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