About this episode

Dr. Lesley Joseph interviews journalist Jaha Avery about the environmental and historical issues surrounding Cancer Alley.

In this episode of The Environmental Justice Lab, Dr. Lesley Joseph sits down with journalist and award-winning author, Jaha Avery, creator of the podcast series The Corridor, to dig into the truth about “Cancer Alley” - an 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River where more than 150 petrochemical plants operate in the shadow of Black communities . But this story is about more than pollution. It’s about history. Jaha traces how the region’s past - from slavery and plantation economies to segregation and industrial expansion - laid the foundation for what is now one of the most toxic corridors in the United States. The same land that once extracted labor from enslaved people is now extracting health, safety, and life from their descendants. Together, they unpack the human cost of petrochemical production: elevated cancer risks, environmental neglect, and a regulatory system that too often fails the communities it is meant to protect. But they also center what mainstream narratives often ignore: resistance. From grassroots organizers to community advocates, residents of Cancer Alley are fighting back against corporate power, demanding accountability, and reclaiming their right…

Topics covered

• environmental justice
• cancer risks
• petrochemical production
• community resistance
• historical context
• health and safety

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