climate change solutions: the imperative call to …...the conference addressed climate solution...
TRANSCRIPT
ClimateChangeSolutions:TheImperativeCalltoAction
Dr.BeverlyWright,foundingexecutivedirectoroftheDeepSouthCenterforEnvironmentalJustice(DSCEJ)andDr.RobertD.Bullard,distinguishedprofessor,TexasSouthernUniversityco-convenedthe7thAnnualHBCUClimateChangeConferenceinNewOrleans,November13-16,2019.Thisyear’sconferencetheme,“ClimateChangeSolutions:TheImperativetoAction,”wasespeciallyrelevantgiventheseverityofenvironmentalandclimatechallengesfacingthepeopleandplacesinthevulnerableU.S.GulfCoastandSoutheastregionwherethevastmajorityofHBCUsarelocated.
Overthreehundredyouth,students,faculty,staff,faith,environmentalandclimatejusticeleadersfromtwenty-oneHistoricallyBlackCollegesandUniversities(HBCUs),ninepredominatelywhiteinstitutions(PWIs),andarepresentativesfromfiveHBCUGulfCoastPartnerCommunities(NewOrleans,LA,Houston,TX,Gulfport,MS,Mobile,AL,andPensacola,FL)gatheredinNewOrleanstoparticipateindiscussionsaboutbuildingjust,fairandequitableclimatesolutionstothecrisisfacingfrontlinecommunities.Eachyearstudentattendeeshaveanopportunitytopresenttheirresearchaswellasinteractwithcommunitymembersexperiencingenvironmentalexposureandnegativeimpactsofclimatechange.
Thefour-dayconferenceincludedfourexpertpanels,eightstudentpanels,fivekeynotespeakers,twointeractiveworkshops,astudentpostersession,acareerfair,andthe2019DamuSmith,PowerofOneAwardpresentedtoDr.KennethOldenforhisdedicationandcriticalsupportforenvironmentalandclimatejusticeandfrontlinecommunitiesoverthedecades.
Theeventfeaturedanumberofnationallyknown
authors,researchers,practitionersandiconic
figuresintheenvironmentalandclimatejustice
arena,includingexpertsfromTexasSouthernUniversityDr.EartheaNance,Dr.GlennS.Johnson,Dr.
DenaeKing,andDr.RobertD.Bullard,“FatheroftheEnvironmentalJustice,”Dr.BeverlyWright,DSCEJ
founderandHeinzAwardrecipient,UniversityofMichiganenvironmentaljusticescholars,Dr.PaulMohai,
Dr.DorcetaTaylor,andDr.TonyReames,Dr.SacobyWilson,UniversityofMaryland,Dr.GregoryS.
Jenkins,PennsylvaniaStateUniversity,Dr.DavidPadgett,TennesseeStateUniversity,Dr.NickySheats,
L-R:Dr.BeverlyWright,DamuSmithPowerofOneAwardRecipient,Dr.KennethOlden,andDr.RobertBullard
ThomasEdisonStateUniversity,Dr.AstridCaldas,UnionofConcernedScientists,AttorneyAdjoaA.
Aiyetoro,UniversityofArkansas,LittleRock,RhianaGunn-Wright,NewConsensus,Rev.Lennox
Yearwood,Jr.,HipHopCaucus,JacquelinePatterson,NAACP,DoneleWilkins,GreenDoorInitiative,
MustafaSantiagoAli,NationalWildlifeFederation,andDr.CalvinMackie,FounderofSTEMNOLA.
Inkeepingwiththeconferenceintergenerational
tradition,thereweretwenty(20)gradesKthrough12
studentsfromNewOrleans,LAandHoustonTX
participatedinthe“GenerationNext:RisingtoClimate
ChangeChallengesWorkshop”ledbytwoHBCU
graduatesJoySemien(currentlydoctoralstudentat
TexasA&MUniversity)andSimoneEnglish(doctoral
studentatFloridaA&MUniversity).HighSchool
studentsfromNewOrleans,LAandHouston,TXgave
apresentationonsealevelriseandfloodingduring
theworkshop.Theyoungestparticipantatthe
conferencewasArthurAsheElementarySchoolStudent,TruDobbins,whopresentedonsealevelrise
duringthepostersession.
Altogether,therewerefifty-one(51)studentposterpresentations;thelargestnumbereveratthisevent.
StudentPosterSession
StudentPosterCompetitionWinners1stPlaceGraduateStudent-$500FantasiaWilliams–“ImplementationandEvaluationofWaterFilterDistributioninRuralUganda,”UniversityofMichiganSchoolfortheEnvironmentandSustainability
ArthurAsheElementaryStudent,TruDobbins(center),presentsherpostertoDr.RobertWingfield,FiskUniversity.
1stPlaceUndergraduateStudent-$300.OunameMhotsha,“Afroecology:AToolforCurbingFoodInsecurityinSouthwest,Mississippi,”AlcornStateUniversity.2ndPlaceUndergraduateStudent-$200.KiaSmith-“TheSt.BernardCommunityatToxicRisk-OilRefineriesPollutingtheAir?”DillardUniversity.3rdPlaceUndergraduateStudent-$100.EliPresberg,“EnvironmentalJustice&LocalKnowledgeinAfricatown(Mobile),Alabama,”OberlinCollege.Theconferenceaddressedclimatesolutionstrategiesusinganequityandjusticelensrelatedtomitigation,adaptation,communityresilience,andothermajorclimatechangechallenges,transportation,energysources,carbonemissions,greenjobs/greeneconomy,justtransition,andcommunityeconomicdevelopment.Studentparticipantssaidtheywerehonoredtohavetheopportunitytonotonlysharetheirresearchbutalsointeractwithnationalenvironmental,climatejusticeexpertsandcommunityleaders.TheHBCUClimateChangeConsortiumwouldliketothankallofthesponsorsandvolunteersfortheirgeneroussupportoftheevent.TheconferencewasfundedinpartbytheKelloggFoundation,theNationalInstituteofEnvironmentalHealthSciencesandtheNationalScienceFoundation.
ConferencePowerPointpresentationsareforthcoming.Pleasecheckthe,“TheLatest,”ontheDSCEJwebsiteatwww.dscej.org.
HBCUClimateChangeMentors,Students,andExpertPresenters