Mustafa Santiago Ali Op-Ed in Blavity: “Get Into Good Trouble”

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John Lewis’s Advice For Defending Our Health and the EPA: ‘Get Into Good Trouble’

Mustafa calls out the environmental injustice and disservice the Trump Administration is exhibiting by its attempts to undermine the public health protections and programs many families of color rely on.

This article was originally posted March 19, 2018, on Blavity.com 

In 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) celebrated the 20th anniversary of a historic Presidential Executive Order (E.O.12898) declaring action on environmental justice. The guest of honor was Congressman John Lewis, a legendary civil rights champion and an environmental justice advocate. In 1992, he introduced the Environmental Justice Act, the first piece of legislation dedicated to abolishing racial disparities, environmental protection applications. Soon after, the environmental justice program at EPA was established—an office I worked in for almost 25 years.

But given the Trump administration’s intentional neglect of the most basic of EPA’s mandates, I left the agency, and joined the Hip Hop Caucus. We and our partners are committed to transforming our communities from ‘surviving to ‘thriving’. And that means defending against the injustices of pollution and disinvestment.

And the truth is, some injustices are easier to see, like signs hanging above a water fountain or on a bathroom door. Under the surface, systemic harm disproportionately undermining black and brown families continues to fester, demands more thoughtful attention than ever before.

Let’s take the tragic story of Freddie Gray, for example. It’s been a few years since young Freddie Gray died in the back of a police van in Baltimore, Maryland. His death sparked conversation about police brutality, and the criminal justice system. But the untold story is one of unfair environmental harm. It turns out, Freddie grew up in the projects in Baltimore, and was exposed to lead paint chips as a child. Science tells us that exposure to lead at that age seriously inhibits brain development, leading to increased academic struggles and higher rates of youth run-ins with the law. We currently have over one million kids who are suffering from lead poisoning.

When the Trump Administration undermines public health protections and programs families like Freddie’s rely on, communities of color suffer the most. Our safety and our health the first rung on any letter of opportunity. The President and his backers have posed historically deep cuts to cornerstone environmental justice programs and the stripping of grant dollars dedicated to ensuring safe water to drink and clean air to breathe, all while our children suffer from more asthma, our families are exposed to more toxic chemicals, and our neighborhoods deal with higher levels of contaminated water.

A recent investigation into water contamination around the country identified more than 3,000 neighborhood areas with recently recorded childhood lead poisoning rates at least double those found across Flint, Michigan, during the peak of that city’s water contamination a few years ago. In fact, more than 1,000 of those ‘hotspots’ have a rate of elevated blood lead levels higher than Flint’s.

Whether it’s his political delay of the Waters of the United States rule meant to keep sources of drinking water safe from harm—or continual blockage of having EPA do the job Congress gave it to do, Trump’s actions put us in real, measurable danger.

On the heels of Black History Month, we’re reminded that the environmental movement and the civil rights movement are two sides of the same coin: EPA was born from an all-too-familiar compulsion to fight for basic rights—the right to clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and healthy land to raise our families.

As he spoke to EPA staff in 2014 upon receiving his award, Congressman Lewis recounted his first recollection, as a young boy in Jim Crow Alabama, seeing entry signs and water fountains labeled ‘colored’ and ‘white’. I was there in the room when he described it in detail. He remembers asking his family why such discrimination existed: “They said, ‘That’s just the way it is. Don’t get in the way. Don’t get in trouble.’”

Today, in this new era of anti-science, racially charged political leadership, as environmental health injustices deepen their roots in black and brown communities, we must endeavor—like generations past—to give voice to the voiceless and fight for a more equitable future.

At the end of his talk at, John Lewis said to all of us in the room: “thank you for getting in the way. Thank you for getting in trouble – good trouble. It’s the necessary thing to do.”

Let’s take a page out of Congressman Lewis’s book. Let’s keep getting into good trouble.

 

About the Author: Mustafa Santiago Ali is a renowned national speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. Mr. Ali specializes in social and environmental justice issues and is focused on a utilizing a holistic approach to revitalizing vulnerable communities. He joined the Hip Hop Caucus after working 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he most recently served as Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization. Throughout his career he has worked with over 500 domestic and international communities to improve people’s lives by addressing environmental, health, and economic justice issues. For more from Mustafa, please be sure to check out Mustafa’s latest appearance on AM Joy, video interview with Robert Reich, and interview on the Politically Re-Active podcast with Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu. You can also keep up with him on Twitter (@EJinAction).

