men and women embarked on a new career path, as they chose to take part in our training program consisting of a basic skills curriculum utilizing a work-based learning model and a technical skills training which blends hands-on and classroom learning. We are proud to say that the graduating Class of 2020, consisting of all twenty-five (25) participants, received certificates in forty (40) hours hazardous waste operator, thirty-two (32) hours Asbestos Abatement Worker, sixteen (16) hours Mold Remediation, sixteen (16) hours Lead Abatement Worker, ten (10) hours OSHA General Industry, forty (40) hours Construction, and forty (40) hours Weatherization Installer. Our graduation ceremony is always the highlight of our culminating activities and we wanted to give our graduates in this year’s pandemic environment a similar experience. A virtual ceremony was held where graduates were recognized for significant achievement by their instructors, counselors, and program staff. Kendra A. Graves was named “Best All Around Student" for her excellent performance in all aspects of the training. Another bit of exciting news is that James Kelly, III accepted a permanent position with Battelle CCDS in Columbus, Ohio as a COVID19 Response Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Decontaminator. Battelle uses a Critical Care Decontamination System™ to addresses the current shortage of critical (PPE) across the United States. This is just one example of the program’s overall success with changing lives and training young men and women in environmental health and safety careers for over twenty-five years. We will as always, continue our job placement efforts to place our remaining graduates into viable and sustainable employment. The next New Orleans ECWTP training will be held in the Spring of 2021. For more information about our training, please visit our website at http://www.dscej.org/our-work/worker-health-and-safety-training and click on Environmental Career Worker Training Program. The Environmental Career Worker Training Program is funded by the National Institutes for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)....
Apr 30, 2020
The Deadly Racial Disparities of COVID-19 in America
A Terrible Price Members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club before a funeral procession in New Orleans. Eight weeks after Mardi Gras, eight club members had died of Covid-19. Learn more.
Apr 8, 2020
Air pollution could make coronavirus more severe for some
A new national study shows that exposure to toxic air pollution increases the number of deaths and hospitalizations due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. "African Americans are more likely to be exposed to air pollution, and more likely to suffer from underlying health conditions that worsen the outcomes of the coronavirus," said Dr. Wright, Executive Director and Founder of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. Read the article....
Apr 1, 2020
COVID-19 Added to Occupational Health and Safety Trainings
COVID-19 Added to Occupational Health and Safety Trainings As the world is fighting a deadly pandemic, the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Inc. has once again undertaken the task of protecting the people of disenfranchised, underserved environmental justice communities through our Worker Training Programs. Since April of this year, the Center has provided a COVID-19 component through its Hazardous Waste Worker Training and Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training programs to government agencies and non-profit organizations along the Gulf Coast Region including New Orleans Mosquito Control in New Orleans, LA and Unity in The Family Ministries located in Pensacola, Florida. Amidst this pandemic, it is vital that essential and returning workers be provided with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect themselves. We at the Center are answering the call to provide COVID-19 awareness training so that they may work and live safely. The main goal of the trainings is to ensure workers are able to conduct their daily job duties safely in the workplace. Understanding that many things we do while at work could spread the disease, our training emphasizes physical distancing, frequently washing hands, and wearing face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition, participants were trained on how to properly don (put on) and doff (take off) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Workers were also instructed as to the proper disposal and maintenance of PPE. The final fundamental aspect of this training included the decontamination of the equipment and work surfaces. Training conducted with one of our partner communities in Pensacola, FL and hosted by Unity in The Family Ministries also included HAZWOPER and Disaster Training. Deep South Center for Environmental Justice COVID-19, HAZWOPER and Disaster trainings are funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). ...
Mar 24, 2020
COVID-19 Workers Getting Training to Protect Their Own Health
The National Institutes of Health launched a new website with important educational resources for Coronavirus workers dealing with the spread of COVID-19. The initiative got underway after Congress passed a supplemental appropriation of $10 million on March 6 “for worker-based training to prevent and reduce exposure of hospital employees, emergency first responders, and other workers who are at risk of exposure to coronavirus through their work duties.” The law provided a total of $8.3 billion in emergency funding for certain Federal agencies to respond to the coronavirus outbreak. Read more ...
Feb 10, 2020
The Equitable & Just National Climate Platform
The Equitable & Just National Climate Platform The Equitable & Just National Climate Platform co-authors released a new video to showcase the platform’s priorities and how we can move towards a just climate future! "We are calling for national climate solutions that are designed and examined through an equity lens.” - Dr. Beverly Wright on the Equitable & Just National Climate Platform. #JustClimateFuture @DSCEJ ...
Feb 7, 2020
The Father of Environmental Justice
The Father of Environmental Justice (2020 | Race to Save the Planet: Environmental Justice)