Environmental Justice

“In Louisiana, even though the EPA and all these federal organizations exist and they regulate in Louisiana, there is no enforcement of that regulation at any level of government in Louisiana. Even though we have access to protections, we don’t even have enforcement… that’s always the piece with whether this is local, state, or federal policy is that we have to get to some accountability and some enforcement around these policies.”

—Ashley Shelton
EJ News
|Environmental Protection Agency Gives $20 Billion in ‘Green Bank’ Grants|Black Leaders In Louisiana Make It Clear: Climate And Racial Justice Go Hand-In-Hand|Three Generations Of Black Climate Change Activists Share Why They Dedicate Their Lives Trying To Save The World|Request for federal grant approved as wildfires keep burning in Louisiana|Residents of Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ announce lawsuit against local officials|Here’s how to reduce power costs, help coastal communities|Who will protect communities of color from climate disaster?|OP-ED: This Hurricane Season, Disaster Recovery Must Be Equitable And Just|FEMA Isn’t the Only Solution to Climate Disaster. Government Must Fund Mutual Aid.|Disaster relief system is broken – community activists gear up for wildfires and hurricanes ahead|Disaster relief system is broken – community activists gear up for wildfires and hurricanes ahead|The war in Ukraine may ramp up pollution in US oil and gas communities|She Warned the Grain Elevator Would Disrupt Sacred Black History. They Deleted Her Findings.|Beyond Earth Day: More Must be Done to Address Environmental Racism|Grain elevator: Ruling lets slave descendants suit go ahead|Disaster Recovery: A System That Continues to Fail Its People|On Hurricane Ida, COVID-19, and trauma: Resilience cannot be a permanent state

Our Partners in Environmental Justice

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The Descendants Project is an emerging organization committed to the intergenerational healing and flourishing of the Black descendant community in the Louisiana river parishes. The lands of the river parishes hold the intersecting histories of enslavement, settler colonialism, and environmental degradation.

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The Vessel Project of Louisiana is a grassroots mutual aid, disaster relief, and environmental Justice organization founded in Southwest Louisiana in response to several federally declared disasters, including hurricanes Laura and Delta, winter storm Uri, and the May flood of 2021. The Vessel Project realizes the intersectionality of the challenges that plague BIPOC communities and works holistically to achieve environmental and climate justice; voting rights; and access to housing, energy, clean water, safe fresh produce, and healthcare.

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Inclusive Louisiana was formed in 2020 as a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the residents of St. James Parish and neighboring parishes from environmental harm caused by industrial pollution. OUR VISION is to educate and inform the community about social, racial, and environmental injustices along with our civic responsibilities.

  • We are members of CADA.
  • We march for Democracy.
  • We are engaged in all local, state, federal, and international meetings.
  • We write letters to the editor of various news organizations.
  • We host, attend, and support community events.
  • We distribute food baskets to the elderly.
  • We distribute school supplies.
  • We are there for the people in every way.
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Videos

Asti Davis Robins Gives Testimony Opposing SB 275

OpEds

Black Leaders In Louisiana Make It Clear: Climate And Racial Justice Go Hand-In-Hand

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Climate action must be intersectional, writes Ashley Shelton, CEO of the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice. by Ashley Shelton in NewsOne This summer has brought no shortage of extreme weather events. July was the hottest-recorded month on Earth, and deadly heat is continuing to threaten millions across the world. We’ve also seen record-breaking storms in the Pacific and Gulf, and flooding harming our nation’s infrastructure. Extreme weather events are becoming the new normal, but Louisiana has lived this climate reality for a long time now, enduring loss and devastation year after year. Growing up in the marshy, humid environment of the Gulf Coast, the place I’ve called home my whole life, it’s devastating to see the people and places we love suffering from drought and fires. Louisiana is used to life-threatening weather events — from hurricanes to extreme flooding and tornadoes — but these new disasters pose another set of risks, especially for Black people. Too often, the
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FEMA Isn’t the Only Solution to Climate Disaster. Government Must Fund Mutual Aid.

By Ashley K. Shelton for Truthout
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June 1 marks the start of hurricane and wildfire season. This is a time when many wait with bated breath, wondering how they will survive another storm even as they have yet to recover from prior weather emergencies. This is the time of year when anxiety kicks into high gear, and when post-traumatic stress disorder can take hold. This is the time of year when one vows to prepare, but limited resources make it impossible to do so.
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Beyond Earth Day: More Must be Done to Address Environmental Racism

By Joy and Jo Banner
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Earth Day has passed but the need to continue the fight for environmental justice remains. We started our organization, the Descendants Project as a way to advance intergenerational healing and promote the flourishing of the Black descendant community in the Louisiana river parishes. Originally, this work was tied to making sure descendants of enslaved people were included in the cultural and historical tourism industries that are popular in our area. However, when the toxic Greenfield Grain Elevator put its sights on our Wallace community, we realized there was no way to address the other tenants of systemic racism without first liberating ourselves from environmental racism. 
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Updates

Public Service Commission District 3 Win

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The Public Service Commission is a regulatory agency that is meant to serve the public interest by ensuring safe, reliable, and reasonably priced services including Electric, Gas, Water and Sewerage, Common Carriers, and Pipeline industries. Residents have felt the impact of this commission not keeping up their promises the last few years as petrochemical industries hurt communities and millions lost power during storms.

The voters of Louisiana chose a candidate of choice in the 3rd Public Service Commission aided by Power Coalition and our partner’s nonpartisan GOTV work. Davante Lewis was elected in a runoff election against a 16-year incumbent and is the highest-ranking Black elected official in the state and the first LGBTQ+ person to serve. This was a groundbreaking election in Louisiana and represents a change from politics as normal and shows what grassroots advocacy can accomplish. 

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