 

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Episode 1: “Inaugural Episode! Environmental Justice 101” [March 13, 2018]

What is Environmental Justice? What is Climate Justice? Host Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. is joined by three leaders to discuss the history of the movement and what it means for moving our most vulnerable communities from ‘surviving to thriving’.  Guests include United States Congressman Donald McEachin (VA-04), the “father of Environmental Justice” Dr. Robert Bullard, and environmental justice expert Dr. Adrienne Hollis, in the inaugural episode. 

The post Episode 1: “Inaugural Episode! Environmental Justice 101” [March 13, 2018] appeared first on Hip Hop Caucus.

Episode 1: “Inaugural Episode! Environmental Justice 101” [March 13, 2018]

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LISTEN TO THIS SHOW HERE

Episode Overview

What is Environmental Justice? Hosts Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. and Mustafa Santiago Ali are joined by three leaders to discuss the history of the movement and what it means for moving our most vulnerable communities from ‘surviving to thriving’. Guests include United States Congressman Donald McEachin (VA-04), the “father of Environmental Justice” Dr. Robert Bullard, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice Director of Federal Policy Dr. Adrienne Hollis in the inaugural episode of Think 100% – The Coolest Show On Climate Change.

 

Topics Covered
  • Welcome to “Think 100%, Coolest Show on Climate Change”! 
  • Putting Environmental Justice in Perspective
  • Environmental Justice in the 21st Century – are we moving backwards?
  • Resistance and Persistence: Efforts to Address Environmental Justice in Communities and Congress
  • How do we win? Power of the People.

 

Join the Conversation

This show is of, by, and for the people – so we need to hear from you! You are vital in the process to improve our communities now and protect future generations. Join the conversation and submit questions for the show using #Think100 on Twitter and be sure to tag us @HipHopCaucus

 

Special Guests

Congressman Donald McEachin represents Virginia’s 4th district, covering much of the area between Richmond and Hampton Roads. As a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Mr. McEachin serves as the Ranking Member of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and sits on the Subcommittee on Federal Lands. Mr. McEachin also sits on both the Readiness and the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittees under the House Armed Services Committee. Mr. McEachin is committed to being a progressive champion who leads efforts that will promote equality, curb gun violence, protect our environment, and advocate for military personnel and their family members.

In May 2017, he announced the start of the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Task Force with fellow co-chairs Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07). 

Twitter: @RepMcEachin

 

 

Dr. Robert Bullard, often described as the “father of environmental justice,” is the distinguished professor of urban planning and environmental policy in the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University. He is the author of 18 books that address climate justice, environmental racism, sustainable development, and other topics. Robert has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including from CNN, the American Bar Association, the National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club, and others. In 2014, the Sierra Club named its new Environmental Justice Award after him.

Twitter@DrBobBullard

 

 

 

Dr. Adrienne Hollis is the Director of Federal Policy at WE ACT for Environmental Justice. Dr. Hollis is an experienced environmental toxicologist as well as an environmental attorney. She has worked with a number of community organizations and has a wealth of experience in community-based participatory research around environmental justice issues.

Twitter@EjToxicdoc

 

 

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Meet the Hosts! Rev Yearwood & Mustafa Santiago Ali

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Think 100%, Coolest Show on Climate Change” is a ground-breaking weekly radio show and podcast that focuses on building a diverse and empowered movement to fight climate change, environmental injustices, and propel the transition to 100% clean energy for all. The platform will be a vital tool in linking climate and culture, and bringing influences from both worlds together to talk environmental justice and climate change.

The show is hosted by two nationally recognized leaders, Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. and Mustafa Santiago Ali. Both hosts bring to the table critical insight and expertise from decades of experience working with vulnerable communities across the United States and beyond. 

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus, is a minister, community activist and one of the most influential people in Hip Hop political life. Rev Yearwood is a national leader in engaging young people in electoral activism. He leads the national Respect My Vote! campaign and coalition (www.respectmyvote.com). A national leader and pacemaker within the green movement, Rev Yearwood has been successfully bridging the gap between communities of color and environmental issue advocacy over the past decade. With a diverse set of celebrity allies, Rev Yearwood raises awareness and action in communities that are often overlooked by traditional environmental campaigns and the progressive movement. Rev Yearwood’s innovative stance has garnered the Hip Hop Caucus support from several environmental leaders including the National Wildlife Federation, Earthjustice, and former Vice President Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection.

Mustafa Santiago Ali is the Senior Vice President of Climate, Environmental Justice & Community Revitalization at Hip Hop Caucus. Mustafa is a renowned national speaker, policy maker, community liaison, trainer, and facilitator. He specializes in social and environmental justice issues and is focused on a utilizing a holistic approach to revitalizing vulnerable communities. He joined the Hip Hop Caucus, after working 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where he most recently served as Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice and Community Revitalization. At the EPA, he elevated environmental justice issues and worked across federal agencies to strengthen environmental justice policies, programs and initiatives. Throughout his career he has worked with over 500 domestic and international communities to improve people’s lives by addressing environmental, health, and economic justice issues.

Tune into “Think 100%, coolest show on climate change” every Tuesday at 6pm EST, or stream live from WPFW. Follow Rev Yearwood (@RevYearwood), Mustafa Ali (@EJinAction), and Hip Hop Caucus @HipHopCaucus on Twitter to stay updated on the latest news, and to get involved in the show.

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New Weekly Radio Show and Podcast to Power Climate Action

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Cutting-edge show infuses climate and culture to tell the stories that inspire action to stop climate change and protect the frontline communities fighting for their existence

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, March 13th, Hip Hop Caucus is launching “Think 100%, Coolest Show on Climate Change”, a groundbreaking radio show and podcast that will harness the power of culture to broaden the climate movement. The hour long show will air at 6:00 PM ET on 89.3 FM WPFW, a Pacifica Station in the Washington D.C. Metro Region, and will be available everywhere via internet radio, podcast, and online video. The show will counter attacks on our environment and communities, and advance solutions to climate change that propel a just transition to 100% clean energy for all.

The show will be hosted by national civil and human rights, and environmental and climate leaders, Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. and Mustafa Santiago Ali, with special guest hosts featured from across the climate movement.

“From Flint, to Standing Rock, to Puerto Rico, our planet and communities are under attack from environmental injustices, deadly policy decisions, insufficient action on climate change, and an Administration that is moving us backwards,” said Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. “All people must benefit from the fight for clean air, clean water, and a sustainable planet.​”

The show’s platform and marketing strategy will ​provide the climate movement with the ability ​to break down silos, reach and empower new audiences, mobilize supporters, and position frontline communities for bold action.

“Think 100% comes at a crucial time for our communities now and for future generations, whose health and lives are jeopardized by the fossil fuel industry and elected leaders that value profits over people,” said Mustafa Santiago Ali. “Featuring stories from communities facing deadly impacts from pollution and climate change, and conversations with celebrities, artists, activists, youth leaders, Congressional Members, issue experts, and more, the show will break down barriers between issues within the movement for justice and a sustainable planet for all.”

The show will drive real talk on a range of issues impacting our health, security, wallet, and the ability to ensure our planet is habitable for for future generations. The issues and solutions to be discussed will include but are not limited to clean air and water, fossil fuel development, public lands and waters, oceans and coasts, smart infrastructure, energy access, climate change resilience and adaptation, climate mitigation, clean energy financing and innovation, wildlife, green business and labor, chemicals and toxins, immigration, democracy, security, and faith.   

Guests for the first show include leading voices in the environmental justice movement; Dr. Robert Bullard, the “Father of Environmental Justice”; United States Representative Donald McEachin (VA-04), co-chair of the United for Climate and Environmental Justice Congressional Task Force; and Dr. Adrienne Hollis, Director of Federal Policy at WEACT for Environmental Justice, a pioneer organization fighting against environmental injustices for 30 years at the local, state, and federal levels.

“Hip Hop Caucus Think 100%, Coolest Show on Climate Change”, will air live every Tuesday from 6:00-7:00 PM ET on 89.3 FM WPFW, a Pacifica Station in Washington D.C. Metro Region, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia. The weekly hour long live show will also be disseminated as a podcast and as online video, providing ongoing opportunity for content distribution to large and diverse audiences. Episodes will be available to live stream and download at www.wpfwfm.org and podcast platforms.  

Mustafa Santiago Ali and Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr.

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Hip Hop Caucus is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 2004 that uses the power of Hip Hop culture to engage and empower young people and communities of color in the civic and political process.  

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